heartless Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Most of you have already seen pics of this car in the 'new gen' area, but I figured I would start a build thread for it since it will be getting a heart transplant in the near future (if it ever stops raining & dries up a little so we can get to the donor with the skid steer)... So - to start off we have the pic that was in the craigslist ad... and pics of it on our trailer when I picked it up. So was poking around in it a little today, and discovered this in the windshield....note the date & mileage.... That got me curious, so I got out the jumper cables and this is what I saw.... Holy crapola! I, personally, have never seen one this high in person - I know there are those that have, and higher even (have seen the picture evidence) but this is a first for me. Supposedly the initial owner was a traveling salesperson, so that would explain the mileage and still being in reasonable decent shape for it's age & location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Been a long long time since I've seen an odometer read that high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 Been a long long time since I've seen an odometer read that high. like i said - a first for me. A couple more pics of the new to us beast... Front interior... is this a common issue with these? What could have caused this? drivers seat is just a little worn considering the mileage... and a good share of the work to pull the 2.5 has already been done for me ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 And here is the donor... Legacy L, Automatic - build date of 5/90, 205,326 on the clock... The donation ... just one small, possible problem...discovered one of the sparkplugs is missing, and apparently has been for some time from the looks of things... Guess i will need to get a wrench on the crank and see if it will even move - if not, I may be hunting for decent, reasonable mileage 2.2 for the transplant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 ok, so closer inspection reveals that the plug IS in there, under a good layer of gunk! and the motor does turn nicely... now I just need it to dry up so I can get the car moved - the ground is so saturated around it there is standing water! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O.C.D. Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Wow, that is gonna be a fun one. Can you find another donor with less than 200k? Maybe sell that entire car and look for a motor around 100k? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 could that be kilometers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Would you consider the 2.2 heads on the 2.5 block? also, i have a running condition ej22e short block (no heads) with new seals and timing idlers if you need to source an engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 11, 2013 Author Share Posted June 11, 2013 Wow, that is gonna be a fun one. Can you find another donor with less than 200k? Maybe sell that entire car and look for a motor around 100k? I would love to find something with fewer miles on it, but they are few and far between around here for a reasonable price. could that be kilometers? possibly, but i doubt it - it is a US market car & been in the US pretty much all its life...Was originally titled in Iowa. Would you consider the 2.2 heads on the 2.5 block? also, i have a running condition ej22e short block (no heads) with new seals and timing idlers if you need to source an engine. Would the sohc 2.2 heads fit in the 2.5? it is a dohc motor...plus, with that many miles on the bottom end...not sure I want to go there with out a complete overhaul. I would be more inclined to go for that short block you have, Miles. can you pm me a price? Or maybe we could work out some other deal - parts & cash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 16, 2013 Author Share Posted June 16, 2013 Update - Got the donor car pulled out to drier ground on friday evening, but it rained nearly all day saturday. Today - Fathers Day (Happy Fathers Day to all you dads out there!) it is beautiful outside! So got the 2.5 yanked out of the Forester and started cleaning up 15 years worth of gunk on the crossmember...that is when I made an interesting discovery...This car caught fire at some point - supposedly happened at the shop he had taken it to when it started running bad. Regardless of when, it is making more work for me trying to find and repair damaged wires...and possibly the main throttle cable.. Damaged throttle cable sheath - not sure if this is going to affect operation or not...anyone care to weigh in? Negative battery cable is pretty trashed as well - will be replaced, as will the positive, just because. some damaged wiring near the battery location - not too bad here, but the plug for the washer pump is pretty melted... and damaged wiring down front - this is the main harness that runs under the radiator - look about an inch to the right of my thumb and you can see bare copper... Further inspection of the motor itself reveals damaged wiring on drivers side injector plugs amongst other things - will the plugs from the 2.2 harness work if I splice them into the harness in place of the damaged ones? (I know they will work on the injector side, but will the ECU be ok with them?) Should work, right? Am also looking for a replacement AC condenser for this beast - the existing one has a pretty good sized hole in it that was hidden by a piece of cardboard... