Chris' Outback extravaganza

[Chris]

So I wanted a wagon so I could haul around all my useless crap from place to place. So I hopped on craigslist, and found this, payed $900 for it.

Picture off the craigslist ad because I'm too lazy to take my own. It's a completely stock purple car, I dunno what more there is to take a picture of.

Of course it has problems, I don't buy cars that work...

- The clutch is so terribly bad that it's almost impossible to accelerate. I had to plan a route home with no potential hill stops. It was an interesting 85 mile drive home.

- I think it might have a bad rear wheel bearing, I'm not excited about that, it SUCKS to get the knuckle off these, that may be outsourced.

- Rust on the rockers in the usual spot, and in the corners of the back door jambs in the usual spot. Fortunately I have some metal left over from fixing my other crappy car.

- The cig lighter is broken. I can wire things wicked good, that's no problem.

- The power mirrors don't work, and the DS window switch is flaky, apparently that's an easy soldering repair? I'll take it apart and see.

- Has a fierce oil pan leak, but that all has to come out anyway. So whatever.

Hmmm.... what else is wrong with this car... It needs a leather steering wheel. Needs heated, and maybe leather front seats. Probably gonna pick up the updated 03/04 center console thing.

OH, another problem, the handle on the rear gate doesn't spring back. You have to pull it back into position before it latches. I've taken it apart, it's full of rust. I'm working on replacing the spring and de-rusting it.

Except for the maybe wheel bearing, none of that is a big deal. Engine work doesn't bother me too much, it's just expensive.

Good things with the car, it's a 5speed. Even though 3rd is kinda grindy. The AC works fantastically. Even with a blown clutch, it can still go totally effing sideways on dirt, which is awesome. Yes, my car has transit plates, and it's already been sideways on dirt. Haven't jumped it yet, but I did pretty much completely unload the suspension. We're gonna have fun together....

 

[K3rn]

finally got a wagon lol nice pick up

 

[scubiecraig]

Sweet! Good luck with all the repairs.

 

[Jamey]

And you shal call it Barney

 

[Chris]

Just went through the FSM, made a list of all the torque specs on everything I'll need them for.

Made a parts I need to buy list, complete with subaru part numbers for things like head gaskets and thermostat.

Also, found out that rear wheel bearings are unit bearings. So I don't really care if I have to replace one.

 

[2point5RS_Dan]

The Purple Headgasket eater.

Dude you stole that thing. Two weekends worth of work and you'll have a car that needs nothing and will be rock solid (and probably be able to be resold for 3000 at least)

 

[Chris]

Hey everyone, guess what. 3rd gen back wheels bearings are unit bearings!!! I can just buy one, pull the rotor, and bolt it in. SWEETNESS!!

Also, I'm gonna keep this thing. It goes sideways on dirt pretty nice, and I ALMOST jumped it. The clutch is sipping so bad I couldn't hit the jump fast enough, though.

Not bad for blows head gaskets, blown clutch, bad wheel bearing, and transit plates. Love on first drive

 

[Chris]

At home:

Missing the tow hook cover plastic. What a dumbass design. I should be able to find one in a junk yard eventually.

Driver's side rust:

None of it is that bad, it should be easy to fix.

Passenger's side rust:

And same as the other side, except it's been poorly repaired here. Making more work than it otherwise would have been.

The only major ding in the body is this, between the front of the pass door and the front fender:

Not only did the lady who owned it before me fry the clutch and 3rd gear synchro, she liked curbs:

Only the light behind the second half of the speedo works. The rest are burned out. I'll probably throw some old take-out bulbs from other LED conversion projects so I can drive it at night. But ultimately it's gonna be LED.

YAY IT'S OUT! It was one of the most stuck bellhousings I've ever seen. Which is odd considering the engine has been out before. There are signs all over the place I'm not the first one to take that car apart.

The flywheel wasn't as bad as I expected. The clutch was down to the rivets, the PP looked about the same. Oddly enough, the pilot bearing was fine, not great, but definitely serviceable. Same with the TOB. I can't imagine it's the original clutch... I've pulled apart cars with much less miles, and the bearings were totally toast.

More pics after lunch when I go start taking the heads off the engine.

 

[SUBARUDE]

I have the bumper hook cover and a couple spare outback wheels without the curbing

 

[Chris]

Might grab the bumper cover from you. I don't mind much about the curbing, I'll probably put snow tires on those or something.

MORE UPDATES:

The obligatory picture:

LOOK AT ALL THAT CLUTCH DUST:

Hmm, the passenger side head gasket look ok...

The driver's side... does not

I forgot to take a picture of the head gaskets until it was after dark, since my shop is dark and dingy, I couldn't get a good pic.

But I will snap some pics of the bad gasket in the sunlight tomorrow. It's pretty blown!

I have a slight feeling the pass side has been replaced. The head came off really easily, no gasket stuck to the head or block, and the gasket looks new.

Judging by the outside view I sorta expected that. The other side was REALLY stuck, and a huge mess that needs cleaned up.

Also, the car had a stumble at idle that seemed to go away somewhat under load. It was hard to tell, because the clutch was so bad.

Turns out it was a combination of a few things.. Someone has been in there somewhat recently. In the last year or two probably. EVERY SINGLE timing cover bolt came out with no issue. EVERY ONE. WTF, that's unheard of. Look closer, the timing belt was put on the wrong way, which doesn't really matter, it just means you can't use the marks to time the engine. The timing on the DS cam was one tooth retarded.

That would explain some of it, but the cracked ignition wires still didn't help. Then I pulled out Bosch platinum plugs.... I had worlds of issue with those making my 96 run like crap. So with bad cracked wires, crappy plugs, and timing off a tooth. Damn, it ran pretty well considering!!

