Resealing motor in place?

[kmpdx]

Hey guys,

My plan this summer is to change the timing belts and fron seals. I know that this is a good time to reseal the cam towers like in this video:

 

 

The passenger side is leaking onto the exhaust. Really I could leave it but I feel like the job would feel incomplete.

 

Also, I beleive the rear main seal is leaking too but would leave that for when the clutch needs replaced?

 

Obviously, pulling the motor to reseal would be the best way to do this but is it possible to reseal with the motor in? Is ther any way to hold those cam towers in place in addition to grease like cable ties or something?

 

Also I know that many users run the timing belts naked but I have a plan where I would make a cut screwhole to screwhole behind the crankshaft pulley to make it possible to have cover come off without removing pulley but still have access to the belts/seals in the future. Does that seem possible?

 

Thanks,

kmpdx

[alexbuoy]

It would be a nightmare doing cam towers in the car. Pull the motor, only takes a couple hours at most, and while it’s out change the clutch too. No need for timing covers i would rip them out

[idosubaru]

Very easy to do in the vehicle. Especially an EA82. Cam towers are cake, I wouldn’t pull an engine for that.

 

annoying part is cleaning but that’s annoying either way.

 

Hang rocker arms with thick grease. Tilting engine via lifting that side of car and/or engine helps but isn’t required.

 

Lower the cam towers in place “dry” a couple times for practice. Here’s why:

 

The only point in the car that’s harder is the few seconds installing the drivers side tower to head and lining it up without rubbing that new bead of sealant going all the way around the tower before setting it. Go slow and careful if you got a steady hand and good perception it’s not hard. But I’ve done a zillion XT6s and they’re bigger so EA82s do seem really easy now.

 

Air tools help doing it in the car but it’s easy by hand. You can have the passengers side off in under an hour easiky. Fans, Crank pulley, timing covers, valve cover and off comes the cam tower.

 

Drivers side is longer a tiny bit more work due to additional length to support disty. 10mm ratcheting wrench makes that one lower rear valve cover bolt easy instead of annoying.

 

But then you can’t get to the rear main. Ideally you confirm what’s leaking and how bad. Andit makes sense to do it all at once for time and other reasons. Clutch rear main reseal.

 

Rear mains don’t leak that often are you sure that’s leaking? Most other oil leaks blow and drip back and center and look like they’re coming from the rear main or it could be the oil pan gasket?

[kmpdx]

Both great answers. I feel like with this advice that I can get this done I will be doing this in July. Maybe it isn't the rear main. I will need to do more research to see. Thanks!

 

kmpdx

[DaveT]

I did headgaskets in a 1976 in the car. Once. Those were a lot simpler than an ea82.

 

After that 1 time, I made a stand to redo engines on. Reseal a spare, get it all ready, then do the swap into the car. But I have space and spares and the stuff...

[somick]

It would be a nightmare doing cam towers in the car. Pull the motor, only takes a couple hours at most, and while it’s out change the clutch too. No need for timing covers i would rip them out

Funny!

 

Eight bolts and the cam tower is out.  The only problem is if you have a bad back but I still managed to do it fairly easy.  Follow idosubaur's procedure and unscrew those bolts little-by-little until you can grab the rocker arms.  After this no problem whatsoever.

 

Good luck,

Sam

[wagons]

Pull the engine, do the clutch and all seals. It took me my first time only 3 hours to pull it.

[moosens]

But still man, get the guy to do it as right as he can.

 

Take the engine out. Do the clutch and rear main seal. These cars are old , rubber old regardless of miles.

 

“They don’t hardly ever leaks” to me means you’re about to have a leak after you put it all back together. We’re talking like $8 here.

 

Clutch - make sure you get a new release “throw out” bearing. I just saw an NOS one listed. Get the wire clips that retain it too. Get a pilot bearing with the clutch kit too.

 

Rent an engine crane or borrow one. Do you need guidance ? If so that’s fine. What we’re here for. If you go forward with this yourself we’ll all help with what you need and procedures.

 

Basic tasks:

Remove exhaust and move it out of he way.

Remove radiator , remove intake ***** Extra caution on these bolts ****** spray them the day before with penetrant and pray. You may need to heli-coil a thread or two etc. Go slow and turn them back in a little as you turn them out very little at a time. You can set the intake aside without disconnecting much at all. Just set it on the spare tire deck.

If A/C remove the mounting bracket complete and don’t have to disconnect lines , just set it up on the drivers side strut tower.

My thumbs are tired. Lol you get the idea. We’ll help if you need it.

Cheers!

[djellum]

+1 for pulling the motor.  most times you try to shortcut it costs you more time then just doing it the easy way.  these motors are so light you dont even need a stand if you have a sturdy shop table.

 

dont ditch the covers if they are useable.  coverless can still cause issues, and deeper snow is one of them.  since your in portland its the most likely scenario to use the 4wd.  if your straight street car then ok, but even then more protection is better.  

 

if you do try to do it in the car (or out of it for that matter) one of the more important things is not to lose the washer between the head and cam tower.  its a special part and the car wont run without it.  its also hard to keep in place so stick it with some grease as well.

[idosubaru]

Doing cam towers in the engine bay is not a short cut. Tats absurd. They’re easy. It’s like saying pull the engine for a timing belt job. Sure if you want to go for it but they’re cake.

 

If there’s more work to be done then seriously consider doing it all now if you can. Doing a job then another then another can be draining on older vehicles.

 

But that’s somewhat of an “if” - the oil leak is ambiguous so far, he doesn’t know. and valave covers and cams always end up center and rearward. So it could all end the cam tower.

 

Clutch was mentioned - why? If that’s a reality coming soon then yeah yank the engine.

[wagons]

If your planning on doing clutch within the next year, it's worth pulling it now when your tying to "find" leaks and seal the whole dang thing and replace the clutch.. Felpro makes a great head gasket kit, just order Subaru genuine cam tower o rings and intake manifold gaskets, Mickey mouse oil pump gasket, oil pump seal. Make sure you get an exedy clutch, they are costly but the only ones i trust. How much is cash worth compared to headaches? These cars are headaches through and through but rewarding. I might only have 90hp but I get 35mpg with my Weber and I have a 4wd car that is a blast to drive

[DaveT]

All of these that I have owned, by this age and miles, were leaking oil from the oil passage through the head gaskets also.

[Gloyale]

All of these that I have owned, by this age and miles, were leaking oil from the oil passage through the head gaskets also.

 

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