Impreza Engine Replacement - Part 3
Part 3 of an N part series Spoiler alert: It's in!
This is part 3 of a series, if you want to catch up: part 1 click here, part 2 click here
The engine is mounted in the car! After removing the engine, I was gassed so I decided to call it a day. So the next weekend was spent just removing the clutch. This allowed me to remove the flywheel so that I could get it resurfaced to comply with the warranty of the new clutch. Looked pretty good to me, but I'm not a machine with a tolerance of .0005 inch per inch of flywheel diameter.
With the flywheel resurfaced, the next weekend I installed the flywheel and new clutch and pressure plate. For preventative maintenance I replaced the rear main seal as well. Gave myself a scare when I used the seal removed and a foot long spring got pulled out. For a good minute I thought I pulled something important out of the engine until I looked at the new seal and saw a spring inside of it.
I was by myself but decided that I didn't want to hold up this project until I could find some help. So I wrapped the new engine with the lift sling and installed the engine myself. I thought I would be clever and change the extended length of the hoist to make it shorter when extended so I would have more space to maneuver. This backfired and I wasn't able to lift the engine over the front of the car. Reset the engine back onto the tire and then lifted again with the original length of the hoist. Now I was able to get the engine into the engine bay.
In order to align the engine with the transmission, I jacked up the transmission from underneath. Then inserted the two bolts that connect the engine to the transmission. I had to rotate the transmission splines a few times to get them to line up with the clutch. I think I spent a half hour to an hour trying to get the engine together with the transmission. I lost track of time and space while I was attempting this. So much so that I didn't even take any pictures of the process. Eventually though, the two started sliding together and I jumped for joy!
What's left? Install alternator, install radiator, connect cooling system hoses, connect fuel lines, add all the fluids, send it!