by "Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
Published 05/23/2017 at 21:16
by "Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
Published 05/23/2017 at 21:16
No Tags
STARS: 3
Here is a summary:
Cars are dumb
Flat engines are SUPER dumb
Whoever decided to start stuffing flat engines in cars SHOULD HAVE RUSTY SCREWS SLOWLY TWISTED UNDER THEIR FINGERNAILS
And yet, I can’t be fully mad because THE MISFIRE IS GONE!
The Outback developed a severe misfire a couple weeks back that would come on whenever I tried to unleash a little extra go-baby-go. Engine would shake and sputter like it was about to die, car would lurch, check engine light would start flashing, but as soon as you got back off the throttle the light would go out and the car would happily proceed as if nothing happened. Talked to a friend at the rally who suggested I start by replacing the plugs. Managed to do the plugs in cylinders 1 and 2 (this requires removing the air intake, air pump, and ducting from the air pump), but even my most creative swearing wasn’t enough to convince the coils in 3 and 4 to clear the frame so I could get to the plugs. Gave up once it started getting dark, buttoned it up, and to my joy and surprise she was her lively self again on the drive home. Still need to hand the car off to someone with better swear words to get the two remaining plugs done, because they’re due, but it’s a massive relief to now know what the problem was and have it fixed (and for cheap).
"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
05/23/2017 at 21:26, STARS: 1
Belts and such are nice and easy to get to on the Subarus compared to transverse engines though.
"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
05/23/2017 at 21:30, STARS: 0
I am coming to give you rusty-screw-nail therapy as we speak.
Anticipate my arrival shortly.
"Andrew Pascarella" (racedinanger)
05/23/2017 at 21:34, STARS: 0
I don’t find them that hard, it’s annoying when the coil plug on the harness cracks and you have to replace it in place. To be fair, my tolerance of annoying automotive fixes is crazy high.
"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
05/23/2017 at 21:39, STARS: 1
Pls come fix my plugs
"FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com" (alphaass)
05/23/2017 at 21:41, STARS: 0
My 2013 needs new plugs (60k miles, seriously Subaru?) and I’m thinking of just forking over the $300-400 to the dealer to avoid doing it. Most other things on a Subaru are pretty easy compared to the nightmare that is transverse V-engines, but the plugs are incredulous.
"Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition" (realasabass)
05/23/2017 at 21:44, STARS: 0
On my WRX I had to loosen the engine mount on the driver side to get those changed. I was able to raise it about an inch with a jack, and that was enough to clear the inner fender.
"Agrajag" (Agrajag)
05/23/2017 at 21:46, STARS: 0
Was there any evidence of oil on the spark plugs? Or any oil on the socket when you removed them?
I ask because I know Subies are notorious for having the tube seals go bad and oil fouling everything up.
"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
05/23/2017 at 21:54, STARS: 2
Nope, oil-free
"Agrajag" (Agrajag)
05/23/2017 at 21:57, STARS: 0
Nice!
"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
05/23/2017 at 22:03, STARS: 0
Glad I never tried to change the plugs myself on my old 2002 Impreza 2.5TS...
At least the plugs on my Accent are located dead straight on the top for my convenience :P
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
05/23/2017 at 22:04, STARS: 0
Inline 6 engines are good for this reason, too. Spark plug change is marginally harder on my E46 than on my 1961 Ford truck. In fact, the E46 requires a lot less climbing into the engine bay or crawling underneath... might be technically “easier” than the truck.
"MonkeePuzzle" (monkeypuzzle)
05/23/2017 at 22:31, STARS: 1
as a subaru owner, i can say this is just easier an an engine out operation. grt that timing belt, water pump head gaskets and plugs all in one.
of course, if it isnt necessary to take the engine out that would be nice, I’ve just always owned such high mileage examples that the engine was coming out abyway :P
"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
05/23/2017 at 22:35, STARS: 0
Worst part is I had the engine out a month ago to do the clutch. Never even occurred to me to do plugs while it was out.