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Is the core actually broken or are the fins just chewed up? Those things are pretty tough despite how flimsy the fins are. I caught a good sized branch with mine through the lower bumper grille and it mangled the fins and the core all up but it still doesn't leak. AC has been working just fine so far this summer. It kinda looks like that upper AC hose might have some damage from the fire? Throttle cables are probably trashed. Even if it didnt melt through it still got the inside of the cable very hot, which will result in rust /corrosion and binding. Don't need a throttle cable getting jammed at WOT and have the car take off on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 Is the core actually broken or are the fins just chewed up? Those things are pretty tough despite how flimsy the fins are. I caught a good sized branch with mine through the lower bumper grille and it mangled the fins and the core all up but it still doesn't leak. AC has been working just fine so far this summer. It kinda looks like that upper AC hose might have some damage from the fire? Throttle cables are probably trashed. Even if it didnt melt through it still got the inside of the cable very hot, which will result in rust /corrosion and binding. Don't need a throttle cable getting jammed at WOT and have the car take off on you. two rows of the core are petty destroyed/deformed - I have zero faith in it not leaking (that picture doesnt show how bad it really is). also found a major gouge in the hard line that runs along the passenger side from the condenser to the canister by the firewall, so that is on my "wish list" as well. (friggin sloppy, careless people!) Granted AC is not an absolute necessity, but it sure would be nice.... for the upper AC hose, yeah it does have some outer damage, but it appears to be only the outer protective wrap - the damage does not appear to go beyond surface melting of that. the low pressure cap is melted pretty good, but does still screw off/on ok. Thinking new o-rings in that area should take care of any potential leaks there. Throttle cable - altho it looks really nasty, the cable does slide in/out pretty easily - may just go ahead & change it out anyway tho, just to be on the safe side. The cruise control cable, surprisingly, shows absolutely no signs of damage other than a tiny bit of discoloration of the outer protective wrap - figure that one out... Question: Will the throttle cable from the donor car work (length wise) on this? (1990 Legacy to 1998 Forester for those that dont want to look back) And how much of a pain in the backside is it to do? Cant seem to find any part numbers anywhere for cross-referencing. Can find it listed for retail sale on several sites, but no part numbers are shown. Currently trying to put together a shopping / swap checklist - would appreciate any input on anything i may have missed/overlooked? New Items - EJ22/Legacy related Full Timing kit (eBay) Spark Plugs / wires Oil Filter / oil Knock Sensor Various gaskets (have 2 partial sets on hand w/most available) New Items - EJ25/Forester related Radiator (maybe - need to inspect thoroughly - was tossed in the back of the car) Air filter Fuel Filter Throttle cable (possible swap from donor car?) New Items - Misc Heat shrink - various sizes (for repairing burned/damaged wiring) Wire Loom/wrap (plastic) various sizes Fuel Line Vacuum hose Washer hose Berryman’s carb cleaner (2.5 throttle body pretty dirty) Used Items Upper 2.2 wiring harness (necessity - in progress) (wish list) 98 Forester compatible AC Condenser (wish list) 98 Forester compatible AC hard-line - passenger side, from condenser to canister (existing is damaged) Misc Swap Items Throttle body from 2.5 to 2.2 (have - gasket? check sets) Flex plate from 2.5 to 2.2 (have) Battery cables (obtain from donor car) Wiring for making repairs to fire damaged areas (obtain from donor car) I will be going through the 2.2 and resealing things as needed - rear seperator plate, oil pump, oil pan, cam covers, etc. Which brings me to another question: is it worth changing the headgaskets on this motor while it is out and easily accessible? it does have a bit over 200K on it. Or should I leave well enough alone until/if it needs them in the future? I know the 2.2 is not generally prone to HG issues, but if it is worth doing while it is out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Opposedforces.com says the forester and Impreza cables are interchangeable. I would pull the cable out of the 90 and compare it to the forester cable. It can't be too different. Maybe one is a bit longer, but as long as the ends are the same I would think it should work. They aren't difficult to remove. Unhook the cable end on the throttle body and remove the cable from the anchor. Unhook the canle inside by pulling the cable and sliding it out of hook on the pedal. The inner anchor is either a clip or a nut similar to the engine side anchor, loosen and remove it then use a screwdriver to pop the grommet out of the firewall then slide the cable out through the engine bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 18, 2013 Author Share Posted June 18, 2013 Thank you fairtax - I will check length between the two. Supposed to have some nice weather for the next few days, so I am hoping to make a bit of progress on this project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 a few more pics... another view of the hole in the