[SubiAficionado]

A lot of progress today, lots of work.. got most components installed.. started working around noon and didn’t stop till it was dark..
I’m really glad I marked with blue tape and enumerated most connectors, lines, wires, etc before with the same number for male to female, this made the install much easier. Especially since I had never done kind of work on a car before, this motor has 30+ things to be connected back before it’s running and it’s very easy to get lost..

Still, I managed to leave one cable/connector unmarked and now I have no idea where it goes.. if you guys can tell me where it gets plugged in I’d appreciate it, I included a picture. Such cable seems to be coming from the main harness among the big connectors behind the right side intake manifold runners..

Almost there.. hoping I can get the rest done tomorrow.. I can’t believe I’m almost done guys!

 

[bobk25]

Hmmm ..... the load resistor on the right hand strut pillar?
Behind your wrist in pic 3.
O2 sensor connector?

Take a look again later, with fresh eyes after a long rest 😊

Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk

 

[SubiAficionado]

Hmmm ..... the load resistor on the right hand strut pillar?
Behind your wrist in pic 3.
O2 sensor connector?

Take a look again later, with fresh eyes after a long rest 😊

Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk

Hmm.. seems like nothing else needs to be connected by the right side of the motor. It’s a pretty long cable, seems like it would plug in far away towards the left of the engine bay, also at the end of the cable it has one of those snap on plastic clips to attach the cable to something. The cable originates from main harness(big connectors).
Did I miss something behind Starter motor maybe? I can’t see behind there now since the starter it’s already on.. I’ll have to buy one of those telescoping mirrors to check better..
Some better detailed pics..

 

[bobk25]

Any ideas Bobby? @2.5x_sleeper

 

[SubiAficionado]

Ha! I found where the cable connector goes. Back when I was cleaning the ATF oil pan, I disconnected the sensor that clips right next to it.. it’s the rear O2 sensor like you said Bob lol
I thought that cable would connect in the engine bay.. thanks for the suggestions!

 

[bobk25]

You would have been consulting this thread, with CEL in hand .......lol
https://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f158/help-i-m-not-able-read-error-codes-283409/

 

[PeterfromOz]

I have been reading your messages but haven't commented for a few weeks. Let me go back and give you a few of my answers that others have provided their thoughts on:

There was a question about sealant. I used Permatex Ultra Black which appears to be the same as a tube of genuine Toyota sealant I have.

We spoke earlier about torquing the head and I said I am not sure if anyone knows the correct answer. After the initial pre-tighten you used 90 degrees then another 90. All the Subaru engine manuals say 90 degrees, then 45 degrees and then only the two centre bolts, another 45 degrees. Your all 90 is what the aftermarket head gasket manufacturers say to use. I contacted one of those and asked if their gaskets were thicker than the Subaru standard gaskets and was told yes. Possibly this is why they use the different torque arrangement. There must be a lot of Subaru engines on the road with both torque methods used. I used the 90, 45, 45 with the stock Subaru gasket.

You were looking for the seal on the heat exchanger. We don't have that fitted in Oz. I guess it doesn't get cold enough although I had noted its existence when looking at parts manuals.

In regard to the drive shaft boots, over the last few years I have found that aftermarket complete drive shafts are so cheap that it is not worth fixing the old ones just because it is so messy. Complete aftermarket shafts down here in OZ are between $100US to $130US a pair depending on the vehicle. A local guy makes them up although I haven't priced his Subaru shafts. The boot kits are half or more of that price so it easier and cleaner to buy a complete shaft plus the other boot & joint is new as well.

I know your engine is in, however, when I fitted mine I put a sheet of plywood in front of the radiator as it is too easy to damage it.

You spoke about the high price of fuel injector seals. I found a local guy on ebay who only sells injector seals and a kit of 8 seals with four mesh filters were only about $15US all up. I ended up buying two sets keeping the second as spare.

The next discussion I expect we will read about is whether your coolant will be green, red or blue. I struggled with this and there is as much conjecture on this subject as with head gasket torques. I didn't really find a good answer except that they shouldn't be mixed as it is possible some of the dissolved chemicals can fall out of solution. I spoke to a person in a local manufacturer and initially he just said use any, and wasn't fussed. I called them because in their on-line catalogue the coolant recommendation changed from from green to red when there had been no apparent engine change by Subaru. They couldn't answer my question. I ended up using red as it was on special at a local supplier but on reflection probably should have used green as our other four cars are all green. Red is supposed to last longer than green but is basically the same, but blue is different and used in late model vehicles (2012 and up as a guess, when the FB engine was released).

