Too funny, I love MNSubaru! Soo much better than the Bimmerforums. I'll be stopping by again today for a WP gasket
With a brand new block, and decked heads I dont think that I will have any issues. Especially with head studs.
Lol and everyones suppose to know it all right? Surfaces should be prepped everytime anyways. So unless you're doing a crap job, I wouldn't worry
Got the long block completely assembled, all I need now are cam seals, and for some reason the crank sensor provision on the STi block is too small for the WRX one. So I'll have to pick one of those up too. Now for the daily trivia, What do I do with the extra crank vent that comes out the center of the STi block, and isn't found on the WRX. What is a part number for one step colder spark plugs? Anyone know it off hand? Since I can't dyno tune, or street tune with boost untill I break this motor in, any suggestions on what to do? Base map? I feel like I have more questions that I can't remember right now... Also I can't add pictures for some reason, I'm way to tired to figure it out now...
I simply plugged my extra crank vent. Stock WRX spark plugs are NGK PFR6G, So find some NGK PFR7G. BKR7EIX in the non -11 spec work as well. You can still get a decent idle tune done. And 1000 miles shouldn't take you long at all to get through. I would simply get a basemap made by a local guy and putz around town with it for a couple days.
Excellent! My flywheel insert isn't going to be here until Monday, so that will be the absolute earliest that I will be able to get the motor back in. So do I have the extra vent? Or was it something that you had? So is it ok to paint my Intake maniflold red? I mean I have the STi intercooler and a mostly STi engine? LOL If this isn't a cardinal sin where can I get the paint?
The EJ257 has an extra crank vent. You can always rig a hose to it to go to your PCV system, though I believe there is supposed to be a valve or a sensor on there. I simply plugged mine. And you can paint your intake manifold whatever color you want. That wrinkle red paint they use is a pain in the ass though, and I believe the stuff they use is a coating, not simply a paint. The stuff you can buy with the wrinkle finish built in takes FOREVER to dry, and if you don't let it dry before installing it, there's a good chance it'll peel all over the place. I recommend using Duplicolor Engine Enamel. It is rated for higher temps so it wont peel as easily under normal engine temps, and it comes in just about every color you can think of. You can even paint your head covers if they aren't already installed. IF they are installed already, I'd say don't do it, you don't want to risk reusing those gaskets, even if you haven't driven a mile on them.
The hole in the front of the STi block for it on mine was too small for the WRX one... I'll have to call the dealer and see what they say.
I just read through this thread and this deserves a big kudos to mnsubaru and the contributors. Nice to see that there is a decent support group, and that there hasn't been a ton of bickering (which typically happens over on nasioc). Anyway, good luck with the build, and I'm curious to hear about the end result, as this is a similar setup that I would like to go with in the (not near) future!
I couldn't agree more, the MN Subaru community has been extremely helpful! Well I figured out why my crank sensor didn't fit! Turns out you can't put the cam sensor in the crank sensor spot. So all I have left is the flywheel insert. Would anyone be willing to put together a base map for me?
Ok do I have a major problem here? Tonight I went to install the timing belt, on the left head I put the intake sprocket on the mark, and went to line up the exhaust. The sprocket spun a couple times as I was lining it up, and I heard a crunch? I thought that I had a broken valve spring and I was like "WTF I have to pull it all apart again!" Well I pulled the timing gears off, and poped the valve cover. The buckets on cylinder #2 were stuck open! At the same time the intake buckets on that cylinder were open because the cam lobes were holding them open. Well I turned the intake cam so that all the valves were closed, and the buckets poped back up on the exhaust side! Right now my mind is entirely blown, I would love an explanation.... Subaru is messing with my mind....
If you were spining the cam, and / or the crank out of specific order you may have bent a valve. The valves being stuck down would be a sign of this.
Once the intake side buckets were up, everything operated correctly. I can't believe I never saw this anywhere...
Yesterday I was able to get the timing belt, and the associated stuff on with it as well. I installed my Group N tranny mount. Now I'm at the point where I put the wiring harness back on... The only progress that I have made so far was to bolt it to the intake and attach the easy sensors. Is there any way to differentiate between the plugs for injectors on each bank? Coils? Any helpful hints? Links? Thanks!
Yep, on closer examination of my pictures you can see it. But there isn't a chance I'll be working on it tonight, yesterday was torture enough for me!
white connectors towards the front of the engine, black connectors for the packs closest to the firewall
If the engine suffered a dead bearing I would take out the plugs off the heads so the oil galleys can get cleaned out of any shavings. Amy scuffing on the cam journals?
How difficult is this do with the motor together? The cam journals looked great, so I wasn't too worried, I still think that the filter caught most of it.
the plugs should have been taken out when the heads where off. But now you have it all together so just hope that the shavings didn't get to the head. The thing is you til it the engine seized. When that happens the shavings tend to be small and fine. If there was a faint rod knock, and you shut off the engine before it got any worse, then it would minimize shavings. Just keep that in mind.
I wish I could have shut it off. But with such a loud exhaust, I only heard rod knock right before it went... Plus I thought it was just a rattle from something loose. If I would have had an oil temp or oil pressure gauge then I could have caught it. But the cam journals looked great, there weren't any gouges, and the surfaces still had a nice polished look. My plan is to start it up once it's in the car, run it for a little bit, shut it off, drain the oil and change the filter. I have lots of Rotella T and lots of Subaru filters. Cheap insurance.
I am not as knowledgeable about subies/engines in general, but I am eager to learn. What the heck is a cam journal?? I am assuming it has to do with the camshaft of course
It's the part of the cam that it acctualy spins on, the very shiny part. http://www.allthingsmoto.com/photopost/data/500/medium/Cam_journal_covers_removed.JPG
With the help of a friend, last night the motor went back in! I just have to figure out all of the vacuum lines, and fun things like that! I don't think that I have ever been this nervous/excited about a car in my life!
For future reference, a roll of blue painter's tape and a sharpie is a good idea when removing an engine you don't know or haven't removed before. You can quickly mark, rip and tape a hose or wire with a description for when it all goes back together.
For sure! I wish I would have, I don't know where lots of stuff goes, it only takes a second too... But I do have lots of good help available so I'm not too worried. My head is just going crazy right now, I just need to hear it run!