Heads are in a box ready to go to machine shop on Monday. Yes, I could do it myself. But I want this car done 100%, so I'm having a shop surface them so they'll be perfect. The valves and everything look good, inside the engine is clean. Cyl walls are smooth with great cross-hatching and no scores. Pistons are somewhat clean. A bit more dirty on the side with the screwed up timing.

After I did all that, I took apart the rear gate handle which sticks up. I took the linkage out. Cleaned it all up, got the rust off, greased it, and put it back together. It just needed some love, now the rear gate works perfectly again. As I type this, the window switch assy. is next to my computer about to go under dissection and figure out why the switch is flakey.

 

[flat4awd]

Your hoisting skills truly amaze me Chris, what is my excuse again? Keep up the good work!

 

[Chris]

That's nothing, haha.

 

[Matt]

haha...i love those pics....everythings nice and white....insert old subaru

 

[XCELLR8]

Might grab the bumper cover from you. I don't mind much about the curbing, I'll probably put snow tires on those or something.

MORE UPDATES:

The obligatory picture:

LOOK AT ALL THAT CLUTCH DUST:

Hmm, the passenger side head gasket look ok...

The driver's side... does not

I forgot to take a picture of the head gaskets until it was after dark, since my shop is dark and dingy, I couldn't get a good pic.

But I will snap some pics of the bad gasket in the sunlight tomorrow. It's pretty blown!

I have a slight feeling the pass side has been replaced. The head came off really easily, no gasket stuck to the head or block, and the gasket looks new.

Judging by the outside view I sorta expected that. The other side was REALLY stuck, and a huge mess that needs cleaned up.

Also, the car had a stumble at idle that seemed to go away somewhat under load. It was hard to tell, because the clutch was so bad.

Turns out it was a combination of a few things.. Someone has been in there somewhat recently. In the last year or two probably. EVERY SINGLE timing cover bolt came out with no issue. EVERY ONE. WTF, that's unheard of. Look closer, the timing belt was put on the wrong way, which doesn't really matter, it just means you can't use the marks to time the engine. The timing on the DS cam was one tooth retarded.

That would explain some of it, but the cracked ignition wires still didn't help. Then I pulled out Bosch platinum plugs.... I had worlds of issue with those making my 96 run like crap. So with bad cracked wires, crappy plugs, and timing off a tooth. Damn, it ran pretty well considering!!

Heads are in a box ready to go to machine shop on Monday. Yes, I could do it myself. But I want this car done 100%, so I'm having a shop surface them so they'll be perfect. The valves and everything look good, inside the engine is clean. Cyl walls are smooth with great cross-hatching and no scores. Pistons are somewhat clean. A bit more dirty on the side with the screwed up timing.

After I did all that, I took apart the rear gate handle which sticks up. I took the linkage out. Cleaned it all up, got the rust off, greased it, and put it back together. It just needed some love, now the rear gate works perfectly again. As I type this, the window switch assy. is next to my computer about to go under dissection and figure out why the switch is flakey.

Very impressive with the mechanical ability!

 

[Chris]

Very impressive with the mechanical ability!

Thanks!

I have some minor updates.

I repaired some rust. I really hate welding thin japanese sheet metal. It pisses me off.

It's now coated in a few coats of chassis saver. Nice and thick, an it's hard to tell I buggerwelded it unless you get up close.

Also, I got something exciting back from the machine shop!!!

Head gaskets should be here monday. I have all the rest of the parts and gaskets and stuff sitting in the back of the wagon ready for action.

Oh, one annoying thing... One of the alignment pins stuck in the head. I figured the machine shop would carefully take it out and put it back in HAH. So now I have to find a dowel pin. I have a spare blowed up engine I can steal one out of, unless when I go see Dan saturday he has one...

The problem is getting them out without ruining them.

 

[Chris]

Well, engine is in, it runs and drives!!! I had fuel rail issues that wasted a bunch of money and 4 hours of time, but I got it all sorted out. I'll updated with pictures and stuff later (tomorrow after I clean up the mess in my garage).

The car is pretty much sorted, needs a RR wheel bearing and the hood bolted back on. That's about it!

 

[GClark]

Great work Chris.

 

[Chris]

Thanks!

Ok, so I went out to the garage to look at this beauteous thing, and brought my camera back with me.

Fuel rail issue....

So I had the longblock assembled except bolting on the intake. I flipped it over to clean off the mating surface, and saw this :|

It really kinda ruined my day for a little while. It meant a 45 minute drive to Norm's, and $25 for another one. Yes, I know there are cheaper routes, but I wanted it done NOW.

I cleaned everything up, and put it all together. After everything was in the car, turn the key, and hear a weird noise... The weird noise was fuel spraying out of the fuel rail. At this point, I should mention that when I took one of the fuel rail bolts out, it took the threads with it. So I had to source a longer bolt so it could grab some un-used threads. That's another part of this that wasted my time...

It turned out that when I put the fuel rail back together, one of the top o-rings was a bit hard, and crunched out of shape when I put it together. Just friggin' fantastic. It was 4.50, I couldn't make it to napa in time. I figured out I still had a bunch of o-rings from an AC job, one of those worked. YAY.

I once again turned on the key with the intention of cranking with no ignition until the oil light went out. The oil light was already out. It took me another 20 minutes to track down the wiring issue.

In the end, it fired up right away and runs really smooth. It ran with a really loppy idle before and misfires. That would be due, in part, to the pictured injector. The driver's side cam being a tooth retarded, and a plug missing the electrode...

Here's how the car sits now. Just needs the RR wheel bearing done (I have the parts), and the hood bolted one. It should be sorted by the end of tomorrow

 

[2point5RS_Dan]

Holy hell dude, nice turn around. Makes my legacy look like it was built by GClark