Help with 1994 Legacy 2.2L engine rotation interference

[mpsmithstc@yahoo.com]

Vehicle: 1994 Legacy, 2.2L SOHC engine. Not my car.

Owner drove the car home and shut it off one night...Seemed normal.

The next day, tried to start it, and the motor would not turn. He thought it was a bad starter, so replaced it. Same symptom, starter trying to crank the motor, motor won't turn.

I looked and the timing belt jumped 6 teeth back at the crank, some oil residue around the front of the tensioner hydraulic actuator, so I figured the tensioner let the belt slip, and a piston was hitting a valve.

I installed a new belt, all new idlers, a new tensioner and hydraulic actuator.

On rotating the motor by hand, there is an obstruction that makes noise, and feels to me like a piston hitting a valve, but it it happens when the crank gear is lined up at the timing mark, when all the pistons are in the middle of their travel.

The motor will rotate a certain distance in either direction, but eventually won't go past a certain point. I have heard that this may or may not be an interference motor, and that a cracked flex plate might be binding with the block casting.

Any ideas from anyone what this might be?

Mike

[rallyak]

Welcome,
94 2.2 are noninterferance so it shouldn't have bent any valves. Is it an auto? If so check the flex plate bolts to see if they backed off.

[mpsmithstc@yahoo.com]

Oh, yes, sorry, automatic, full-time 4WD.

I can't seem to find a YouTube video of the replacement of the flex-plate or torque converter. Do you guys know of a guide somewhere?

[Legacy777]

There is an access port on the passenger side of the engine bell housing that allows you to access the flex plate.

http://main.experiencetherave.com/subar ... P_2487.JPG

That's really the only way to get at the flex plate bolts. If something broke on the flex plate, you'd have to pull the engine or transmission to fix it.

[mpsmithstc@yahoo.com]

Thanks. I actually managed to get a look at the flex plate, and it's okay. I took the timing belt off and put the cams in the all closed positions, took out the spark plugs, and tried to rotate the motor to see what the obstruction was. It squealed like hell, and behaved like a ratchet, so I think it just spun a bearing.

[Legacy777]

That sucks

[mpsmithstc@yahoo.com]

Yup...lol.

The car just had an all-new brake job for $700, and the uninstalled timing set is brand new, so we can sell both of those separately. the car for $500, and the timing set including the tensioner for $100. If you know anyone in Oregon interested, please let me know.