3.0 H6 decent? also have HG issues?

[Bushwick]

Australians have rigid import laws (we do too to some degree; I've heard of cars that entered being crushed after the fact due to politics) but they are allowed to import a Japanese car cut in half i.e. both halves of the car, and it's fairly common for them, for example, to import complete Japanese-spec engines that typically were not offered there.

 

 

The Japanese can cut up a beater and probably make more off that than straight-up scrapping it. And we can probably thank Australia and most of Europe for encouraging the open trade. 

[1 Lucky Texan]

they aren't necessarily beaters...they have some stringent laws making it difficult to keep an older car, as well as some cultural reasons : they don't keep things for a long time, preferring to get/build new. Even housing there is like this (according a Freakonomics podcast I heard), they will buy a 'house', tear it down and build new on the lot, then never paint it or update it. They just keep it structurally sound and liveable, and the next buyer will tear it down and build new. I think even some of their 'ancient' temples get torn down and rebuilt precisely the same periodically.

[GeneralDisorder]

I imagine there's a certain amount of cultural impermanence when you live on an island that periodically gets proper wrecked by tsunami, hurricane, earthquake, nuclear meltdowns, and Godzilla..... though I'm not sure how much better a newer Subaru would fare compared to an 80's model against atomic death breath. Perhaps they sell NBC retrofit kits for JDM.....

 

GD

[1 Lucky Texan]

I imagine there's a certain amount of cultural impermanence when you live on an island that periodically gets proper wrecked by tsunami, hurricane, earthquake, nuclear meltdowns, and Godzilla..... though I'm not sure how much better a newer Subaru would fare compared to an 80's model against atomic death breath. Perhaps they sell NBC retrofit kits for JDM.....

 

GD

 

 

They did mention earthquakes. The building codes have been moving targets but seem to be about as comprehensive now as possible.

 

The country has 3 times the architects : general pop ratio as the US !

Edited December 23, 2017 by 1 Lucky Texan

[kennycoulter]

Well, you geniuses strike again.


​I had already ordered my Japanese spec lower mile engine a few days ago..... I thought that my battery had died in the cold.... been trying to start my "new" Subaru, and it won't turn over.


​I checked the oil in the the daylight (finally), and got to see the chocolate milkshake, in addition to the radiator level way down.


​Good thing that I had already ordered the other engine, but My truck is currently blocked in.

I hope the swap goes smoothly.

[idosubaru]

 got to see the chocolate milkshake, in addition to the radiator level way down.

 

 

these engines don't start failing that way - ever. so you can almost guarantee the engine was run hot significantly, or for a long time with a failed gasket, or less likely - it's been previously (poorly) replaced.

 

that's what i was eluding too earlier when i said this current engine is likely suspect.  i wouldn't have even considered repairing it, because it was highly unlikely to be a good engine, you're "fortunate" to see rare physical evidence of it.  and you've already got the engine on the way, good luck dropping it in. 

 

swapping an engine in that 2003 is not significantly different from any other Subaru engine swaps.

 

if you're the preventative type you can do the plugs and VCG's now while it's easy with the engine out and be done with it for 100,000 miles.   the H6 plugs are robust and don't even show wear after 100,000 miles so they're not a huge concern but they should be replaced once in the life of a vehicle.

 

do the serpentine pulley bearings now - keep in mind those are 60,000 mile replacement items due to their high failure rates on H6 engines.  they're super easy to do though - remove the two pulleys and tap out and back in new bearings.  standard bearings and they tap out really easy. i get japanese quality stuff off amazon, they're widely available and local stores will have them too.  replace them again in 60k or remove and check at least.  they fail at wildly varying mileages, so there's really no good mileage or reason to "60,000" miles but it's early enough to catch most failures.  you should just have some consistent mileage in mind.

 

i've even bought JDM engines that had failed bearings in them - i assume they had to be junked for that reason.

 

 

wa 

compared to what you current have - an engine that's nearly guaranteed to have been run hot and with extant headgasket issues,

 

[Bushwick]

And while you are at, replace the thermostat for the new engine AND thoroughly inspect the radiator for core blockage, as well as verify the fan(s) work correctly. Those are all things that can cause overheating on a healthy motor if neglected.

[idosubaru]

 thoroughly inspect the radiator for core blockage,.

oh yeah - that plastic has likely been overheated and fatigued, and the coolant boiled, ran with high water content - probably desperately using tap water which leaves deposits inside the cores....not a bad idea at all to even consider replacing a radiator if there's additional signs of significant overheating. 

[dfoyl]

Not strictly relevant to the OP's question, but to clear up some half-truths in this thread. The JDM engines are indeed imported into Australia (and other countries), but half-cuts refers to the front end (engine in engine bay, transmission, wiring, most of front end (especially for FWD cars) being imported for conversions - it would be very uncommon for an importer to bring in both the front and the back of a Japanese car to Australia). We do have some specific (and inane) laws on what can be imported, but it is far more lax than the US (ie. we have pretty much free rein on anything older than 1990, regardless of RHD or LHD, so I can import an oddball 1989 Toyota Crown but not a 1991 Toyota Crown - our idiot government are meant to be reviewing this cutoff year as it has been 1989 for about 10 years now).