Look forward to hearing a video of the engine running.

 

[SubiAficionado]

She’s alive guys!! Whoohoo!! I’m so happy!

She fired right up on resurrection day lol.. Easter Sunday! I’ll never forget it. Thank you God!

After soo much work.. thank you all who helped me in this journey. I really appreciate it. I will post pics and videos later and a little story of what happened before it turned on..

 

[NinoS]

She’s alive guys!! Whoohoo!! I’m so happy!

She fired right up on resurrection day lol.. Easter Sunday! I’ll never forget it. Thank you God!

After soo much work.. thank you all who helped me in this journey. I really appreciate it. I will post pics and videos later and a little story of what happened before it turned on..

Great news and congrats! Nothing like a job well done yourself, one that most folks wouldn't attempt!

 

[bobk25]

Glory be !!
Congratulations!
You have indeed earned the title Subie Aficionado 🎓

Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk

 

[bjrey]

She’s alive guys!! Whoohoo!! I’m so happy!

She fired right up on resurrection day lol.. Easter Sunday! I’ll never forget it. Thank you God!

After soo much work.. thank you all who helped me in this journey. I really appreciate it. I will post pics and videos later and a little story of what happened before it turned on..

Congratulations!!! :woohoo: And welcome to the club, you get to add the mechanics badge now! Subaru owners badge

You did en excellent job on a thorough overhaul of your engine, and with the Six-Star MLS headgaskets in there, you are pretty much set on headgaskets for the life of the engine.
BTW, I highly recommend doing a compression test with a warm engine, just so you have a reference if you have issues in the future. Healthy engine should be at or above 150 psi

Subaru enthusiasts sometimes act like a cult group >, fierce loyalty and love for their cars, overlooking that Subaru's take delicate maintenance often (tires have matching treadwear, check oil, and check oil again because the dipstick setup is stupid... :grin2: ), and that most Subaru's are in need of a overhaul before 200k, (hopefully the newer one's are exceptions, time will tell). What gets us hooked is how awesome the AWD is, and being able to easily work on them with most common hand tools (albeit metric).

Tip; once you are on the road, and if you get less than 25 MPG on the highway, you may need to replace your charcoal canister and any cracked hoses there (also the rear bracket for it is usually rusted to bits, the part # 42026FC050 listed for our 2001 Forester is unavailable, but I found a working replacement # 42052SA010)

 

[SubiAficionado]

Glory be !!
Congratulations!
You have indeed earned the title Subie Aficionado 🎓

Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk

Hehehe what can I say bobk25.. thanks man
It was a really big job and I honestly couldn’t have done it without you all. All the little tips, advice, warnings and even wth are you doings lol helped to get me where I am now: with my motor working and good to go for hopefully a long time as long as I make sure to do all periodic maintenance from here on.

Going to take care of other little things soon as I can like ATF oil pan new sealant and overhauling its power steering pump, cracked windshield.. among other stuff like a nice detailed cleaning in and out..

And in the not so distant future:
Let the suspension mods begin!

 

[SubiAficionado]

Great news and congrats! Nothing like a job well done yourself, one that most folks wouldn't attempt!

Hey NinoS, funny you say that.. I had many family members supporting me throughout the job(big applause to my father in law) who helped me remove the engine.. this job is definitely doable, it’s just that one has to be patient and not rush things, that’s when mistakes happen and can be costly.
YouTube videos these days.. I tell you, such a big help and of course following the FSM and all torque specs.. I got nothing damaged along the way that I can remember.. but I’ll be honest, at times I was thought to myself: wth did I get myself into? Lol
But anyway.. it’s all done now. Thanks

 

[SubiAficionado]

Congratulations!!! <img src="http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/images/smilies/woohoo.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Woohoo" class="inlineimg" /> And welcome to the club, you get to add the mechanics badge now! Subaru owners badge

You did en excellent job on a thorough overhaul of your engine, and with the Six-Star MLS headgaskets in there, you are pretty much set on headgaskets for the life of the engine.
BTW, I highly recommend doing a compression test with a warm engine, just so you have a reference if you have issues in the future. Healthy engine should be at or above 150 psi

