3*EJ20
There was already a post about the 3*555, now it’s time for another trio: the EJ20. It’s confirmed: the bearing waved goodbye.
Interestingly, it turned out that the Type R doesn’t have its original engine, one it left the factory with, but a different one, from an earlier model (93–96?). Crankshafts for those engines are no longer available, so even if I had any doubts about whether to rebuild or drop in a new short block, the lack of a crankshaft would have cleared them right up.
Looking a bit into the future, I can say this: everything ended well. The car is back home, alive and well.
As a souvenir, I kept some bits from the old engine:
Here’s where things get a little ugly.
I’m not entirely sure this silicone is supposed to be dripping like that on the inside:
What I am sure of is that the gold glitter in the oil pan is not a good sign:
Bearings:
The infamous fourth piston and connecting rod:
And their friends:
Completely delaminated crankshaft:
Block:
Looks like someone tried to “machine” it with sandpaper.
Inside of the cylinder:
Interestingly, before the sale it was filled with fresh oil:
And somehow, during the inspection, it seemed to run just fine, even when revved. After it arrived in Poland, I drove it twice, about 2–3 km each time with no problem. It wasn’t until I took it for a longer drive, when the engine got fully warmed up, the turbo spooled, and it got a bit of a kick up and down the gears, that everything finally let go.
The rest you can see in the photos above.
But that’s all history now.
As for the present, my local Subaru specialist: Carfit rose to the occasion and built a new heart, right in time for the car to start the conversion in two days time.
A few photos from the rebuild.
And if anyone is still wondering whether the author of this blog has a screw loose, here is your answer:
The top one is the most important, but the rest are going into the binder too.
