Bad day - cracked block

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2009 Subaru Forester with 185k. At 180k I had it in the shop to replace the timing belt and all the other bits, and to address a severe oil leak. Turns out the oil was leaking from one of two... for lack of a better term, plugs. Bolt that went into the engine and I have no idea what its purpose is. Anyhow, 5k after this maintenance the same severe oil leak occurs. Took it back to the shop. Looks like a cracked block. While running oil just seems to come out of the block near the crankshaft position sensor. Terrible news. The mechanic said he will try to 'repair' it with some JB Weld, which we know is a temporary fix. Looks like its time to shop for an engine. I put in a new transmission (MT) less than a year ago, and with only two more payments left on it, I think replacing the engine is a good investment. Maybe I'll get at least another 100k out of it. I don't have a question, just venting mainly
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Is this a known potential issue on this engine, or something out of the blue? What a weird failure.

Needing an MT at that age/miles is odd too.

I'd put an LKQ engine in it and then unload it as fast as possible at the rate it's going.

Sorry for the bad news.
 
Its a 2.5 NA.

I have no idea if it is a known issue and seems odd to me. Know known cause. The MT however is known to be a weak link. The MT is a one piece transmission and front diff and the viscous coupling - essentially the center diff, is a common failure. Had I known this I wouldn't have specifically shopped for a MT.

What is LKQ? Is that a supplier or an acronym
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That is news to me and over the years I've owned several Subarus (In upstate NY its a REALLY popular car )


That is the first time I have heard of a block cracking.

Head gasket yes,very common but that's about it on the complaint list from most owners I know.
 
Originally Posted By: bvance554
While running oil just seems to come out of the block near the crankshaft position sensor. Terrible news. The mechanic said he will try to 'repair' it with some JB Weld, which we know is a temporary fix.


If the oil leak is coming from someplace that is not pressurized from the oiling system, then JB Weld may last a long time if the repair is done well (ie, clean all the oil off that area very well). I'd certainly try that fix first before going down the road of engine replacement.
 
No offense to the mechanic but i would seriously consider getting a second opinion.
I cant imagine it just developing a crack in the block after 185K out of the blue.
 
Originally Posted By: needsducktape
That is news to me and over the years I've owned several Subarus (In upstate NY its a REALLY popular car )


That is the first time I have heard of a block just cracking.

Head gasket yes,very common but that's about it on the complaint list from most owners I know.


I guess it's possible, but I agree, I've never heard of a cracked block in a Subaru. At least not without a rod sticking out of the block...
 
LKQ= Like Kind & Quality, they're a semi national junkyard chain/ parts finding organization.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
LKQ= Like Kind & Quality, they're a semi national junkyard chain/ parts finding organization.

That's also an auto-insurance-company term.

If your car is more than x-years old, they will pay for new repair parts that are not OE (factory), but are of "like kind and quality" to OE. That's a euphemism for "aftermarket".
 
Don't be so quick to give up on current engine, even with a JB Weld Fix. The soon to be famous "Luv" machine has been running for five years now on rod bearings that are held in place with JB Weld, (I know, knock on wood).

It's actually something you can do yourself. Simply purchase a package of JB Weld and follow the instructions. Make sure the area is super clean and that the metal is "roughed up" so that the product has something to "grab and hold," (you can do this with a dremel).

Be aware that when the product is first mixed, it is somewhat "loose" or "soupy" and will sag is the surface to be repaired is not horizontal. What I did was mix the product and then let it sit for about an hour till it had the consistency of playdough. Then I placed it between the rod caps and the bearings, (I had spun two rod bearings). Then I installed the caps, torqued to specs and let it sit for a week. Still running to this day.

The one thing that would concern me would be the crack growing. Usually, if there is a crack in the block, the first step in repair is to drill the end of the crack. Is this a possibility for your problem?

Regardless, it's worth a shot.

Another plus to doing this repair yourself is you can make sure it's done right and not just "slapped on" over not only the crack, but grease and dirt as well.

Best of luck
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One more thing, be sure to use the "original formula" as it has a higher heat tolerance. It takes longer to cure, (at least 24 hours), but you'll end up with a stronger fix.

As another word of encouragement, a buddy of mine fixed a crack in his transmission using JB Weld and drove the truck for years with no problems.
 
I'd have no problem if you can find someone to weld it up.... if its just a small crack of course. We weld cast AL at our shop as part of production but you have to have somebody that really knows how and take a few practice shots on some dummy material beforehand to make sure.
 
I've used JB a number of times over the years, but would have never thought to use it to 'recondition' a connecting rod!
 
Is it possible that the 'plug' that you had replaced to address your initial leak was the cam seal? If he only replaced one of them, the other may have just failed, replicating your leak in short order.

Did he actually show you the crack and the source of the leak?

Pics?
 
Sounds fishy to me. Typically blocks dont just crack and I havent heard of an issue. Head gaskets are a known issue so I'm wondering if the leak is coming from somewhere else and appears to be a cracked block. That said, there's nothing that says it couldn't be cracked, just unlikely.

Why don't you post on a Subaru group? Might get some great info there. Good luck!
 
Originally Posted By: FL_Rob
I'd have no problem if you can find someone to weld it up.... if its just a small crack of course. We weld cast AL at our shop as part of production but you have to have somebody that really knows how and take a few practice shots on some dummy material beforehand to make sure.



this is 100 times smarter than jb weld.
 
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