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So as some of you may have noticed, I've being advertising an ej25 sohc outback that was going to be used in my brumby. It was bought approx this time last year, and I was running it every week or so for months. Then I got lax and let it sit for 3-4 months.

Went to start it as someone wanted to inspect, and the bastard wouldn't fire!
It was turning over but only just, at first I suspected battery so put a new one in, that didn't help. Then I just tried jumping it with the new battery but no joy. Suspected starter to banged that a bit whilst cranking no joy. No idea how the starter could die just from sitting anyway?

So then I pulled out the spark plug rubber connectors and a lot of oil was in there!

Car is low kilometres and good compression, just being sitting for awhile.

Any ideas what the hell this is? My next port of call was to remove all plugs and turn it over to see if the starters stuffed?

Thoughts from a helpful forum member so far are:

On the older EJ25s the oil accumulates because of the angle of the spakplug hole it seeps out of the rocker gasket over time and runs down into the plug hole.

the rocker gaskets are 2 parts on the newer outbacks one big gasket for the outer seal and a small one for the seal around the sparkplug when these leak they fill the spark plug hole

either way it looks to be a leaking rocker gasket

as for the hard to turn over part how long has it been since the battery was at full charge?

The battery isn't an issue because I've changed it and tried running it off another running car. Does a leaking rocker gasket really make the car unstartable?

How much of a pain is this to fix and any other theories?
It's annoying as I need to sell it lol.

Cheers,
Jesse.

Stuck injectors?

Gannon wrote:Stuck injectors?

Yep, I reckon that too. Had it happen with my L-Series and seen it with a wrx halfcut that had been sitting for months.

But why would that stop it from turning over? It would obviously not give fuel but should still turn over at normal speed?

Have you removed the plugs and cranked the engine without plugs in it?

(since you found the oil problem)

TOONGA

B00sting wrote:It was turning over but only just, at first I suspected battery so put a new one in, that didn't help

B00sting wrote:But why would that stop it from turning over? It would obviously not give fuel but should still turn over at normal speed?

You already stated that it was turning over.. that's why people thought it might injectors stopping it from running.

Most likely your battery is completely dead and connecting another battery is only going to give you 1/2 the power needed. You're best removing the dead battery altogether and fitting a good known one PLUS jumping it with another running car (by running I mean the engine is running whilst you jump start the other one). I know you have said you tried with another battery.. was the other battery new?

Another thing to check is the battery leads are all in good nick and still connected correctly. Main problem I find is when the earth lead to the main bellhousing bolt/connection is off, you'll get a back feed of earth fronm other places, causing it to not get full flow.

As for the oil leaks from the rocker cover, this is normal for the later EJ25 SOHC engines and will not cause it to fail (not run). Best to clean it out though and replace ASAP.

Does the engine turn over ok by hand?

Maybe one or more cylinders has fluid (oil, fuel or coolant) in it.

I am holding my hand up as to being confused as to whether the starter turns over at all, or not fast enough, or engine just don't plain start, as in in it spins over at nice sped but just won't fire? Surprised no one has suggested belting the bejeesus out of the starter to see if that improves things to get it spinning nice. Then there is aerostart to shove down the intake to tickle things - very good hair removal technique if you get a backfire

steptoe wrote:Surprised no one has suggested belting the bejeesus out of the starter to see if that improves things to get it spinning nice.

B00sting wrote:Suspected starter to banged that a bit whilst cranking no joy. No idea how the starter could die just from sitting anyway?

Apparently already tried

littlewhiteute wrote:Does the engine turn over ok by hand?

Maybe one or more cylinders has fluid (oil, fuel or coolant) in it.

TOONGA wrote:Have you removed the plugs and cranked the engine without plugs in it?

(since you found the oil problem)

TOONGA

+1 bump

the starter stator and rotor could be full of carbon stopping it from working

TOONGA

if it had fluid in the cylinder it would most likely not crank at all (done it before). Probably just cranking a little bit slower because all the oil has run out of the bores. Pulling out the plugs and manually squirting some oil into the cylinders would probably remedy the cranking situation. As far as not starting? have you checked you got spark? If you got spark, as Steptoe said, a bit of start-ya-basted down her throat should get her chuffing. You can also check to see if the injectors are firing by sticking the butt of a screwdriver up against your ear and the pointy end on the injector. The ticking of it firing will be pretty definitive. My thoughts anyway. If no spark or fuel I really have no idea .

Regards

Doug

Usually the oil is on the outside of the plugs (on these EJ25 SOHC), so removing the plugs will allow this oil to go inside the engine.

Really?? so how do you change the plugs??? sounds like a prick!

Subydoug wrote:Really?? so how do you change the plugs??? sounds like a prick!

Just like normal but what you might not know, is the later EJ25 has a very large rocker cover that covers pretty much the complete side of the head, then using tubes down to each spark plug. On the tube is a gasket/seal that stops the engine oil entering this tube but as the engines get older, the seals leak and allow the oil to run down the inside of the tube, thus when you put the spark plug lead out, it's 9 times out of 10 covered it oil. I recommend this gets cleaned out before removing the spark plug.

I can't see this oil creating this 'slow cranking' but you never know

TOONGA wrote:+1 bump

the starter stator and rotor could be full of carbon stopping it from working

TOONGA

So, a bigger hammer ??

steptoe wrote:So, a bigger hammer ??

Nope a complete strip down and wash with brake cleaner, regrease the bearings and reduction gears (if it has them) inspect brushes and replace if to warn. leave the soleniod alone unless it has failed. then put it back together and it should start the engine way easier.

TOONGA

So.... the problem was... JUMPER LEADS!
The jumper leads weren't supplying enough voltage to start the car, problem solved. Slightly embarassing! Car fired straight away with different jumper leads!

I have to thank forum member tambox for discovering this for me today! Legend!