95 Legacy L intermittent ticking sound

[nicholi2789]

Hey guys, I have a 95 Legacy L sedan that I've been driving for about 9 months now. It has 262,000 miles on it and runs like a champ. Paid 700$ for it and aside from very minor things it's been great.

Lately I've noticed an engine sound that has me a little concerned. For the record the car has always ran very smoothly with no engine noise, misfire, or anything. Lately I've noticed that when idling every once in a while it will have a ticking sound happening for a few minutes. It's not super loud or anything but I definetely notice cause I'm always on alert for odd noises. Like I said, it only does it intermittently usually after running for a bit then sitting at an idle and if I Rev it up a bit the tick will go away for a while. It never used to do this. The oil level is good. I always change my oil at 3000 miles. I used Castrol High mileage 1040 for about 3 or 4 oil changes then this last oil change j switched to 1030 thinking that maybe the 1040 was too heavy. I thought with the miles it has a heavier oil wouldn't hurt. Anyways, I don't know if that has anything to do with the ticking but I thought I would mention it. Has anyone experienced this on their 2.2 liter subaru? Should I be concerned? What could the cause be?

Thanks in advance. I can always count on this site for good Subie advice.

[Olnick]

Does the car leak any oil?  Do you have to top it up very often?  Is it due for a new timing belt?  Two things come to mind:

 

1)  Sometimes a small bit of dirt or gunk will block the small passages in the heads.  Try adding a bottle of MMO--Marvel Mystery Oil--to your present oil and drive it for 100 miles or so (just normal driving.)  Then change your oil & filter.

 

2)  It's possible your oil pump needs re-sealing.  Screws in the pump's backing plate often loosen--they need to be Loctited and tightened.  That requires opening up the front end--folks usually combine the job with a timing belt change (along with new idlers, new crank & cam seals, new water pump.)

 

Do all that and you're good for another 100k!

[nicholi2789]

Does the car leak any oil?  Do you have to top it up very often?  Is it due for a new timing belt?  Two things come to mind:

 

1)  Sometimes a small bit of dirt or gunk will block the small passages in the heads.  Try adding a bottle of MMO--Marvel Mystery Oil--to your present oil and drive it for 100 miles or so (just normal driving.)  Then change your oil & filter.

 

2)  It's possible your oil pump needs re-sealing.  Screws in the pump's backing plate often loosen--they need to be Loctited and tightened.  That requires opening up the front end--folks usually combine the job with a timing belt change (along with new idlers, new crank & cam seals, new water pump.)

 

Do all that and you're good for another 100k!

Hey thanks for the reply!

A little background first: I bought this car about 9 months ago. It had 253,00 miles on it (so I've driven about 10,000 miles since owning it). I paid 700$ for it. It has been a great car, and I drive it about 20 miles back and forth to work a day. It has never once failed to start on me.  I have absolutely no idea of the service history on it except for what I can tell by looking at it. I've changed all the fluids in it at least once and done some other misc stuff like  a new knock sensor.  Obviously whoever had it took reasonably good care of it.

It does have some leaks, as would be expected of a car w/this many miles.. I work in a lube shop and have pulled it over the pit many times to look at it. The bottom of the engine has always got oil on it. I replaced the valve cover gaskets about 2000 miles ago and it seems to have slowed them down. I can also see that it is leaking oil from the timing cover and cam seals a little.

I am on the fourth Oil change cycle since owning it and have never had to put more than half a quart of oil in between changes. Which to me is amazing since 90% of the Subaru's I see come into the shop burn TONS of oil. It barely uses any oil at all. Which to me suggests that maybe the engine was rebuilt or something.

Anyways, I have no friggen clue when the timing belt was done last and have been kinda planning on doing it in the near future anywaysl I just haven't had the money for a timing belt kit, and truthfully it hasn't been the highest priority since I know it is a non interference engine. Maybe I should bump it up my priority list.

I also thought that maybe the Oil Pump was going bad or something related to that. You say it may just need resealing? I was really hoping not because it seems like a difficult thing to do. I thought I had to remove the oil pan to do it though..? Do you know of any good tutorials I can look at?

I am pretty mechanically inclined and can figure out damn near anything if I really really try. Especially if I do some research first. 

Well I guess I will plan on buying a good timing belt kit, and get the belt, water pump, pullys and everything replaced. Figure while I am in there I can also do the cam seals.

Do you think this is a job I could do myself? And does anyone have any good quality (cheap) timing belt kits they can recommend? I know that our Subies are particular about what parts you use on them.

And I have thought about that Marvels Mystery oil too. I've heard great things about it. Just was kinda worried because my car has so many miles on it. Didn't wanna hurt anything. I am about 500 miles short of my next oil change so I will try it and see what happens.

Thanks alot!

[Fairtax4me]

The hydraulic lifters on that motor can tick from time to time. All of the 2.2s I've owned in the 95-96 range do this when its time to change the oil. New oil and filter and they're quiet for another 2,500- 3,000 miles.

