Can I do it?

[Smurfsack]

03 outback 2.5L

 

Compression test revieled cylinder 3 running at 90psi the other three cylinders at a clean 180.

 

Have not done a wet test yet.

 

I have never been this deep in an engine except when I was ten with daddy and his 80 corvette.

 

I have a driveway but not a garage. You guys think I can do the valves or rings myself?

[Mad Mechanic]

If you can devote a SOLID weekend and have the tools and hopefully at least 1 friend you can wrangle into this, yes, it's possible.

 

I pulled that exact same engine from that exact same year and model car from a junkyard last year and tore it down completely in 1 day. That was arriving at the junkyard in the morning, pulling the engine (took longer than necessary cause I was also pulling the entire engine and body harness too), getting it home, onto an engine stand and bolt-for-bolt stripping it down.

 

So you are going to have to disconnect the fuel lines, electrical connections (thankfully if memory serves its really just 3 big connectors on the intake manifold). Hopefully you have a manual car which will make things a little easier.

 

Get the intake manifold off, timing cover off, pull the cylinder head then comes the crappy part trying to pull the piston head.

 

I would suggest reading up on how to properly remove and install Subaru EJ pistons, this ain't your american V8, the connecting rod DOES NOT come out with the piston head, there are four threaded access plugs on the block, they take a big alan wrench to remove, these are for accessing the wrist pins for each cylinder. take out the access plug for the cylinder in question, rotate the crankshaft to line up the wrist pin with the access hole, remove the snap clip and use what is essentially a flat-head screwdriver with the tip bent down to pull the wrist pin out. This separates the piston head from the connecting rod. After that you will have to figure out how to get the piston head out of the cylinder.

 

Installation is reverse of removal. If you work hard and have the proper tools (engine lift, engine stand) and an extra person, you could probably does this in a solid weekend. Start Friday night as soon as you can, have the engine at least disconnected and ready for removal from the car or better yet remove it from the car. Saturday morning tear the engine apart and get the piston out. If you have the parts on hand, hopefully you can get the piston back in the engine on Saturday as well.

 

Sunday get the engine back in the car and give yourself plenty of time to chase any gremlins (like electrical connections you forget, fuel lines, etc).

[AdventureSubaru]

On an 03 2.5 you've probably got an external head gasket leak. Rings and valves not necessary. Do a few searches on the job. It's pretty simple as head gasket jobs go. Make sure to get Subaru gaskets and have heads resurfaced.

[ocei77]

If he has to pull no 3 he would have to pull the engine. The access is via the oil separator plate.

Prayerfully it is as Adventure says.

I would never go this deep into an engine w/o pulling it first.

Smurfsack get a fsm from online and check out some youtube videos. You can do it.

 

O.

[1 Lucky Texan]

leakdown test might show leaking exhaust or intake valve.

 

smurfsack - how many miles on the engine? a used engine from a wreck could be an option - might have 1/2 the mileage. LKQ or car-part.com ,not cheap, but an idea.....

Edited March 17, 2016 by 1 Lucky Texan

[AdventureSubaru]

If it comes to that there are some guys in the bay area that import EJ20 SOHC motors from Japan - between 30 and 60k on them. I talked them down to $600 for one for my buddies 2002 Outback. Food for thought.