Subaru enthusiasts sometimes act like a cult group <img src="http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/images/SubaruForester_2014/smilies/tango_face_devil.png" border="0" alt="" title="Devil" class="inlineimg" />, fierce loyalty and love for their cars, overlooking that Subaru's take delicate maintenance often (tires have matching treadwear, check oil, and check oil again because the dipstick setup is stupid... <img src="http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/images/SubaruForester_2014/smilies/tango_face_grin.png" border="0" alt="" title="Big Grin" class="inlineimg" /> ), and that most Subaru's are in need of a overhaul before 200k, (hopefully the newer one's are exceptions, time will tell). What gets us hooked is how awesome the AWD is, and being able to easily work on them with most common hand tools (albeit metric).

Tip; once you are on the road, and if you get less than 25 MPG on the highway, you may need to replace your charcoal canister and any cracked hoses there (also the rear bracket for it is usually rusted to bits, the part # 42026FC050 listed for our 2001 Forester is unavailable, but I found a working replacement # 42052SA010)

Man! I’m glad you send me that link.. I always wanted one of those Subaru badges. Mechanic’s badge eh? That would be awesome! Although I honestly need to learn a lot more about cars to be considered a “good mechanic”.. But I’m flattered.. thanks

I was actually thinking the other day I wanted to do an engine compression test after the overhaul. A very reputable local shop should be able to do a good diagnostic test.

Charcoal canister?? First time hearing it.. where is it located, what does it do? I’m guessing it’s related to the fuel system right? I think I have a vague idea of what you are referring to. Thanks for the heads up. I really appreciate you sending the part numbers, will look into it.

 

[SubiAficionado]

Here are some pics of the engine bay, dash view and a video of the motor running.. love seeing that oil temperature neddle remain at operating condition.

I want to get a hold of a good battery tray and holding system. With the damage it had on that area my battery is now seating there unattached to anything.. can’t have that. I was thinking of drilling two holes adjacent to the battery tray and come up with a pair of long bolts to the top to hold it..

Btw: There were no dash(cell) lights, tail smoke, weird engine noises(other than what I think it’s the random serpentine belt squeaky noise) which was there before I removed the engine abd it’s still there now.. but goes away after the motor warms up.. and rad fans kicked right in too once engine was warmed up.. A/C blows cold too! Can’t hace no A/C in South FL

https://youtu.be/LJJFqeU6uGs

 

[SubiAficionado]

I have been reading your messages but haven't commented for a few weeks. Let me go back and give you a few of my answers that others have provided their thoughts on:

There was a question about sealant. I used Permatex Ultra Black which appears to be the same as a tube of genuine Toyota sealant I have.

We spoke earlier about torquing the head and I said I am not sure if anyone knows the correct answer. After the initial pre-tighten you used 90 degrees then another 90. All the Subaru engine manuals say 90 degrees, then 45 degrees and then only the two centre bolts, another 45 degrees. Your all 90 is what the aftermarket head gasket manufacturers say to use. I contacted one of those and asked if their gaskets were thicker than the Subaru standard gaskets and was told yes. Possibly this is why they use the different torque arrangement. There must be a lot of Subaru engines on the road with both torque methods used. I used the 90, 45, 45 with the stock Subaru gasket.

You were looking for the seal on the heat exchanger. We don't have that fitted in Oz. I guess it doesn't get cold enough although I had noted its existence when looking at parts manuals.

In regard to the drive shaft boots, over the last few years I have found that aftermarket complete drive shafts are so cheap that it is not worth fixing the old ones just because it is so messy. Complete aftermarket shafts down here in OZ are between $100US to $130US a pair depending on the vehicle. A local guy makes them up although I haven't priced his Subaru shafts. The boot kits are half or more of that price so it easier and cleaner to buy a complete shaft plus the other boot & joint is new as well.

I know your engine is in, however, when I fitted mine I put a sheet of plywood in front of the radiator as it is too easy to damage it.

You spoke about the high price of fuel injector seals. I found a local guy on ebay who only sells injector seals and a kit of 8 seals with four mesh filters were only about $15US all up. I ended up buying two sets keeping the second as spare.