 

There is an issue with the oil pump where the screws that hold the backing plate on the pump can loosen and allow oil pressure to bleed off. If the timing belt needs to be done now would be a good time to check that and put new belt and idlers on it.

 

Check. misumoAuto on eBay for timing belt kits. They have one with water pump for about $110 last I checked. Free shipping.

I like the kits with the Aisin water pump because it's an OE manufacturer pump and you get a much better quality OE style gasket with the pump. Those run about $130 last time I got one.

Edited December 29, 2014 by Fairtax4me

[Olnick]

Sounds like you got a good deal on your car--congrats!  Hope the MMO works for you (it did wonders on my son's high mileage '92 Legacy.)

 

Suggest you do the front-end/timing belt as soon as practical.  If the oil pump backing plate is loosening it puts extra pressure on the crank seal--which could explain your front oil leak.

 

If you know which end of a wrench to hold you'll be just fine.  Shoot, I'm no great mechanic but I've done three 2.2 timing belts over the past few years!

 

For parts check out Mizumo Auto on E-bay.  They have a complete kit--belt, idlers, crank & cam seals, water pump (Aisin) and w/p gasket--for $136 plus shipping ($17 FedEx, I think.)

 

Try a search here on USMB for procedures and helpful hints.  I'll try to dig up some info and post links.

 

Ask questions here--and keep us posted on your progress.  Good luck!

[Olnick]

Now that's funny.  Sounds like Fairtax and I agree!  (I wrote my response then went to dinner--came back to the computer and realized I hadn't hit send!)

[nicholi2789]

The hydraulic lifters on that motor can tick from time to time. All of the 2.2s I've owned in the 95-96 range do this when its time to change the oil. New oil and filter and they're quiet for another 2,500- 3,000 miles.

 

There is an issue with the oil pump where the screws that hold the backing plate on the pump can loosen and allow oil pressure to bleed off. If the timing belt needs to be done now would be a good time to check that and put new belt and idlers on it.

 

Check. misumoAuto on eBay for timing belt kits. They have one with water pump for about $110 last I checked. Free shipping.

I like the kits with the Aisin water pump because it's an OE manufacturer pump and you get a much better quality OE style gasket with the pump. Those run about $130 last time I got one.

Thank you, I appreciate the advice. Weird thing is, like I said i've changed the oil several times already and have never noticed that ticking sound and I never have gone even a mile over 3000 between the oil changes. and right now I'm at about 2500 miles on this oil, and I noticed the ticking a while ago.

That's why I wondered if maybe it had to do with switching oil weights. Though they are all multi-grade oils and the difference between 1030 and 1040 isn't that big. Anyways, it sound like the timing belt and checking the screws on that backing plate are next on the agenda then. I've known I needed to do that belt for a while since I have no idea when it was changed last, and it's basically the only major maintenance thing I haven't done yet. I will check out those kits on ebay. If I could get this whole timing belt job done for under 150$ I would be absolutely thrilled. Thanks alot.

[heartless]

if the ticking you are hearing sounds a bit like a sewing machine running, then it is most likely the hydraulic lifters ticking, which is completely benign (wont hurt a thing, just annoying)

 

resealing the oil pump is not difficult, and most of us do it as part of the timing belt job. pull the pump off, check all the screws on the backing plate to make sure they are tight - maybe a drop of locktight on any loose ones you find. a new oil pump O-ring when reinstalling and it is done.

[nicholi2789]

if the ticking you are hearing sounds a bit like a sewing machine running, then it is most likely the hydraulic lifters ticking, which is completely benign (wont hurt a thing, just annoying)

 

resealing the oil pump is not difficult, and most of us do it as part of the timing belt job. pull the pump off, check all the screws on the backing plate to make sure they are tight - maybe a drop of locktight on any loose ones you find. a new oil pump O-ring when reinstalling and it is done.

Yeah I figured the ticking sound probably isn't hurting anything but man... This car is so quiet and runs so smoothly that a sudden noise like that is disconcerting. It's kinda funny I've spent all this time and effort on this 700$ car. I put some nice foglights on it, good tires, and have spent probably 6 or 700$ on my stereo system that I installed. lol. It kinda kills the awesome sound system effect when you hear the ticking sound in between the bass hits. haha. It's really not that loud. You can only hear the tick when you are standing outside the car.

[Fairtax4me]

That's pretty quiet if you can only hear it outside the car.

I put cams in my 96 and the oil drained out of the rocker assemblies, so when I started it the lifters got pumped full of air and they all collapsed. It was clicking so loud my neighbor came out of his house to see what was going on.

[nicholi2789]

That's pretty quiet if you can only hear it outside the car.

I put cams in my 96 and the oil drained out of the rocker assemblies, so when I started it the lifters got pumped full of air and they all collapsed. It was clicking so loud my neighbor came out of his house to see what was going on.

Wow. Now I don't feel so bad. lol. Looks like we have almost the same exact car too. I just worry a lot about my car cause it's all I got and I don't have the money to buy a new car or do any crazy expensive repairs. So I'm pretty keyed into anything odd going on.