Old Subaru GL Coupe AWD...

[Heron McKeister]

Might be time to try some "snake oil" and see if it's gunk in the
lifters. Marvel Mystery Oil, ATF, or maybe try Auto-RX. The guys on
BITOG seem to think the latter is one of the few snake oil type products
that is actually worthwhile.

nate

What, Rislone is no longer on the menu?!

 

[Nate Nagel]

What, Rislone is no longer on the menu?!

You can use it if you like, makes no difference to me.

nate

 

[nobody >]

It is quite astounding how quickly the "HORRIBLE clacking noise" in your engine
turned from a bad thing to a good thing by simply changing the brand of filter.

-jim

STFU, Jim.

You had your say, and you blew it.

You haven't quite made it to the level of the "George Pickett Memorial
Trophy" level, but you are definitely trying.

(For those wondering what this is all about
http://www.coloneljake.com/AUK/AAD/)

 

[jim]

STFU, Jim.

You had your say, and you blew it.

There is nothing like poking a little fun at people's religious beliefs to get
them spinning in circles.....

 

[clare]

Sounds like you already know what the problem is. My guess is that you
don't want to spend the money to fix it. I wouldn't. I disliked the
Subaru wagon I used to have. That engine on that one was a dog. Every
time I would turn on the weak AC, the engine felt like it was losing
half it's power. Come to think of it, it probably was. Fortunately the
AC system went south soon after bringing an end to that little problem.
My gas mileage was something like 21 MPG tops. That sucks!

It broke one of the timing belts at 61K miles which was quite a
remarkable feat of engineering considering that they recommend that the
belts be changed at 60K. BTW, if your engine makes a funny scrapping
noise, my bet is that it's a frayed timing belt giving you some warning.
The later models probably have chains. Good idea.

Which engine is it - and what year?

 

[clare]

'89 1.8...um, EA82?

So it IS the OHC engine. Being a GL, up here it COULD have been an
EA81 - a much simpler engine. I'd suspect you hace lash adjuster
problems, and being in the US, with Marvel Mystery Oil readily
available at just about every WallMart I'd be throwing a can in to see
what happens. The stuff can do wonders with ratty lifters. I generally
recommend putting it in and driving it a couple hundred miles, then
doing an oil change and putting about 1/4 of a quart in the new oil.

I've put Ford Friction Modifier in an engine that had intermittent
noisy valve train (after the MMO cleanout) with good results too - the
lifters MIGHT have quieted down and behaved without - but seeing as
they hadn't up until then, I'd say it's a pretty good bet the stuff
helped.

 

[dsi1]

'89 1.8...um, EA82?

First check the oil pump. A leaking gasket to the engine could allow air
to get sucked into the lifters. If you change the gasket and still have
the problem, you might have a stuck valve in the line that lubricates
the cam that is not maintaining oil pressure to the lifters properly.
The fix involves removing and cleaning the valve and maybe attempting to
increase the tension on the spring or replace it. Here's a link that
outlines the procedure. I haven't done any of this myself but the fix to
this puzzling problem seems reasonably easy. Good luck!

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3517

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

First check the oil pump. A leaking gasket to the engine could allow air
to get sucked into the lifters. If you change the gasket and still have
the problem,

Did it in August, with a genuine Subaru part.

The old one was flatter than a pancake.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

First check the oil pump. A leaking gasket to the engine could allow air
to get sucked into the lifters. If you change the gasket and still have
the problem, you might have a stuck valve in the line that lubricates the
cam that is not maintaining oil pressure to the lifters properly. The fix
involves removing and cleaning the valve and maybe attempting to increase
the tension on the spring or replace it. Here's a link that outlines the
procedure. I haven't done any of this myself but the fix to this puzzling
problem seems reasonably easy. Good luck!

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3517

Interesting. Fairly easy, but it looks like it's going to snow for the
next month here...

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

31 November? On our planet it's:

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November...

I'm a bass player. We're completely different!