 

The Japanese market for older cars is driven by annual registration testing. As few Japanese have access to their own garage to do their own maintenance, the prices mechanics charge can be outrageous which drives the cost of meeting the annual test up - so they sell after 3-5 years when the car starts to need significant work (such as HG's, etc). Between about 1990 and 2012 New Zealand used to take a LOT of these Japanese cars, but their rules changed (due to emissions concerns)  (prior to ~1990 the average age of a NZ vehicle was one of the oldest in Western countries, and in fact is still right up there). When NZ changed the rules, there were lots of scrap Japanese cars with no homes so the Japanese started exporting half cuts (or just engines) with greater effort to Canada, Australia, and to a lesser degree the USA. As the age of the cars from Japan reaches a point where they all meet the NZ emissions standards introduced in 2012, the number of cars shipping to NZ will increase again.

 

(Now that AUS auto production has stopped (Toyota, GM and Ford all packed up in the past 15 months), the same laws should apply to AUS but unfortunately our government went on a tangent about allowing private importing of NEW cars (ie. we could avoid local distribution and buy direct from Japan or the UK, thus avoiding the mark-ups the distributors (in particular Porsche, and to a lesser degree the rest of the German automakers)), but this was quashed by the usual bribery associated with scumbag politicians and big business collusion, and the used car option disappeared without a trace).

[kennycoulter]

I had good news despite the actual immobile cool vehicle blocking my truck in my driveway.....


​Back on Dec. 23rd, I ordered the Mahle HS54486 Head Gasket Kit.   (even though it is now seeming like the rebuild might be a little much)

​I have never seen the certain symbol on any parts before......I changed out the hatch door handle on my mom's '99 wagon.   Today, I see the same symbol.

​Apparently Mahle like some other kits, include Subaru gaskets in their kits.

​Right side: 511007701  plus the symbol is shown.

Left side: 508008001 plus the symbol is shown.

 

My only gripe would be that the valve cover gaskets seem sort of rigid to me, but I don't know if that is what the engine requires.

Edited December 31, 2017 by kennycoulter

[kennycoulter]

I am extremely delayed on my install, but so far, things are ok.......  

I had to swap the wiring over to the new engine.

I had to swap the AC bracket, as apparently they are different.
I have to swap a vacuum nipple and plug on the back of the intake.  JDM to American has those parts swapped left/right.
I did not do a check on the valve clearance with this engine, as it has 68,xxx miles.  I don't think it would show anything.

I am hoping to have the engine back into the vehicle Friday night or into Saturday (hopefully the snow melts off of my driveway)

I am looking forward to having this back together, but as soon as I am done, I will be doing the tear down of the 1999 2.5 wagon (timing and maybe HG, checking for fuel leaks, ball joints,....etc.)




The engine aside, the only other problem that I am seeing with this vehicle is:  I open the trunk, and water seems to spill out from the passenger taillight directly into the trunk.   otherwise, it doesn't leak.  Is this a typical problem?  Do the lenses separate?   Possibly leaking around the spoiler mount?   I will be tearing that off to check if there is a gasket or whatever anyway..... but if there is something else that is typical that I could apply my little amount of time that I have, I'd rather work on that.

thanks for all of the advice so far.
 

[1 Lucky Texan]

I had to smear some polyseamseal or w'ever on the top of one of my rear lenses to stop water intrusion.

[Gloyale]

the big red plastic piece outer seperates from the inner plastic "frame"

 

Remove it (about 8 or 9 8mm nuts) wash it thouroughly with hot soapy water.  Let dry inside near a heater (not too near)

 

Smear one continuos bead of  RTV (i like "the Right Stuff brand")  making sure to really get it down into the groove, along the top.

 

fixed 3 or 4 of them this way now.

 

If your sunroof is leaking (water dripping through headliner)  you gotta drop the headliner, and put clamps on the vinyl hose were it attaches to the sunroof tray gutters.  the vinyl hose gets brittle and stops sealing tightly....water drips right out.

[kennycoulter]

Thank you both!

I am still trying to finalize the super delayed engine install.....
And as soon as that is done, I will be fixing the rear leak(s?). 


I am still hung up on:
Finding new exhaust 3nuts (flange nuts),
Stuck, and now broken......pipe plug at the back of the manifold,
Need to install hose clamps on the trans lines to the radiator,
I need to figure out a hose setup for the pcv>>> I am considering installing an oil/air separator, since both setups had become extremely brittle.  I am having some trouble finding thinner wall 10mm i.d. tubing.

