So my cousin bought her first car a few weeks ago .. and I'm cleaning up the mess a previous owner created on the engine. When she bought it, the motor was pouring oil out on the left side just behind the timing covers from a leaky cam seal. I finally had a chance to start taking things apart yesterday (it's been parked in my driveway), and the exhaust cam seal fell out in my hand once I got the plastic gears off.
This morning, I found out *why* the seal popped out:
The lower bolt on that cap had been replaced with a Grade 5 1/4"-20, and I suspect the upper one was the same until they sheared the head off trying to tighten it down. Additionally, the cam caps closest to the flywheel look to have been installed backwards, with the arrows pointing towards the flywheel not the timing belt. Also part of the "ring" on the exhaust cam at the gear end is broken off and missing. This is on top of them butchering both inner timing covers, chipping three of the four plastic cam gears, and apparently throwing away the center timing belt cover. Head gaskets were done not too long ago, but clearly not by the same person who screwed things up
Should I attempt to get the broken bolt out and clean up the mess as best I can, or just find another head to swap on? The rest of the car is in great shape (body & interior), it's only got 130K on the clock. I've already checked the head on the other side of the motor and didn't find any similar disasters over there .. looks like they only had time to screw things up on this side before selling the car.
While I'm not a n00b mechanic, this is the first Subaru where I've gotten under the hood. All my experience so far has been with VW's (both air & water-cooled), Mercedes, old Chevy's and an occasional AMC. :surprise:
Thanks everyone!
This morning, I found out *why* the seal popped out:
The lower bolt on that cap had been replaced with a Grade 5 1/4"-20, and I suspect the upper one was the same until they sheared the head off trying to tighten it down. Additionally, the cam caps closest to the flywheel look to have been installed backwards, with the arrows pointing towards the flywheel not the timing belt. Also part of the "ring" on the exhaust cam at the gear end is broken off and missing. This is on top of them butchering both inner timing covers, chipping three of the four plastic cam gears, and apparently throwing away the center timing belt cover. Head gaskets were done not too long ago, but clearly not by the same person who screwed things up
Should I attempt to get the broken bolt out and clean up the mess as best I can, or just find another head to swap on? The rest of the car is in great shape (body & interior), it's only got 130K on the clock. I've already checked the head on the other side of the motor and didn't find any similar disasters over there .. looks like they only had time to screw things up on this side before selling the car.
While I'm not a n00b mechanic, this is the first Subaru where I've gotten under the hood. All my experience so far has been with VW's (both air & water-cooled), Mercedes, old Chevy's and an occasional AMC. :surprise:
Thanks everyone!