This is how to remove the rocker assemblies from the heads of a 2006 Subaru Impreza. Thanks for watching and hopefully this will help you out somehow. God Bless!
I appreciate that you made this video and please take this comment as a constructive criticism. This is not the correct way to remove and replace the intake rocker shaft and is more difficult than doing it the correct way. There are 2 torsion springs on each intake shaft that should be unloaded before removing the bolts. Another video shows using a 4mm socket and extension to accomplish this in place of the Subaru Special Service Tool. With the torsion springs unloaded you are not fighting the VVT intake rockers to get back into position. Doing it this way makes it easier to keep the little pistons between the rockers oriented properly during assembly. Once the bolts for the intake rocker shaft are run down retensioning the torsion springs is not that difficult.
Thank you for clarifying that. I'm by no means an experienced auto mechanic. I feel my way around most mechanical things through common sense and that sometimes means I don't know the correct way but rather just a way that happens to work. Thanks for commenting. It's truly appreciated!
Thanks for this. I am currently doing head gasket and timing on a 2009 outback. I want to replace the valves seals and lap the valves. I looked at the rocker assembly and was like well thats different than what I am used to.... lol.. So off to look for a video. Service manual can only tell you so much. Its nice sometimes to see a video. Thanks again!
Shop manual tells you to release the spring tension by bending the tabs holding the springs out of the way. Easiest way is to just push the pins in, hold constant pressure on the rockers with your forearm and hand and walk the bolts in until the whole assembly pops down into place.
Thanks to you, i was able to navigate through some uncharted waters! What a relief! Bank one is now complete, bank two for tomorrow. The trick is also in the glue set-up time followed by NO distractions of any kind. I used a non-marring dash panel tool to keep those pins in line. Thanks again for your "lift assistance," and may God bless you too!
I'm glad you were successful! If I'm correct, you're referring to the cam carrier or hold down plate thingy and the sealant that goes underneath it? That was stressful for me too. I'm happy to report that after many miles of driving on these heads, there's no leaks anywhere. I used ultra black rtv. But yes, no distractions is key. Once you start that process theres no turning back. Thanks for the comment!
Great video man, thanks! Got a pair I'm working on right now, and the shop manual instructions seemed a little less than clear regarding those springs. A tip I learned from a couple of other videos -- use a 4mm socket with an extension on it. The socket fits almost perfectly over the little vertical spring tab. Use the extension then as a lever to move the spring slightly toward the cam and a little to the side to release it from the stop. It can then gently be brought to rest toward the back (away from cam) of its housing. Reverse the process during installation to position it back into the stop again.
Hey, thanks for this. I appreciate your calm, humble, no-nonsense vibe very much. I was also struggling a bit getting the intake rocker back on, and watched this video which did in fact serve to be reassuring, and let me re-focus my attention in a more productive way. Such that, in fact, I figured out the trick to it: There is too much tension on those main rocker springs to do the job safely and comfortably, and as you so nicely put it "if it feels like something's wrong, it probably is" - the trick is to release the spring pressure by slipping the spring stopper off on side of the spring. After that it's a walk in the park, and its quite easy to push the spring back over the "hook" on the stopper after the shaft is bolted down. Cheers!
Thank you so much for this comment. It really means a lot to me. I'm happy this video turned out to be something beneficial to other people and not just to myself. Great feedback Cheers to you as well!
Nice video you dint carry on with a hole lot of stuff we did not need and you explain it clear in terms anybody could understand well done and thank you
Have seen a few videos on this. Yours went together alot easier than others. I have done these a few times and never been as easy as yours went together.
why not just release the spring tension from the little clip? Then use a screwdriver or other pry tool to attach the clip back to the pin that normally holds it? This way seems a lot more dangerous and difficult with the tension on the rocker.
I think the only difference would be that I highly doubt the 01 foresters had variable valve lift. This essentially means the intake side of the assembly wont have the funny spring doodads with the little pins that can fall out. When taking your intake rockers off, it would be just like the exhaust side of the head shown here in the video.
I don't think it necessarily has to be in any particular position but I think it would be easiest to tighten the bolts down when the cam is not applying pressure to the rockers.
There are shops around the country that specialize in particular heads. Some of which are subaru heads. Maybe try calling one of them and see if they have a source.
I don't remember specifically what brand they were but I do know they were "MLS" or multi layer steel and I ordered them from Rock Auto. There are some major brands like Six Star that I'm sure work well and are very dependable. I didn't spend a lot on the ones I got. They were pretty much mid-grade.
No. The motor was out of the car at this point. I removed the head then removed the rockers. The machine shop would have done all this for me for a little extra but I wanted to do it myself to prove my doubts wrong. :)
I appreciate that you made this video and please take this comment as a constructive criticism. This is not the correct way to remove and replace the intake rocker shaft and is more difficult than doing it the correct way.
There are 2 torsion springs on each intake shaft that should be unloaded before removing the bolts. Another video shows using a 4mm socket and extension to accomplish this in place of the Subaru Special Service Tool. With the torsion springs unloaded you are not fighting the VVT intake rockers to get back into position. Doing it this way makes it easier to keep the little pistons between the rockers oriented properly during assembly. Once the bolts for the intake rocker shaft are run down retensioning the torsion springs is not that difficult.
