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Sterling#S009 EJ25D Rebuild

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
As some of you know I pulled a EJ25D DOHC from a 1998 subaru Legacy Outback. Before I get any farther into the rebuild I thought I should bring you up to speed with whats already been done.

Most of the parts have been cleaned and seal before the move to the cars new home but there is still some cleaning to be done.

The motor is back from the machine shop and here is what was done.
Cylinders were bore .020 over. You only have two options std bore and .020 over.
Pistons, Crank, Rods were balanced.
Deck was resurfaced
Heads were resufaced
Valve job (included replacement of guides)
Main Bearings
Rod Bearings
Wrist pins
Rings
Cast Pistons (this motor already has 100 more hp stock than a VW motor so it will remain mostly stock and just blue printed so performance parts will be kept to a minimum) cast pistons are lighter than forged pistons anyway

Total cost from the machine shop is around $1000

Cometic Gasket kit ordered $300

New OEM Case bolts with special washer $70

New Head bolts (req for a rebuild) $50

New timming belt kit complete w/water pump $200

New valves and springs. Ordered them a while back. Don't remember the cost.
The valves and springs are being replaced because the valves were worn and instead of regrinding them I choose to replace them and the springs didn't meet specs.
Before These are installed I'll cover how to check them to make sure they are within specifications.

Waiting for the rest of the parts to come in for the rebuild. When they get here we'll start with the rebuild

So thats an update as to where I'm at right now. Also my main computer isn't up and running yet so I need to get it going first to post pictures.

Brett
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
For those waiting for this rebuild to start here's the hold up.

My computer that I use for down loading pictures is in the shop and my wife dropped the camera and broke it(I manage to put it together and get it working but it doesn't take pictures like it did before)

The valve springs have been tested for tension and measured for free length and as soon as I get my computer back I'll start posting that and other things to check before installing the valves and springs.

Brett
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
I just had a costly lesson.

If your rebuilding a subaru get their gasket kit. It costs around $350 and includes every gasket, o'ring, and seal except for the o'rings for the fuel injectors.

I just spent an additional $220 for the o'rings and seals that didn't come in the cometic gasket kit. OUCH! Some of the seals in the cometic kit were wrong yet the box said it was for the year that I have.

Subaru is really proud of their o'rings and seals. The parts guy said that they don't bother with rebuilding engines. It cost less to just throw in a short block.
 

letterman7

Honorary Admin
Ouch... I guess it depends where they get their crate shortblocks from. Might be a nice source to find out for someone wanting to do a build!
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
When you consider how many hours of labor it takes to rebuild an engine that alone would exceed the cost of a short block.

First thing to know about rebuilding an engine is to keep it clean. Think of it as doing surgery. You don't want a doctor doing open heart surgery on you with dirty hands and dust in the air. Same with rebuilding an engine.
When you get the engine back from the machine shop give everything a good cleaning. Even if its been hot tanked. Remove all the oil plugs and wash out the oil passages. As I get each part cleaned (metal parts)I coat it with WD40 or the oil that will be used in the engine and then I wrap it in stretch wrap and cacoon it to keep it clean till I will need it or I put the parts in a zip lock bags .


Dirt I got out from valve guides
EJ25D 033.jpg


Dirt that came off the valve springs(they came in a sealed package)
EJ25D 001.jpg


Valve springs cleaned and now sealed in zip lock bag till I install them
EJ25D 010.jpg


Heads cleaned and cacooned in stretch wrap
EJ25D 007.jpg

So rule #1 Keep it clean
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
Cams are checked to see if they meet factory specifications

Cam Height is checked on all of the cams
EJ25D 049.jpg


Cam Base circle is checked on all of the cams
EJ25D 047.jpg

Journals are checked also
EJ25D 055.jpg

Valve Spring height is checked
EJ25D Rebuild 006.jpg

Valve Spring squareness is checked
EJ25D Rebuild 005.jpg

Valve spring tension is checked at closed position and open position
EJ25D Rebuild 003.jpg
 

letterman7

Honorary Admin
*sounds great* You've done this before, haven't you? You're already way more into it than I could ever feel comfortable with. With your attention to detail, Brett, the engine doesn't stand a chance of failure!
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
You've done this before, haven't you?

That book Engine rebuilding for Dummies was sure worth the money:D Just kidding
Everything that I'm doing can be found in books. What I'm doing here is close to blue printing an engine.
Checking out the valve springs ensures that all of the springs are appling the same loads on the valves. Most of the original springs that were in the engine failed so I just replaced them all.

Check out the valve springs. Their progressively wound. Thats cool(I think). You want to stay away from stiff valve springs unless the cam your using calls out for them. Too stiff of springs cause excessive wear and friction.It may sound cool to put them in but unless you need them they could cost you hp. With the progressive springs, pressure increases at a progressive rate as the valve opens so less effort is needed to open them and when the valve is fully open you have the pressure needed to not have the valves float.


