sussman00 Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 Newbie here on the forum with a question on replacing the front oil seals (crank/cam/oil pump), timing belt, and water pump on my 98 OB wagon. I want to be sure I have all the necessary tools before I tackle the job. The docs I have read on replacing the seals call for the subaru factory tool for replacement. Is it possible to use a deep socket? If so, what size socket should I use? Any other tools that will work? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomson1355 Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 If I remember correctly (it was only a couple weeks ago) I used a 3/4 drive socket. I think you would have to experiment to see which size and profile would fit best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearbalu Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 Removing can be a pain but a screwdriver and patience will work. For installation, I used plumbing couplings of 1-1/4 for crank, 1" for cam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sussman00 Posted February 9, 2005 Author Share Posted February 9, 2005 Thanks for your help. I'll post what I end up using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMattyD Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 I just replaced cam and crank seals, and used some PVC plumbing pieces I had left over from installing a new kitchen sink to drive them in. I worked slowly, tapping them in squarely. If I had large diameter sockets, that would have been easier, and probably quicker and more professional-like, but what can I say? The junk plumbing pieces were way cheaper than me buying a new 3/4 drive socket set, although I have had my eye on this certain set for a while... Perhaps my wife wouldn't mind me spending a few extra bucks if it would help decrease our repair costs in the long run... Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sussman00 Posted February 25, 2005 Author Share Posted February 25, 2005 I just finished the job. I did the front crank seal, water pump, oil pump o ring, and timing belt. took a little longer than I expected. But after all the posts I read about this repair in this forum I was well prepared. I ran into trouble in two spots. First getting the crankshaft pulley off. I tried first with a strap wrench. I think this might have worked if I had help, but doing this alone I needed something that let me have both hands free to wrench on the pulley bolt. I ended up buying a vice-grip chain wrench. Worked like a charm. The chain wrench did do some minor damage to the pulley, but I was fix it with small file. When I put the pulley back on, I put a piece of old drive belt down first to protect the pulley...worked like a charm. Since I took off the oil pump, installing the crank gasket was a piece of cake. However, if you install without taking off the oil pump it looks like you will need a 1 5/16" socket to tap it in. I decided not to do the cam gaskets as they looked fine...I'll save those for next time. Second place I had issues was trying to get the water pump gasket on properly. Before you start this try to get the gasket as flat as possible. I also put sealer on both the pump and the block to hold the gasket in place. Overall I would say this is a challenging repair, but certainly possible with the right tools and a little bit of time. Thanks for all of your help!!!! I just replaced cam and crank seals, and used some PVC plumbing pieces I had left over from installing a new kitchen sink to drive them in. I worked slowly, tapping them in squarely. If I had large diameter sockets, that would have been easier, and probably quicker and more professional-like, but what can I say? The junk plumbing pieces were way cheaper than me buying a new 3/4 drive socket set, although I have had my eye on this certain set for a while... Perhaps my wife wouldn't mind me spending a few extra bucks if it would help decrease our repair costs in the long run... Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blitz Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 That's great sussman. Did you pull the fans and/or the radiator to give more space to work in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sussman00 Posted February 25, 2005 Author Share Posted February 25, 2005 That's great sussman. Did you pull the fans and/or the radiator to give more space to work in? Yep. There are maybe 8 small screws holding the fans and radiator in. Since I replaced the water pump I had to drain everything anyway. It is much easier to operate will all that stuff out of the way. I also took off the air filter housing...made easier to access the #1 cylindere. One thing my manual called for was draining the engine with two drain plugs close to the oil pan. Instead I just pulled off the radiator hose from the thermostat housing. That did the trick...and I didn't have an allen wrench big enough to open the plugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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