The next discussion I expect we will read about is whether your coolant will be green, red or blue. I struggled with this and there is as much conjecture on this subject as with head gasket torques. I didn't really find a good answer except that they shouldn't be mixed as it is possible some of the dissolved chemicals can fall out of solution. I spoke to a person in a local manufacturer and initially he just said use any, and wasn't fussed. I called them because in their on-line catalogue the coolant recommendation changed from from green to red when there had been no apparent engine change by Subaru. They couldn't answer my question. I ended up using red as it was on special at a local supplier but on reflection probably should have used green as our other four cars are all green. Red is supposed to last longer than green but is basically the same, but blue is different and used in late model vehicles (2012 and up as a guess, when the FB engine was released).

Look forward to hearing a video of the engine running.

Hey PeterfromOz, good to hear you’re back. These are the FSM instructions I followed for torquing the heads. I skiped the pretorque sequence since I reused the bolts and they had already been stretched.. I followed the work of SubiMike(Subaru master tecnician on YouTube) on torquing the heads on a video I posted before.

For fluids, I used Castrol 10W30 and 50/50 prediluted coolant based on the recommendation of SubaruMike for cars with a higher mileage operating on hot weather climates..

 

[SubiAficionado]

About that story yesterday before the motor started..

I had just put the fluids in the motor, sat in the car and primed the fuel lines 3 times for pressure, 10 secs each turning the key to the On position but not cranking it yet.. moment of truth came, cranked they key, engine spun up, but would not turn on.. here we go I said.. now what do I do?? I thought everything had been connected correctly..

So a friend calls me to do some brainstorming: battery power, spark plugs, correct switches to injectors, primed lines, etc.. while I’m talking to him, my other friend calls me(this guy knows engines) and says ok, let’s go step by step: check the fuel lines he said.. disconnect them and see if you have fuel coming out(warning me there would be some pressure on the In line).. I undid the clip, pulled out the In line.. nothing, not a drop of fuel on the In line.. my friend starts laughing.. he says that right there might be the problem.. now remove the return line.. and as I start pulling the return line I see gasoline seeping out of it.. and all of the sudden: pheesch!!!(best wird I could find to replicate the sound lol) All the gas that had been pressurerized in the return line squirted out all over.. Obviously I had inverted the position of the lines.. so I dried up the places where fuel fell and fixed the lines position.. sat in the car again, built fuel pressure one more time and right away: Broommm!! Motor started right up! Lol

I was so glad it didn’t turn out to br a switch, or some other major electrical issue..

Needles to say: I’m a happy camper!

 

[soobcrazy]

Don't bother with pre-mix coolant, you're paying the same price (or more) for half the coolant. Just buy a couple gallons of DISTILLED (not spring, not mineral, not drinking, not tap, DISTILLED water.)

I like to wait until it's on sale for like $0.50/gal and buy six or eight gallons.

 

[SubiAficionado]

And welcome to the club, you get to add the mechanics badge now!)

Badge ordered. Thanks again for the info!

 

[bjrey]

Charcoal canister?? First time hearing it.. where is it located, what does it do? I’m guessing it’s related to the fuel system right? I think I have a vague idea of what you are referring to. Thanks for the heads up. I really appreciate you sending the part numbers, will look into it.

Passenger side, behind rear tire, underneath.. it's the odd looking black box. charcoal canister and parts...
And yes related to the fuel system. charcoal canister purpose. Plus more interesting info on it, for the deeper readers

Here are some pics of the engine bay, dash view and a video of the motor running.. love seeing that oil temperature neddle remain at operating condition.
Its actually a coolant temp gauge, there is no oil temp sensor in our engines, but one can be added, prosport adapter for oil pressure and oil temp.

I want to get a hold of a good battery tray and holding system. With the damage it had on that area my battery is now seating there unattached to anything.. can’t have that. I was thinking of drilling two holes adjacent to the battery tray and come up with a pair of long bolts to the top to hold it..
Maybe something like this? Battery tray

Going to take care of other little things soon as I can like ATF oil pan new sealant and overhauling its power steering pump, cracked windshield.. among other stuff like a nice detailed cleaning in and out..

I'm really hoping the interior for yours doesn't smell nasty... Mine smelled like cigarettes, as my last resort, I ended up rubbing the whole inside with white vinegar, it stank really bad of vinegar for several weeks and had to keep airing it out, but after that it went away, and no more cigarette smell either.