ea82 valve tick

[Rust]

I replaced the oil pump gasket, engine still has massive valve ticking. I have a parts engine, and a complete motor. Which would be easier replacing the heads on the motor in the car, or just swap the whole motor? Car is getting 45 oil pressure according to dash guage. If I need to pull the motor to do the heads, I might as well put in my spare motor. Either way its a lot of work, just need an idea of what will be easier.

[NoahDL88]

Have you tried the usual additions of marvel mystery oil to the engine oil?

[idosubaru]

Yeah I'd try MMO or Seafoam first.

 

If that didn't work I'd dump ATF in the oil. I've driven around a week before with like 2 or 3 quarts of ATF in the oil to free up sticking HLA's.

 

I doubt changing the oil will help unless the oil is terribly old. I've never seen oil changes be more than coincidental or temporary, *if* it works it'll be ticking again sometime in the future.

 

I've seen frozen HLA's in engines that have been overheated before, was this one ever run hot? The frozen HLA's wouldn't free up and wouldn't even compress with a vice.

 

Personally if you're going to fix it I'd swap heads. EA82's are really easy to swap heads on without removing the engine. Others on here love pulling motors, but I find it takes longer. I also have air tools so all the cam and head bolts zip right out.

[ruparts]

I replaced the oil pump gasket, engine still has massive valve ticking. I have a parts engine, and a complete motor. Which would be easier replacing the heads on the motor in the car, or just swap the whole motor? Car is getting 45 oil pressure according to dash guage. If I need to pull the motor to do the heads, I might as well put in my spare motor. Either way its a lot of work, just need an idea of what will be easier.

 

hi, i had a car that kept on clacking after a reseal job,, i eventually found a chunk of silicone in a oil passage in the cam case. there is a brass restrictor pressed in the oil passage of the cam case, and it traps anything bigger than a pencil lead , the portion of the oil passage is between the cam and the head surface, you have to remove the cam case and the cam to clear it out. its not only once, i have found this same blockage in several ea-82 motors so it could be the trouble on this one. i had to learn the hard way and only found this after a lot of examination of the oil system passages, its a good chance yours is partially blocked, the symptoms sound just the same.

[HILLBILLYHARLOT]

Mine has a valve tick when cold, and this morning it started to knock. anyone have a guesstimate as to how long I have till I throw a rod??!! I don't want to put money into the car now that I found this knock, it's an 86 GL with an EA82, carbourated....and a total pain in my arse....oh, and *highjack*

[GeneralDisorder]

Mine has a valve tick when cold, and this morning it started to knock. anyone have a guesstimate as to how long I have till I throw a rod??!! I don't want to put money into the car now that I found this knock, it's an 86 GL with an EA82, carbourated....and a total pain in my arse....oh, and *highjack*

 

It's just complaining that it wants the oil changed. Add a quart of Rislone or ATF in place of a quart of oil. When the ticking gets real loud it often sounds like a knock. Chances are there is nothing wrong with the botton end and it will not be throwing a rod. That is a very rare occurance.

 

GD

[Rene]

At EA82 engines the hydraulic tappets can be polluted…

That explained it ticks

[Rust]

Thanxs for the feedback. If there is a blockage issue why would both heads be ticking? Once the heads are removed from the engine is there a way to check the oil flow/pressure before re-bolting new heads? Id hate to re-do the heads only to find there is a blockage somewhere in the engine case.

[idosubaru]

EA82/ER27 ticking sounds horrible when really bad, not far from sounding like a knock.

 

you said you replaced the oil pump "gasket", is that it? There's technically 4 steps to resealing and EA82 oil pump.

 

mickey mouse gasket, the shaft seal, an oring, and you're supposed to put tiny dabs of anaerobic sealant at the top and bottom of the oil pump at 12 noon and 6 oclock due to imperfections where the two block halves come together. The last step is probably the least important and i wonder how many folks skip it.

 

You might need a new oil pump. I've seen others have this problem with multiple reseals not sealing it up, just helped a subaruxt.com member last year with this same issue. I sent them a new pump and it finally cleared it up. It's my "guess" that the thin oil pump housing gets slightly warped and just won't seat properly to hold the gasket in place. Might be something else, but whatever the cause - I've seen new oil pumps solve incessant ticking symptom.

 

I would try a new oil pump before tearing the heads down. Particularly given that it's both sides for you. A sticking HLA will be noticeably one cylinder/one side (or two cylinders if it's two).

[GeneralDisorder]

The cam tower o-rings and the cam spray bar banjo-bolt spring should not be ignored as possibly causes of ticking.

 

And yes - at the very least the oil pump should be dissasembled and checked for tollerances.

 

Pump, lifters, seals - might be a bit of each

 

GD

[Rust]

The oil pump gasket job probably was not the problem, but it now has new gaskets. Still ticking after the new gaskets and pressure good. I drained out a couple quarts of oil and dumped in 2 quarts ATF fluid. Blasted it down the highway to get it good and hot. Drained it out and switched to synthetic 10w30 and a quart of risoline. Ticking gone:banana:

 

I religiously change the oil evey 3000 miles but used cheapo wal-mart oil. From now on I'll run synthetic only. Thanks for all the tips.

 

P.S. this EA82 did'nt start ticking until around 200,000 miles... not bad.