got a 96 Legacy outback with lifter tick, help!!

[Scott in Bellingham]

a friend of mine has this car a 96 2.2 outback, no noise then he did a oil change with 20-50W oil then the lifters started to tick, how can I fix this? I plan on installing Delta cams and want to fix the tick while Im at it Scott

[johnceggleston]

a friend of mine has this car a 96 2.2 outback, no noise then he did a oil change with 20-50W oil then the lifters started to tick, how can I fix this? I plan on installing Delta cams and want to fix the tick while Im at it Scott

 

use 10w-30 maybe??

 

why is he using 20w-50??

[idosubaru]

have you heard it? it might be piston slap or bearing noise?

 

no noise then he did a oil change with 20-50W oil then the lifters started to tick,

if the oil really caused it then switching back to a normal grade oil should fix it. i would guess he put the heavy weight oil in for a reason...?

 

you should be able to start the car and then listen either with your ears or a stethoscope on each valve cover. should be noticeable which side/one is bad. being multiple per cylinder it'll be hard to tell exactly which one. the bad ones i've seen were easy to tell which side and cylinder and then when i took it apart they were seized.

 

there's a company that sells rebuild HLA's for a few dollars each - mizpah engineering or something like that. or they'll rebuild yours if you want to wait.

 

on the older ones, and i presume the newer ones, you can rebuild them yourself. personally i find it annoying prying caps and dealing with it, but it's neat to do once to learn. the seized ones i've seen wouldn't budge with a vice so rebuilding wasn't an (easy) option on the only two that i've seen cause ticking.

[Scott in Bellingham]

Iveseen and heard the car for a year now almost daily, he did change back Oil and the noise is still there

[Scott in Bellingham]

I can change them out without pullin the head off right??

[idosubaru]

yep, when you're in there swapping cams you'll have access to them. post back what you find, be interested to hear if their seized, loose or what.

[Scott in Bellingham]

yep, when you're in there swapping cams you'll have access to them. post back what you find, be interested to hear if their seized, loose or what.

 

will do

 

 

Austin , Noah : can you come by and do some engine/ cams valve work for me??

[outbackusjunkus]

I've had this with a '96 2.2, all it takes is a tiny piece of debris anywhere in the rocker arm assembly oil passeges to slow or stop oil flow and starve a lifter. Mine was around the size of a pin head, give or take, so check em well.

[kevinhoffert]

okay scott, i have this pair of mechanics in wenatchee who own their own subaru shop, and i have asked them the same question before. they do work on my subaru once in awhile and when i asked them the question, they told me it was normal. i wouldnt worry about it, subarus can come right off the delivery truck with piston slap. promise its a sooby thing.