AC condenser... looking downward - hole is bigger around than my thumb, and about a 1/2" deep or so - doesnt go all the way thru, but darn close.... and some more of the lovely burned wiring... Chassis ground... one of the fan connectors - both wires were (very poorly) wrapped in fresh tape... repairs in progress... Spent pretty much all day yesterday working on fixing the burned wires - about 2/3rds of the wires in that harness sustained enough damage to require repairs - including 3 of the 6 shielded sets...so much fun trying to repair those... and just for fun - the remains of the front harness wrapping - not much of it left, is there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 23, 2013 Author Share Posted June 23, 2013 Got the EJ22 yanked out on Friday and set on an engine stand... Backside looks pretty good, surprisingly enough...main seal has a small amount of seepage, but not enough to warrant messing with it. I suspect that the separator plate was resealed previously. Aside form the usual accumulation of dirt & grime over the last 20 plus years, it doesnt look too bad, altho one area kind of makes me wonder about possible head gasket leakage...this is the back side of the divers side head... The passenger side is just oily dirty... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 Thanks to tractor pole I will soon have new fans for the Forester! Yay! Also hoping to have the rest of the items needed fairly soon as well. Yesterday I got the front accessories off the 2.2 and got it power washed. Did discover that the back bolt hole for the power steering bracket is pretty much stripped out - guess I will need to try to helicoil that. Also pulled the front accessories off the 2.5 to be swapped onto the 2.2 later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Rear seal looks ok, but I might still be tempted to replace it with one of the new brown/orange ones. I've done several EJ rear seals though and have had no trouble with leaks, but I only use Subaru seals and make sure the crank amd block bore are perfectly clean before installing the new seal. I also drive the seal in VERY carefully and only as far as the original seal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoyale Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Body is in nice shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 28, 2013 Author Share Posted June 28, 2013 Rear seal looks ok, but I might still be tempted to replace it with one of the new brown/orange ones. I've done several EJ rear seals though and have had no trouble with leaks, but I only use Subaru seals and make sure the crank amd block bore are perfectly clean before installing the new seal. I also drive the seal in VERY carefully and only as far as the original seal. I think I am going to leave well enough alone. I dont have the right tools to be able to install a new seal of that size, and I darn sure dont want to bugger it up trying. I would gladly let you do it tho, if you cared to come up here! Body is in nice shape. Hi Tom. Yeah, it isnt too shabby for a 15 year old car. has a little bit of rust forming in the corners of the rear wheel wells (the typical spot) but if we can get it up and running, gonna see about fixing them before they get any worse. Not going to spend a lot of time & energy on that until I know it will run, tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted June 28, 2013 Author Share Posted June 28, 2013 Front wiring harness repairs are complete! Fixing the sheilded wires was a pain, but I think they should be good - used extra sheilding wrap from the 2.2 harness to make the repairs... time to start on the 2.2 reseal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted July 2, 2013 Author Share Posted July 2, 2013 Well, here is one for the books - dont know if I should be appalled or impressed by the "ingenuity" of it.... got around to replacing the water pump on the 2.2 the other day - took the T-stat housing off the old pump to transfer over, and this is what I found living inside it... apparently the PO cheaped out and bought an aftermarket T-stat - it obviously does not have the jiggler pin/bypass hole, so they "made" thier own. so, what say all of you? Appalling? or Ingenious? I might add that there was a 7/16" bolt holding the housing on the old waterpump as well....snagged a couple of good metrics off the old 2.5 to install the housing on the new pump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I knew a guy that regularly drilled a hole in t'stats in his Chevy sedans (this was in the 70s-80s - I guess he was just concerned about a 'failed closed' situation ???). But, that looks like someone trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear! crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Did you happen to notice which way it was installed? Spring up or spring down? I've heard of people drilling holes in them to allow air and coolant to pass to prevent airlock, but that's usually one hole, not 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted July 2, 2013 Author Share Posted July 2, 2013 it was installed correctly, Fairtax - spring side up, towards the pump - i will give them that much credit... I could almost see one or maybe two holes - but five?!? a little bit of overkill there... LOL But seriously - why go thru all that when simply getting the correct t-stat is so much easier? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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