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We prefer the Amsoil 5w40 Euro full SAPS for Subaru engines. They don't consume it as easily and it provides excellent high pressure protection for Subaru's narrow rod bearings. As far as break-in...... we don't believe in it AT ALL. First off there should be NO metal to metal contact with the exception of some ring seating that takes place..... on the first revolution of the engine it is "breaking in" and on the second it is "wearing out"...... that has been our experience. We build high performance Subaru engines, we heat cycle them a few times, and then they drive about 50-100 feet over to the dyno bay where our tuner drives them on the rollers for about 5-10 miles and then goes to full power at WOT. "Break-in" is a CYA on the part of the engine builder. If the engine fails they are hoping that the customer being "gentle" with it will result is less collateral damage. Break in is something that has not been applicable to internal combustion engine construction since the 1970's and at this point is absolutely an "old wives tale". What "limitations" are placed on your driving habits of a brand new vehicle? None right? Exactly.......... And we have been doing this for ~40 years combined experience with ZERO customer complaints. Take it or leave it. GD

did you make sure the tranny and the rear diff matched (final drive ratio) if not, then yeah, you have a pretty serious problem

That’s too bad it wasn’t thr tensioner. that it’s been apart before with past valve work is suspicious. It’s usually the rear (#3 and #5) exhaust valves that are problematic or prone to resulting in a burnt valve. But if they’ve all been apart before that can expand failure mode stats Maybe look into the symptoms of a dropped valve guide?

Just looks like an old belt, to me. Certainly time to change it. But if it were really rubbing, it would be far more badly damaged. That just looks like the scuffing from the crank guide. Aisin tensioner, Mitsuboshi belt, and Koyo or NSK idlers only for me.

Rod knock comes from connecting rods, not pushrods. EJ251 is not a rotary engine, so they absolutely do have rods.

The EJ251 doesn't have rods, it has rockers that contact the cam lobes and valves directly: But yes I agree it sounds like an engine mechanical sound. I just don't get why it takes so long to develop when driving. That part makes me wonder if it could be an external component like a pulley or an electronic component, but the noise is definitely mechanical. Maybe i just need to pull the valve covers off and look at it while rotating the crankshaft or something. I'd like to try your test with the oil pressure gauge. However the noise mostly only occurs on the freeway, and certainly only when moving. No engine load when at idle so no sound. =( Still I'm glad to know that it wouldn't be a timing belt tensioner. That's my # 1 fear. I've already replaced all the valves in this engine once when the belt snapped in 2015.

Mud guard in Aussie terminology = fender in US terminology Good effort and the extra effort to clean the interior out was a great decision. The wiring looks pretty tidy which is what you want. Keep up the good effort, it’s not far off now! Next: NA turbo conversion Cheers Bennie