Plastigage is used to measure cam and crank journal tolerances
EJ25D 017.jpg


EJ25D 021.jpg


plastigage in place. The cap is installed and tightened to factory specs
EJ25D 019.jpg

Cap is then removed and the plastigage is measured
EJ25D 023.jpg
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
Here's something important I found out today.
You have to use Subaru rod and crank bearings in these engines.

I found this out today when the bearings that the machine shop sold me didn't meet factory tolerances. This is a good reason why you do it yourself and check everything and not leave anything to chance. If I would have just thrown it together with out checking anything this engine would of had a short life span.

It started first when I was checking the tolerances to the bushing for the piston pin in the rod. Those weren't in tolerance and then I started to check the big end of the rod and that was out.
The rods are back at the machine shop having new upper bushings installed.

What you do is measure the main and rod journals on the crank then take that measurement and look it up on a chart in the factory service manual and it will tell you which bearing size to use for that journal. They have 5 different sizes for the rod and crank and sizes change by incruments of .0005 (I think it was).

So another leason learned

Brett
 

letterman7

Honorary Admin
Ah, so the machine shop had bearings that appeared the same, had the same basic dimensions, but tolerances were off? How do you know what bearings to get if there are 5 different sizes? Is it possible that each journal is off by that amount?
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
There was no machineing done on the crank so all of the journals are std (I know for a fact). So the machine shop ordered Clevite 77 std size bearings for it.

Subaru bearings don't go by .010", .020", 0.30" over sizes like american cars do.

What you do is mic the journals and look up the reading you got on a list thats in the manual and it will give you the bearing size to use on that journal. Their bearing sizes are oversized by less than a .001 So say you measured a journal and the reading you got was 2.0275mm. You look up on the list where this measrment falls and it will tell you what undersize bearing(if needed) you need to get so it will be within specs. Thats it no machining. I quess thats assuming that the case or rods are in good shape and don't require machining.
I think honda and a few other imports use this method.
The only thing I can figure out why they do it this way is that maybe not all of the cranks are machined the same at the factory and they use this method to get the crank and rod in specs.
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
Well the rebuild has stalled out.

The subaru Dealer had to call Subaru USA to get the right part numbers for the main bearings so those are on order and the machine shop is replacing the rod bushings(that they should have done in the first place). Subaru has discontinued the bushings so the machine shop will have to find a supplier for them. If someone brought in an engine for rebuilding and the rods were there, don't you think you would at least check the rods out???!!??. I give up, at least here in vegas. everyones lazy and doesn't want to do their job but wants to get paid big bucks for doing nothing and if they do something the quality is way below what it should be. At least the Subaru guys gave me a break on the price for the bearings. You guys better sit down for this one. They got me for $350 for rod and main bearings. I need to start carrying vasaline around with me. This motor rebuild is not going to be cheap. It'll be in the $2000 range I fear. Thats still not to bad for a blue printed engine.

Brett
 

letterman7

Honorary Admin
I wonder what a crate motor would be from Subaru? No, it wouldn't be blueprinted, but at least it would be zero mile..
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
More bad news. The machine shop cann't locate bushings for the rods and the dealer cann't get them either.
My choices are to use what I have or get new rods. I searched the internet and came up empty.

Brett
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
OK here's whats going down.
In the Subaru service manual they have two measurments. One is std tolerances and the other is the service limit. The rod bushings are 0.0001 out of std tolerances but are not at the service limit so I'm going to use them as they are.
With that being said the cases are back together and tomorrow I'll check the pistons and rings and if everything is a go there I'll install them and the rebuild will continue.
I talked to the machine shop that did the work on the engine and they commented that they don't put together engines with these tight of tolerances. The reason I mention this is because there is no play hardly at all in this motor. Crank and rod bearings are all at 0.001 or less but thats factory specs.

Brett
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
I'm leaving out alot of posts of this rebuild because I assume everyone here knows how to rebuild an engine and this is mostly to show the progress only. There are thousands of books out there that cover rebuilds and everyone has their own way to do things.

Rods are stamped with what cylinder that they came out of.(do this before you remove them)
EJ25D 068.jpg

Rods have a front and back. Mark on rod points to the front
EJ25D 086.jpg

Back side of rod has no marks
EJ25D 088.jpg

Pistons are mic'd for what cylinder they will go in
EJ25D 093.jpg

Ring gap is checked on all rings
EJ25D 092.jpg
 

Brett Proctor

Well-known member
Oil Pump is checked to see if its with in limits
EJ25D 110.jpg

Once oil pump is checked and passes specs it is packed with assy grease so it with pick up prime faster than if left dry.
EJ25D 111.jpg

Head bolts are tightened per factory specs
EJ25D 115.jpg
 
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