Subaru oil pan help!

[Big_P]

Hi guys. I know this is in the "Lounge" section but I would really appreciate it if it was not moved into any other forum because I just got done working almost three hours on this car (on a lift, with air tools) and got almost nowhere. I'm getting up early tomorrow to keep working on the job.

My brother owns a Periwinkle blue 95 Subaru Legacy Brighton wagon. Possibly the gayest looking car ever. It has almost 215,000 miles. Auto transmission. 2.2L engine.

It's treated him very well. Only thing done to it in the past few years has been a water pump and timing belt. And some tires.

So: it has a MASSIVE oil leak from what I believe to be the oil pan. It leaks like there's no tomorrow. He adds a quart every other day.

I got the car up on the lift and saw a massive rust bubble on the back of the pan. It appears to be coming from there. It may also be the rear main (I hope that's not the problem because in that case he's buying a new car). But I'd at least like to get the pan off and see where it's coming from.

Most of the oil pan bolts are very easy to access, but the last four in back are a WHORE! Not a whore, but a cheap hooker!!!

There are four "access holes" in the K-member where I can supposedly fit a socket in there. ACCESS HOLES MY ---!! I "thinwalled" a 10mm socket (aka took it to the bench grinder) but I really need to fit a swivel socket in there which I can't do.

Does ANYONE know the proper way to remove the oil pan on this thing?! I'm in the process of dropping the steering rack but even then it looks like the K-frame is too close to the oil pan for me to remove it.

I'm at a loss here. Please help. He needs this thing and I need to get it out of my boss's garage!

Thank you VERY much.

Pete

[nBALLS]

I've never done an oil pan on a Subaru, but I have done many trans swaps, motor swaps, timing belts and clutch jobs. The only thing I can think of without being underneath one, is: Pull the dog bone strut from the top of the trans, then pull the two 14MM motor mount nuts from the bottom side of the k-member, and put a stand under the front diff to lift the motor up. Make sure you watch the trans mount, to make sure it doesn't tear. In fact, you may be able to just put a piece of wood under the plug off the bottom of the oil pump next to the crank pulley, and jack it up there.

:)

[turbovanman²]

Sorry man, had too, :eyebrows:

Book time on a FWD is 1.6 hours, AWD is 1.9 hours so it can't be that bad to do. I would do as Matt said and undo the dog bone and maybe loosen the other mounts. I have a few tie downs handy for cranking an engine forward or backward for extra access. Also, did you use some 1/4 inch sockets? what about grinding the subframe bolt holes larger with a die grinder?

[WVRampage]

If there is a posibility of a rear main,the engines arnt that hard to pull,atleast my old 87 gl wasnt.

[raccoon]

My brother owns a Periwinkle blue 95 Subaru Legacy Brighton wagon. Possibly the gayest looking car ever. It has almost 215,000 miles. Auto transmission. 2.2L engine.
Pete

guess you've never seen a subaru XT.

http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=6495&stc=1&d=1195969880
http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=6496&stc=1&d=1195969880


as for help on replacing it no help as ondemand5 has failed me. all it says is too remove the bolts and to refer to the torque specs in the prior chapter on when reinstalled

[Big_P]

That's what we have in the shop and it told us the same :(

Yes, I was using 1/4" sockets. I just don't have enough room in there to get a swivel through. I have some large drill bits (Big ole' Irwin set from the snap-on guy) but they're still not big enough.

There's gotta be a special tool for this.

[Turbodave]

Drain the oil, scrape away any loose rust and mix up a big old batch of JB weld, clean the pan off really good with brake cleaner and cover the area where the leak was with the JB weld.

While not a very professional repair it's been effective on a few of the beaters I've owned that have had leaky pans due to rust.

[20w/ashelby]

Drain the oil, scrape away any loose rust and mix up a big old batch of JB weld, clean the pan off really good with brake cleaner and cover the area where the leak was with the JB weld.

While not a very professional repair it's been effective on a few of the beaters I've owned that have had leaky pans due to rust.

I agree with dave and what others have said. This above will tell you if its the pan or the rear main.

Beyond that lifting the engine would be helpful like others have said.

[Big_P]

ALright, I got the ----in' pan off today.

Out comes the power steering rack, in comes the biggest metal drill bit I could find. I reamed the crap out of the "access holes" (access holes my fat ---) so I could fit a socket in there.

Anyway, I don't think the rear main is the problem because the torque converter and flexplate are both exposed and neither of them are wet with oil. Both of them are bone dry.

Ordering up an oil pan, should have it in tomorrow.

Friggin subaru.

Oh, Raccoon, that's got to be one of the weirdest things ever. The steering wheel looks like a pistol and the gearshift looks mighty phallic.

[turbovanman²]

Dude, ever heard of a die grinder????? I enlarge holes or make holes all the time, ;)