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SeriousSubaru
11-09-2012, 01:05 AM
Ok this is a complicated one because I don't have easy problems.
I did a little google searching but the problems i found all were a little different then mine in the important ways.
1998 legacy L 2.2e manual w/195xxx miles.

I was coming up the highway tonight (not)racing an RSX. When the car coughed and went into limp mode when I was running about 4200rpm in 5th. Typical limp senerio where there is not much power but the engine was still running. Costed in gear off to my exit out of the way. Oil pressure light came on but not when it coughed but as it was coasting, the CEL also started flashing.
I read the OBDII when I got to the side of the road and it was reporting #1 and #2 missfire, that's it.

When I tried to start it on the side of the road it will not start. The starter cranks but the engine wont turn over. My first gut feeling was oil starvation and spun bearing because it keeps happening to my friends with their inferior motors. However oil level is good and I just changed it last Wednesday.

Oh yeah about last week... this might be important... I hydro-locked my engine in a huge ass puddle.
However we pushed it into a lot and got all of the water out of the engine after much work and then I changed the "oil" the next morning. It has been fine all week. I did the air filter, the oil filter and the oil. Ran oil through the engine to clean out was left and filled her up. Everything has been ducky.

Earlier this week I replaced the Idle air control solenoid because it had gotten a lot of water in it and was acting a little funky and the idle wasn't great. The new(used) one is doing ok, just needs to be adjusted a little bit to let some more air in.

So tonight I checked the main engine ground, the spark plug wires to make sure they were tight. Didn't see any corrosion on any of the grounds, I just added some extra ground wires a few weeks ago so everything was cleaned up. Checked the battery connection it is fine, everything electrically other then the motor works.
We can smell lots of unburned fuel in the exhaust when we go to start it so the engine is getting fuel.
So I think I narrowed it down to something ignition. Just don't know what. The two spare coilpacks I had at my disposal were not the right genders so i will have to try my buddies tomorrow morning (same car)
Also we just cleaned the maf when I put the stock air intake back together.

So any ideas for those willing to read that? Its in the low 30's outside right now so I wont dick with it until the morning but I figured I would start at the computer.

r3v_v3ng3
11-09-2012, 01:14 AM
So it seems like it cranks
Its getting fuel
Do you have a spark tester?
Also check and make sure all your fuse is good

SeriousSubaru
11-09-2012, 11:48 AM
well I think I found part of my problem... I don't know how it happened so instantaneously. It looks like full on head gasket failure so far. The dipstick has way way way too much fluid on it and there doesn't seem to be any coolant in the radiator.

Also I got it to run(rough) for about 2.5-3 seconds before it stalled again so most of the parts were working.

SeriousSubaru
11-09-2012, 04:46 PM
well, crushed spark plug, metal and coolant in the timing cover and intake manifold, metal in the cylinders, piston 1 not connected to the crank. Oil and water pump are still good though and cant find a hole in the block yet.

tnrknght
11-09-2012, 05:38 PM
I also have a 1998 L wagon, whats the manufacturing date on yours? Im currently in the process of a heart transplant if you need a donor motor. Granted it has 241k on it and the keyway is notched out on the crank (my excuse to finally do a swap) but it still got me to work every day until I parked it. Im in springfield ma if you need anything.

SeriousSubaru
11-10-2012, 01:06 PM
I also have a 1998 L wagon, whats the manufacturing date on yours? Im currently in the process of a heart transplant if you need a donor motor. Granted it has 241k on it and the keyway is notched out on the crank (my excuse to finally do a swap) but it still got me to work every day until I parked it. Im in springfield ma if you need anything.
Yours should work, I don't think the revisions came until the end of '99. I am interested in picking that up, I haven't heard any other offers yet. and worse case I'll swap my crank on.

NickTej22
11-10-2012, 11:52 PM
Sounds like a coolant temp sensor.

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2

SeriousSubaru
11-11-2012, 12:07 AM
My #2 piston is missing and #1 connecting rod is somwhere in the oilpan. Yeah I found my problem. It actually ran for a few seconds yesterday.. With 2 cylinders! Ill have some pictures up soon, the level of destruction is increadable. Both block halves are ruined and at least one head is trashed. The othwr has minor pitting in one o two spots.

tnrknght
11-11-2012, 01:37 AM
Sent you an email on the motor which finally just got pulled out tonight

SeriousSubaru
11-13-2012, 09:27 AM
Ok here are the pictures of why my engine didn't start and died

Here is cylinder #1 after I got the piston out
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/11/18192_10151278837582527_93816609_n-1.jpg

the chunk next to the rod cap is the only part of piston #2 i have recovered so far
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/11/189665_10151278838657527_755709734_n-2.jpg

Here is what I found when I took the head off, this is cylinder #2. The piston is gone. I did remove the chunks of the cylinder wall, they were still there.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/11/308833_10151278838427527_944996016_n-2.jpg

Here you see the aftermath on the block of the piston escaping
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/11/416982_10151278838537527_1845375976_n-1.jpg

here you can clearly not see the two exhaust valves
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/11/543148_10151278839417527_999077519_n-1.jpg

the rod is jammed up in the piston, i haven't been able to pry it out yet
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/11/559311_10151278837837527_347411549_n-1.jpg

here you can see that the magnet on the drain plug was hard at work and caught a nut
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/11/68219_10151278838827527_376304725_n-1.jpg

harrymaneuvers
11-13-2012, 10:43 AM
That must have sounded like hell!!!!! At least you got to the bottom of it before wasting money on easy fixes.

tnrknght
11-13-2012, 01:08 PM
Howd things turn out with that donor motor? Is she rollin yet?

SeriousSubaru
11-16-2012, 10:51 AM
Howd things turn out with that donor motor? Is she rollin yet?
well it is in, took too long, little bit the block little bit other distractions. Should be up and driving in an hour or so. I didn't notice the broken bolt for the starter :-P
Also the key ways was fairly messed up so we welded the key in place.

Dead91silvia
11-16-2012, 06:39 PM
Nice! That looks like the motor I pulled out of my 2000 GT. It was knocking and what not. It was a bit like that... Still ran and drove... kinda sorta.. haha

tnrknght
11-17-2012, 10:33 PM
I didn't notice the broken bolt for the starter :-POh wow I completely forgot about that, I had a lag bolt holding my starter in as a last resort a while back.