Hi Guys I have just purchased my first Subaru turbo.

Hi Jason welcome to S.O.C 

Feel free to have a look around the forums and join in. And if you get chance we all love seeing car pictures here :D 

Thanks mate will, do......I wonder if anyone can help,i went out in it tonight in it and I seem to have a knocking noise, the oil light comes on at idle, and the oil level is very high and reeks of petrol...

Could be a few things Pistons might have gone making it knock and smell. But I would say it's been running rich maybe needed mapping or a map sorted if it's been modded. But classic shapes have been known to suffer leaky injector seals that would let fuel into the Oil making it smell. is the knocking really bad, if you could get a video of the sound put on youtube and share it here so we can hear it might be able to narrow it down better. Just hope it's not bigend failure :( But could be a bit of piston slap 

Wotcha and welcome - as Gambit says, a vid may help, and some photos would be great

Hello and welcome Jason

Hi guys, thanks for your replies, just an update, The knocking noise is very random, and is more of a loud tapping very intermittent, a quick rev and its quiet, but then it comes back, no more fuel smell after backing off the bov, oil light on at idle but oil is black and thin so new oil and filter tomorrow, no over heating and no smoke....any ideas would be greatly appreciated....Thanks all...Jase

complete the service and see if it goes it could well be the oil is not lubing the valves and cams as it should be given what you have said

Hi all....I thought I would risk giving my son a lift home tonight and yes you guessed it......bang and the most horrible noise of metal on metal I have ever heard, screeching, I pulled over and stopped...I was only 5 mins a way and managed to limp home....I would say the engine is toast and the previous owner knew...my dilemma is I have only had the car a week but in that week I have NEVER had so much fun in a car in my life and I am 40, so I want it fixed....does anyone know roughly how much it would cost.....thanks Jase

Sorry to hear mate :( I hate people that sell on cars with known faults  but I guess if it's bigends you never really know when they will go.

I'm guessing bigends gone 2nd time I've said that today, but unsure on both depends on what need's doing to repair it but as a guess around £1.200 mark :( so not an ideal cost this close to christmas :(

Does it sound like this ? 

Gambit omg exactly like that 100%....Whats the damage do you think mate...

I find this the best way to show people what it is this.

 

 

I wouldn't drive it at all until it's fixed and when getting it towed make sure all four wheels are off the ground i.e on a flatbed truck. And you can't really say what damage it would have done until it's all out :( Hopefully you wasn't giving it any big licks when it went 

Ouch...no I was only doing 40mph, would a new engine be cheaper than a repair....

Said this many times before it would be a risk it's like buying another car you don't know how badly the engine was treated. But yes might be a bit cheaper say £600 for a 2nd hand one P&P I would say be £50+ and £200+ for fitting maybe if you know someone. But then it could go again at least if you have had it done and you let it warm up before giving it a boost and cool down and treat her with good service when it needs it, it should last ages. But I understand it's not a cheap repair either :( But I would for my own peace of mind try get it repaired. :)

Thanks Gambit for all your help and advice, and I will take it down the repair route as I think it is well worth it just for the grin factor alone....I will keep you all posted on cost and work done, forged internals etc as I do mean to spend some cash on it...wish me luck as I delve into to the know "repair" world of owning a Subaru after only 1 week lol.....I have to laugh or ill cry :(

No problem at all mate. And hope it all goes well I'm sure it will be fine, and we are all here to help if you need some more advice. I just think everyone's all gone to the pub tonight and not invited me bit quiet on here :) 

But keep us posted on how it goes may help others if they have a problem. 

Let me know if you need a hand twirling the spanners as Im local to yourself

Thanks Jay,I appreciate it, do you know of anyone who can repair it for me as a temp measure to get me through xmas.... :)

if the main bearings have gone it needs either a rebuild or engine replacement

 

the engine replacement is quicker as you change it one for one then you can rebuild at your lesuire

 

unfortunately there is no temp fix which will allow you to drive with the existing situation.

 

you can gamble on something like this - Brum not being too far away

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-Impreza-2-0-WRX-Turbo-Engine-/261337683178?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3cd8f094ea

 

or less of a gamble is something like these with £50 delivery

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUBARU-IMPREZA-WRX-ENGINE-EJ20-2-0-TURBO-REMANUFACTURED-/221039413783?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3ASubaru|Model%3AImpreza|Cars+Type%3A2.0+Turbo+4WD&hash=item3376f9ca17

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUBARU-IMPREZA-WRX-STI-ENGINE-EJ20-TURBO-STI-2-0-TURBO-REMANUFACTURED-/221039396785?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3ASubaru|Model%3AImpreza|Cars+Type%3A2.0+Turbo+4WD&hash=item3376f987b1

If it sounds like the video I posted it's well gone. Like Jays said either a rebuild or swap mate :( 

30 day warrenty on this one - located in Warwick

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-Impreza-Forrester-Legacy-WRX-EJ20-Engine-recon-Warranty-/261336607456?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Cars+Year%3A1997|Model%3AImpreza|Cars+Type%3A2.0+Turbo+GT+4WD&hash=item3cd8e02ae0

Thanks Jay....there's some food for thought.....how hard is it to swap one out....?

this could be a baseline for future mods

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUBARU-IMPREZA-EJ20-FORGED-BOTTOM-END-ENGINE/181271878080?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D286%26meid%3D3068468075892758438%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1048%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D261336607456%26

 

its not too bad dependant on your experience etc - there are complete videos on ebay showing how to do it and members on here have done several times

Thanks guys, I will see what my bank balance says this side of xmas, :(  I would rather wait and have a shiny new engine :D if so I recon a trip to argos for a nice car cover is in order....ill keep you posted....

part 1 and 2

 

 

 

useful tip for separating gearbox and engine