 

[Heron McKeister]

STFU, Jim.

You had your say, and you blew it.

You haven't quite made it to the level of the "George Pickett Memorial
Trophy" level, but you are definitely trying.

(For those wondering what this is all about
http://www.coloneljake.com/AUK/AAD/)

I'm sure we're all just on pins and needles, at the edge of
our seats with bated breath, anxiously awaiting the answer.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

also interesting to know and possibly helpful would be where the gauge was
tapped, e.g. in a head, right past the oil pump, other?

nate

To answer Ashton, oil pressure is a bit low. The clacking usually happens
after a longer run at higher speeds, when the oil p gets highr than around
town and then drops. If I run the car under 55 all day long it doesn't do
this.

The gauge is tapped near the oil pump. I had the pump off in August, and
it seemed in good shape, and I replaced the gasket.

 

[AMuzi]

I was in a 'rush' to put it on the road November 31 last year (er, 2008
that is...). Everything that went wrong, could. The insurance co sent the
wrong form, so naturally RMV would't accept it. A phone call to the ins co
got the right form, with the wrong town. It was a PDF, and a biotch to
edit. When I finally got the editing done, the printer kept jamming the
paper. After about 1.5 hours editing and printing, I went back to the RMV
and got the reg transferred. Something told me not to drive the car, but
what the hell?!?!

I went down to pick up the parts for the day's jobs (I'm a field tech for
Dell), and 2 blocks from the place the car coasts to a stop. I call the
DHL office to find out...NONE of my parts came in. I sat for 45 minutes
waiting in 38 degree cloudy weather for AAA to tow the thing. Luckily the
next three days were above 50 degrees and sunny, so I did my first timing
belt change. And marked the mileage so I know 50,000 miles later (if the
car LASTS that long) to change them BEFORE getting stuck!

And I know just the niose you're talking about!

I like the car. I wish it had the 4 speed AT, because on the highway...UGH!
But the tranny is the BEST thing in the car! The engine's good when it's
not clacking, but the body is going pretty quickly. I'm debating whether
to fix it or just let it go in the spring...when my Supra goes back on the
road...

31 November? On our planet it's:

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November...

 

[Ashton Crusher]

This is the vehicle that started the long-winded Fram filter discussion.

I have since changed to a Wix, and the oil pressure is up very slightly on
the gauge. But that's not what I came here to talk about today. I came to
talk about the draft.

Ooops...wrong song...

At any rate, it was running so well I decided to take it on a 70 mile
round trip up into Vermont. I was running a little behind for an
appointment, so I took the highway. Well, Saturday morning on a ski
weekend, if you dont' MOVE IT the weekend skiiers from NY and CT will run
you right off the road. So, I kept the speed to 60-62 MPH all the way up.

Thing ran GREAT until I went to get off the exit. When I took my foot off
the throttle and let it idle down going down the ramp, that HORRIBLE
clacking noise started again! It clacked and clattered all the rest of
the way (about 5 miles) and ALL the way home on the 'old' road, and then
for the next two weeks.

Last week it actually got up to 45 degrees, and I took it out for a spin,
and the clacking STOPPED. It does this...once it starts clacking, until
the temp gets above ~ 35 degrees or more it will keep clacking...

It finally stopped the day after Christmas and hasn't done it since. It's
running quite well.

Well, I usually keep the tanks in my cars full, or damn close to it, but
this time I let it run way, way down...it took 14 gallons to fill it. When
I ran the numbers I came up with 35.45 MPG!!!!

I have noticed this before...it usually gets about 27-30 MPG (overall)
until the clacking starts, then the economy goes UP!

Why?

