Rebuilding EA-82 at home

If it can help:

Piston pins are different to remove than other engines, and case needs to be split befor removing con rods and crank, otherwise not much different from other engines. Make sure you use a good sealer on the crankcase halves (I used the Permatex gray silicone sealer, still holding 4 years later). Get everything measured at a machine shop, rebore, grind crank as needed, valve job, check heads for cracks/flatness, replace all seals obviously, water pump etc. Replace the rubber coated washers on the cranckcase bolts to ensure you don't get coolant going into c/case, this is too far into the engine to try to save a few dolllars by using the old ones. Use Lucas engine additive or other to coat bearing/bore surfaces when assembling, or use engine oil. Before start up, turn engine over w/o plugs (groung the plug leads) until oil light goes out, this ensures oil is in all the passages. At start up, let engine idle for a few minutes to ensure oil is circulated everywhere, check for leaks. On a Legacy 2.2 I did, the only special tools I needed were 12 point 12 and

14 mm sockets, and 14 mm allen key (can use a bolt with a 14mm head with a nut welded in place at the threaded end as a 14mm allen key).

Ed B.

Hi,

I used to know my way around air-cooled VW engines a bit--so other than the weird piston pin thing, the case and its innards should be pretty similar? And are piston pins likely to be a bugger to remove? Pix in the book show a homemade tool to get them out, but aren't that good, and I'm just thinking with a third of a million miles, there's gotta be a goodly buildup of crud in there. I'm thinking out loud here, but if pins are stuck, what about just splitting the case, pulling the halves off the pistons and working on stuff "out in the open?" Or is it likely one of the machined sealing faces would be damaged going that route?

Thanks!

Rick

That's a lot, even for a Soobie! You're probably gonna find that most everything inside the motor is at or beyond it's wear limit. Unless you just like to tinker (maybe even then), you will probably be time and money ahead to simply find a low-miles used engine at a salvage yard ($300-400) and swap 'em out. Then if you're so inclined, you can pull the original apart for a potential rebuild at your leisure. For probably not a whole lot more you could likely find an entire car in running condition; something to keep in mind when you go shopping. An engine swap can be accomplished in a days work or less with no special tools required except for a hoist of some sort to lift the motor. Actually, a couple stout bodies will serve, as the engine only weighs 150-200lb. Feel free to contact me directly if you'd like procedural nfo on this endeavor.

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101

I agree. Even if the parts aren't dimensionally worn out, some may be close to the end of their fatigue life. Unless you are gonna magniflux everything, you might as well by a used motor.

Hi,

I'm starting to lean toward the idea of first, just swapping out an engine as you and Steve suggested, then, maybe leisurely rebuilding the old one. I got a hold of CCR up in Denver and they'll sell me one of their rebuilds for $1275 plus shipping and core if I want to keep the old engine. I haven't priced out parts yet, but I'm guessing I might be approaching that price by the time I get thru replacing everything that's worn. Any thoughts or experiences there vs just taking my chances with a junkyard engine?

Also, since this engine doesn't seem to be very highly stressed in the area of hp/unit of displacement, do you suppose fatigue is likely to be a serious concern?

Thanks!

Rick

I'd look for a car with low miles and a totaled body and take it's engine.

The link got me in, then it locked up on me. Gotta try a different browser...

Rick

HI ED. I'm a relatively good DIYer and shade tree mechanic but have never rebuilt a motor. Could you give me an idea of what it implies and of publications available if any that could put me on the right track.

By the way, s> Piston pins are different to remove than other engines, and case needs to be

In news: snipped-for-privacy@spamnot.videotron.ca, Gilles Gour spewed:

That would be the archetypal definition of 2.2L piston slap, in 1 cylinder only.

Thanks for the reply. But why would piston slap produce this vertical force going up through the engine and that I described as something like a rubber mallet hitting the top of the engine from inside?

If you've never re-built a motor, the Subaru isn't necessarily more difficult, but re-building in general needs some skills, in tightening bolts to the right torque, determining what is within spec and what needs rebuilding or re-placing etc. If you make a mistake, you may have to take the motor apart again, a labour intensive job. And it's easy to make mistakes or forget something if you don't know how to do something. For example, if you don't replace the rubber coated washers that hold the crankases toghether, anti freeze may get into the crankcase, and cause extensive damage to the motor, after you put all that time & money into it. The piston pins on the Subaru are tricky to put in, and the clips have to be secure, or they will cause damage. It's not difficult, but you need to know how to do it properly.

On an older vehicle, it's usually more cost effective to get a used engine, and perhaps replace it yourself rather than try to learn to re-build an engine. The 91 Legacy 2.2 I rebuilt in 98 cost me about $1,000 (Can) for parts and some machine work, and it did not need a re-bore, only 2 pistons (scuffed), new rings, bearings, gaskets and some machine work for grinding valve seats and valves and the heads. If you need a re-bore, new pistons etc you can quickly get to $1500 for parts and machine work. Used engines can be had for less than $1,000 in many cases, often for $500 or so. Then, you can take your old engine apart to see how it is made, and learn for future repairs.

For publications, look on the internet under Subaru or Subaru Repair, there are a number of sites that have instructions on all types of repairs, and go to a library and get car repair manuals which will have the specs for many makes for engine re-building.

Ed B.

Hi,

Thanks for the hints. I'm no stranger to rebuilding engines, but I guess I'm getting old and crotchety cuz I find myself cussing design engineers who never got grease under their fingernails more and more as time goes on when I find stuff that's truly odd that doesn't have to be! And the Teutonic idea of designing parts that need special tools to work on when a "standard" part that a regular wrench would have fit drives me to think of a conspiracy theory involving design engineers and their tool industry! (Notice I did NOT put in my $0.02 in the German-Japanese car thread? ;) There's a little German blood in my veins, and maybe someday I'll tell you why my ancestors lost the war!)

As for rebuilding vs used, if and when it comes to it, I think I'll swap out the engine for a rebuilt or junkyard unit, then think about rebuilding my old one at a rather leisurely pace instead of "I've gotta have this thing running tomorrow" speed! I know all too well about tearing down a freshly built engine cuz there's a critical spare part left on the bench...

Thanks again,

Rick

Thanks a million for replying. The advice given at the end of the penultimate paragraph did not fall in a dead's ear. Thanks again.