Thank you for clarifying that. I'm by no means an experienced auto mechanic. I feel my way around most mechanical things through common sense and that sometimes means I don't know the correct way but rather just a way that happens to work. Thanks for commenting. It's truly appreciated!
Thanks for this. I am currently doing head gasket and timing on a 2009 outback. I want to replace the valves seals and lap the valves. I looked at the rocker assembly and was like well thats different than what I am used to.... lol.. So off to look for a video. Service manual can only tell you so much. Its nice sometimes to see a video. Thanks again!
Shop manual tells you to release the spring tension by bending the tabs holding the springs out of the way. Easiest way is to just push the pins in, hold constant pressure on the rockers with your forearm and hand and walk the bolts in until the whole assembly pops down into place.
ya thats def the "correct" way to do it. let the spring tension out before you bolt it down
That's my technic
Thanks to you, i was able to navigate through some uncharted waters! What a relief! Bank one is now complete, bank two for tomorrow. The trick is also in the glue set-up time followed by NO distractions of any kind. I used a non-marring dash panel tool to keep those pins in line. Thanks again for your "lift assistance," and may God bless you too!
I'm glad you were successful! If I'm correct, you're referring to the cam carrier or hold down plate thingy and the sealant that goes underneath it? That was stressful for me too. I'm happy to report that after many miles of driving on these heads, there's no leaks anywhere. I used ultra black rtv. But yes, no distractions is key. Once you start that process theres no turning back. Thanks for the comment!
Great video man, thanks! Got a pair I'm working on right now, and the shop manual instructions seemed a little less than clear regarding those springs.
A tip I learned from a couple of other videos -- use a 4mm socket with an extension on it. The socket fits almost perfectly over the little vertical spring tab. Use the extension then as a lever to move the spring slightly toward the cam and a little to the side to release it from the stop. It can then gently be brought to rest toward the back (away from cam) of its housing.
Reverse the process during installation to position it back into the stop again.
Hey, thanks for this. I appreciate your calm, humble, no-nonsense vibe very much. I was also struggling a bit getting the intake rocker back on, and watched this video which did in fact serve to be reassuring, and let me re-focus my attention in a more productive way. Such that, in fact, I figured out the trick to it: There is too much tension on those main rocker springs to do the job safely and comfortably, and as you so nicely put it "if it feels like something's wrong, it probably is" - the trick is to release the spring pressure by slipping the spring stopper off on side of the spring. After that it's a walk in the park, and its quite easy to push the spring back over the "hook" on the stopper after the shaft is bolted down. Cheers!
Thank you so much for this comment. It really means a lot to me. I'm happy this video turned out to be something beneficial to other people and not just to myself. Great feedback Cheers to you as well!
Nice video you dint carry on with a hole lot of stuff we did not need and you explain it clear in terms anybody could understand well done and thank you
Great! Im glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting.
great video. used it to prep for my project. Thanks
Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks so much for this video
Have seen a few videos on this. Yours went together alot easier than others. I have done these a few times and never been as easy as yours went together.
Extremely valuable info, thank you.
Subaru makes a special tool to hold the intake rockers
I created my own special custom tool .....it's called the junk yard
Thanks bro for the video😊
Great video. Very helpful. Keep it up. Cheers!
Thank you!
why not just release the spring tension from the little clip? Then use a screwdriver or other pry tool to attach the clip back to the pin that normally holds it? This way seems a lot more dangerous and difficult with the tension on the rocker.
Thanks for this!
This should be the same process for an '01 Forester right? I think both the Forester and the Impreza had very similar engines, the ej251 and ej253
I think the only difference would be that I highly doubt the 01 foresters had variable valve lift. This essentially means the intake side of the assembly wont have the funny spring doodads with the little pins that can fall out. When taking your intake rockers off, it would be just like the exhaust side of the head shown here in the video.
ledsledben ok, thanks
What happens if you just take the bolts out in any order and not so it this way?
thank you!!!!!
No wonder my pins are not aligned with the rockers and my valves are coming off uneven when I turn the camshaft
Thank you
So how did the car run after it was put together??
So On reassembly, go side to side slowly working the pins back in one by one? Side to side?
Does the cam have to be in any particular position when tightening the bolts down?
I don't think it necessarily has to be in any particular position but I think it would be easiest to tighten the bolts down when the cam is not applying pressure to the rockers.
Ok thank you for the reply.
So has anyone lost a spring from one of the hydraulic rods? If so, where do you find a replacement?
There are shops around the country that specialize in particular heads. Some of which are subaru heads. Maybe try calling one of them and see if they have a source.
which head gasket did you go back with?
I don't remember specifically what brand they were but I do know they were "MLS" or multi layer steel and I ordered them from Rock Auto. There are some major brands like Six Star that I'm sure work well and are very dependable. I didn't spend a lot on the ones I got. They were pretty much mid-grade.
Did you remove the rocker assembly before you removed the cylinder head?
No. The motor was out of the car at this point. I removed the head then removed the rockers. The machine shop would have done all this for me for a little extra but I wanted to do it myself to prove my doubts wrong. :)
You doing it wrong!!!
This is a valid point.
Thanks for this video!
Hopefully you found it helpful! I'm glad you came across it
ledsledben I did, thank you. Those intake rockers threw me off, they way they fight you, your explanation was very helpful