"Wurrwulf" (wurrwulf)
05/23/2017 at 22:53, STARS: 2
I had oil in 3 of the 4 wells when I changed the plugs on my ‘02 Outback. I didn’t find changing them difficult, though. I just used a series of ratchet extensions with “ball” ends to give a little angle adjustability. I didn’t do anything to rectify the oil leak, though because the entire underside of my car is coated in a blanket of oil. If I haven’t fixed that oil leak, why would I fix the tube seals? Subarus are apparently made to leak oil and are happy to do so. I just dump a quart into every 1,000 miles or so and keep on keepin’ on.
"Agrajag" (Agrajag)
05/23/2017 at 22:58, STARS: 0
Normally I’m with you on the perpetual oil change practice, but it’ll ruin your plugs in short order, and in the case of my friends car, the wires.
It’s super easy to do, so maybe look into it whenever you need to do the plugs again.
"Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire" (arch-duke-maxyenko)
05/23/2017 at 23:48, STARS: 0
Buy the 128i
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
05/24/2017 at 00:14, STARS: 1
You have to give Subaru some credit for designing one of the most unreliable engines in a modern car.
"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
05/24/2017 at 00:29, STARS: 1
Mine hasn’t really been that awful. I mean it’s got 186k on it at this point
"Autofixation" (Autofixation)
05/24/2017 at 01:05, STARS: 0
Flat engines are awesome, and for all the things they make simple, something has to be hard. Also, do you have a turbo DOHC? Or the NA SOHC?
"p33t - wagons 4 lyfe" (p33t)
05/24/2017 at 01:45, STARS: 0
I swear I don’t know why people find doing the spark plugs on these so hard. Ive got two of them, one running a EJ20K and the other a EJ20G and both are quite easy. The G even has bulky early 90s coils directly mounted to the plug, and they come out easy.
Maybe I need to try doing them on an outback :S
"p33t - wagons 4 lyfe" (p33t)
05/24/2017 at 01:50, STARS: 0
Yea, a failing spark plug! Damn Subaru and the plugs they put in
Oh wait, they’re just NGKs
Seriously though, they aren’t that bad. I’m running two turbo Subarus and so far so good.
"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
05/24/2017 at 01:58, STARS: 0
Turbo
"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
05/24/2017 at 02:03, STARS: 0
You’ve got the smaller motor for one thing, mine has the EJ255. Also, the engine is placed so the plugs are directly inside the frame rails, with less than two inches of clearance for the front two plugs and little more than one inch for the rear. There’s no way to get the coils off of the rear plugs without moving the engine, and doing the front required coming at it from both above and below, and the absolute maximum dexterity from my fingers.
"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
05/24/2017 at 02:07, STARS: 0
The EJ20s are a lot easier than the EJ25s.
"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
05/24/2017 at 02:10, STARS: 1
I’ve done plugs in three different flat engines. A ‘63 Corvair, a ‘91 Loyale and an ‘08 WRX. The EJ25 is a bitch of an engine to do plugs on. The others were a piece of cake. My SBC 350 was actually harder than the other flatties on account of the old iron heads.
"p33t - wagons 4 lyfe" (p33t)
05/24/2017 at 03:02, STARS: 0
The size of the actual block is identical between the two. Helped a mate install a EJ25 into a friends EJ20 powered BG wagon a few months ago and reused his intake and exhaust manifolds too.
I must have small hands or something. I’ll just consider myself lucky, because having to lift the engine can bugger right off!
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
05/24/2017 at 05:59, STARS: 0
flat sixes in Subarus are worse so i’m told.
"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
05/24/2017 at 08:52, STARS: 0
I believe it
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
05/24/2017 at 09:23, STARS: 0
I have good luck and bad, lately it’s been bad.
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
05/24/2017 at 09:23, STARS: 0
I have to think the turbo is built to a higher standard.
"Autofixation" (Autofixation)
05/24/2017 at 22:44, STARS: 1
So yeah... I just poked my head under the hood of my girlfriend’s ‘14 Outback with the new FB25 DOHC chain engine, and I quickly understood what you are talking about. It is coil on plug and DOHC like your EJ255 so it looks like it it going to be a pain.
I drive a 2009 Outback with an EJ253 SOHC so a few extensions should get me by when I do mine next week.
"Andrew Pascarella" (racedinanger)
05/25/2017 at 17:41, STARS: 0
If only you were closer.