Normally, for American v-8s (and my 1 former Porsche), I would fill the radiator and squeeze a hose to create suction to get coolant into the engine.  I am not having any luck with that working on this engine.   I still have the front end raised, and the radiator is filled before the engine became full (I have less than 2 gallons of mix installed)  I can't imagine that the block, heater assembly, and radiator are all filled.........    The radiator is filled to the top, meaning I would think that the two top hoses would fill.   I will be taking a hose off, and try to fill into that next.

If there is a different typical approach, I would appreciate any advice.

Thank you, to everyone!

[1 Lucky Texan]

I'm gonna go out a little on a limb and suggest you have filled the system better than you may think. If you seal the system up, have a good radiator cap and proper t'stat in it. And make sure the o'flow bottle and its little tube are sealed and filled properly, 1 or 2 cycles up to operating temp followed by a cool-down will complete the job - probably a pint or less fluid will be pulled back into the rad from the o'flow whe it cools.

 

afterwards, fill the o'flow to the proper level and check inside the radiator 2-3 more times and call it good if you don't find an issue.

 

I have put 2 small zipties on the little o'flow tube at the radiator's neck because the hose is stiff and I'm not convinced it seals well anymore.

[Bushwick]

You can get nuts at the auto parts store. Take one of yours with you, and use their little thread pitch demo hanging on the shelf (with all the little bolt threads sticking out). Autozone I know has flanged nuts in higher grade. USE antiseize on them to save future headaches and protect current threads.

[kennycoulter]

My local places do not seem to carry any flanged nuts.

I was considering slathering copper silicone on the studs.   I figure that it will stay on better, but I will still be able to cut through it with the nut WHEN I have to take the exhaust off in the future...

[Gloyale]

 

 

I was considering slathering copper silicone on the studs.  

 

For what reason?

 

If anything use anti-sieze when you put the nuts on.

 

Do not use ANYTHING on the end of the stud that goes into the head.  Anything will act as a lube and will contribute to stripping the threads out of the head.

[GeneralDisorder]

JIS flange nuts can be bought online. 

 

As for burping out the air - get the Lisle funnel that attaches to the radiator fill and with the coolant level higher than the system, rev the engine to 4k RPM a few times (after warmup) to get the water pump pressure up. This will help drive the air pockets out.

 

GD

[idosubaru]

Front end facing uphill fill, run engine, top off, run engine, top off. There’s nothing terribly special about filling them though they can be tricky sometimes. I do it as listed without issues including on EZ engines.

 

Exhaust nuts - match them up, get used ones.

 

If you have a vacant unused vacuum port thats stripped and can’t get out then just run vacuum hose to a Tee fitting and circle it around to itself. I used a plumbers monkey wrench to crank those out.

[idosubaru]

Use a nut and a washer instead of a flanged nut.

No big deal. Every other prior Subaru engine for two decades just has plain nuts with no flange.

 

Auto stores likely lower quality than OEM and more prone to rust.

[GeneralDisorder]

The exhaust JIS flange nuts are stainless from the factory. I haven't really found a good source for those. Wurth does all my hardware and I carry a full cabinet of Subaru style JIS fasteners. I don't have the stainless exhaust nuts, but here in Oregon we don't have the rust problems anyway so it's never been an issue. We just coat them in copper anti-seize and call it good. 

 

GD

[kennycoulter]

I was going to do the high temp silicone because I have had anti-sieze burn away.    I couldn't find the stainless in 10-1.25.  I ordered standard steel but still high strength, from McMaster-Carr.

I have the car together now, and running, with a few Band-Aid hoses attached for the pcv and brake booster...

The newest issue is:

I think that I bent my trans inspection plate on removal.   It was difficult to get a socket on one of the bolts when transferring it over to the new engine.   I thought it was straight enough, but when I tightened up the engine and trans, and ALL bolts, it seemed to contact the back of the flex plate.

When I finally got the car started (after close to 2 months), I had a heck of a racket that sounded like a rod knock or slapping chain.  It went with the revs, but then I remembered the inspection plate.....  

I took it to the transmission shop, to have them do the new filter/fluid/pan seal, and asked them to please pry that out a little while they have it lifted.   I hate having others work on my stuff, but I am running out of time.  I am 1.5 months into the warranty on that 64,xxx mile engine, and still don't know if it is any good.......so I am hoping they eliminate any other possible problem that there could be, and I could determine if the engine is good, and start driving.

(I am still borrowing a vehicle off of someone, as my daily driver has been back and forth to the body shop for the past 2 months after getting hit by a frack truck.

[1 Lucky Texan]

WAIT - H6 nvrmd about tensioner


a cracked flexplate can be very noisy....???

 

youtube ; www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OFTVscB3_U

Edited February 19, 2018 by 1 Lucky Texan

[kennycoulter]

I MADE A VIDEO......I do not know how to post them, but I am also trying to force myself to wait and relax, until I can definitely say that it is not the inspection plate for the torque convertor bolts....
I am an anxious dude....