Are you sure you have the right amount of oil in the engine AND that
it's not getting trapped up in the head? Your overall problem sounds
similar, but not exactly like, a 76 blazer I used to have. It didn't
use much oil around town but if I took it on the highway it would burn
off a quart or two very quickly, like a quart+ in 100 miles. So if it
had burned some around town and was already down a quart and I took it
on a 100 mile one-way trip, then about 60 miles into the way back it
would start that clacking noise from low oil pressure to the lifters
because it would be down to less then 3 quarts of oil in it. It was
also holding some oil up top because when I ran it at 80 and the
clacking started I could slow down to 55 and that lower engine speed
let enough oil drain down that the clacking would stop and I could
make it the last 40 miles home to add oil.

Now that I've typed that, I should have just asked you what your oil
pressure gauge shows when it starts this clacking. My gauge would
show major swings in pressure.

 

[Nate Nagel]

Are you sure you have the right amount of oil in the engine AND that
it's not getting trapped up in the head? Your overall problem sounds
similar, but not exactly like, a 76 blazer I used to have. It didn't
use much oil around town but if I took it on the highway it would burn
off a quart or two very quickly, like a quart+ in 100 miles. So if it
had burned some around town and was already down a quart and I took it
on a 100 mile one-way trip, then about 60 miles into the way back it
would start that clacking noise from low oil pressure to the lifters
because it would be down to less then 3 quarts of oil in it. It was
also holding some oil up top because when I ran it at 80 and the
clacking started I could slow down to 55 and that lower engine speed
let enough oil drain down that the clacking would stop and I could
make it the last 40 miles home to add oil.

Now that I've typed that, I should have just asked you what your oil
pressure gauge shows when it starts this clacking. My gauge would
show major swings in pressure.

also interesting to know and possibly helpful would be where the gauge
was tapped, e.g. in a head, right past the oil pump, other?

nate

 

[Ashton Crusher]

To answer Ashton, oil pressure is a bit low. The clacking usually happens
after a longer run at higher speeds, when the oil p gets highr than around
town and then drops. If I run the car under 55 all day long it doesn't do
this.

The gauge is tapped near the oil pump. I had the pump off in August, and
it seemed in good shape, and I replaced the gasket.

It might still be getting trapped up in the head at higher speeds but
I think you said it sometimes did it at low speeds too.

 

[N8N]

It might still be getting trapped up in the head at higher speeds but
I think you said it sometimes did it at low speeds too.

Keep in mind we're talking about a Scoobaru, there's no "up" for the
heads

You may still be right, might be worth popping the valve covers and
running a long drill bit down the return passages, if a) that's easy
to do and b) there's such a passage on a Scooby and it doesn't rely on
pushrod tubes or similar for oil return (are they still OHV? or did
they go OHC now?)

nate

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

It might still be getting trapped up in the head at higher speeds but I
think you said it sometimes did it at low speeds too.

Once it's trapped, it generally stays there until it gets warmer.

I generally don't run this car after April, because I transfer the plate
to my Supra. I made the switch earlier this year because the Supra needs
some suspension work, so I started the Soob earlier than usual. I didn't
take it on the highway until after the weather turned cold...

I think this is it's last year. I opened the passenger's door and saw near
the hinges that I was looking at the inner firewall...

Shame, I like this car. If I can fix it cheap, I might, but it's starting
to get REALLY rusty...

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

There's no "up" for anything else, either. Of course, then again, U R A
Bus.



My 85 Subaru was an OHC - which I think, makes more sense on an inline
engine or in a Porsche 6. Some Subarus had DOHCs. What a waste of cammage!

I have three Toyota DOHCs. Not a waste of cammage, since it's an easy way
to get more power out of a small engine.

 

[dsi1]

Keep in mind we're talking about a Scoobaru, there's no "up" for the
heads

There's no "up" for anything else, either. Of course, then again, U R A
Bus.

You may still be right, might be worth popping the valve covers and
running a long drill bit down the return passages, if a) that's easy
to do and b) there's such a passage on a Scooby and it doesn't rely on
pushrod tubes or similar for oil return (are they still OHV? or did
they go OHC now?)

My 85 Subaru was an OHC - which I think, makes more sense on an inline
engine or in a Porsche 6. Some Subarus had DOHCs. What a waste of
cammage!