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ea82 help horrible noisy lifter


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so i have a 93 loyale with 150k on the ticker... had TOD when i bought it at 144k so i replaced oil pump seals went away for a few thousand and came back. replaced the oil pump with one from the junk yard that i found within spec. upon start up after instal the noisy is no longer a tick but a clack now and coming from the drivers side mostly i think. i put sea foam, mmo, rislone, everything with no help. could i have a bad hla or what? i really dont wanna damage my engine and ive read all the threads here regarding TOD but i have oil pressure, no leaks, replaced front main seal, etc.... please help me save my ea82 

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Mine clattered away now and then  from 150K km (90K miles) shortly after buying it,  was alarmed also was told not to worry about them so I didn't. 

Had car for 14 years with no issues apart from replacing clutch and rekitting carb.

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What weight / viscosity of oil do you use.   Lifters can be sensitive to oil viscosity.

 

Try 15W/40 (recommended)  or a lighter 10W/30 recommended for EJ motors

Edited by subnz
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Good oil changes are key.

 

Every single TOD i've encountered was repaired with a new oil pump. The pumps don't show wear or issues so I'm not sure what "causes" it, I just know that new pumps solve the issue most of the time.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/136547-ea82-er27-ticking-tod-hydraulic-valve-lash-hla-noise-diagnose-and-repair/

 

TOD is so common and oil pumps so often the cause that i wouldnt' consider one used one determinate. it could still be the pump.

 

The only ones I've seen that were something else were due to prior engine issues compromising the HLA's - they're stuck or seized.

1. was the car previously overheated?

2. has it seen excessive use - offroad, towing, really long oil changes, run low on oil?

3. is it a 300,000 mile engine? you say it's 150k so looks like it's not unless that's vehicle mileage and the engine has more?

 

A problematic HLA should be a bit more obvious because the TOD is limited to one cylinder/area. Stethoscope may help

 

You can replace offending HLA's - it's been a long time since they've all rusted away around here but i've seen them stuck badly enough that they don't compress in a C clamp. pull the valve cover on the offending side and rotate the engine by hand to see if one of the HLA's is notably different than the rest - too much clearance or not moving at all or collapsed - it doesn't pump up. If it's stuck mid-stroke it might be hard to tell insitu.

 

*maybe youll get lucky and be able to find a bad one just by pulling the valve cover.

Edited by grossgary
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UPDATE.... So I drained the 10w30 and seafoam... Replaced with a quart of ATF and 20w50.... Lifter noise is quieter.. But NOW I GET RANDOM LOW oil pressure light at idle.... Every subaru dealer I've called says oil pump not available anymore.... PLEASE HELP. where can I get an oil pump??

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Oil pump shaft seal. Possibly one of the o rings that seal it to the block? If the tick is caused by the pump, it's due to air getting in through the old seal. It takes a long time for the air to get out of the lifters. It takes a long time for the atf trick to clean stuff, too.

 

I haven't run 20w 50 in an ea82. Too cold here half the year, and the timing belt doesn't need extra load.

 

Typically thicker oil raises pressure on the gauge, I don't know what effect it may have on the lifters.

 

If it's only one that is noisy, it may be stuck or failed, and just need replacing.

 

Oil pressure drops to near zero at idle normally. There is no load on the engine, so not too big of a deal. The gauge on the dash is not super accurate. To be sure you have to get a mechanical gauge.

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... I don't know what effect it may have on the lifters ...

 

Helps to keep 'em Quiter, somehow.

 

I believe that the thicker oil cushion between moving metal parts also helps to elongate the internals' lifespan.

 


 

cant seem to attach the file!!!

 

Check this information regarding such subject:

 

~► http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/152891-recurrent-question-how-to-share-photos-on-your-posts/

 

Kind Regards.

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another update... so after about a week of having trans fluid in my oil, with 20w50... the tick is gone but the clack remains... odd thing is it only does it after the car warms up... upon start up in the morning its non existent, but as it warms up it comes to life and clacks away, also it is intermittent under power, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet and varies with throttle pressure.... what gives?

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Can't be sure regarding the Clack sound... But seems like you've run the ATF + Oil mixture on your EA82 engine, for enough time & mileage, especially since you stated that the T.O.D. has Gone; so I kindly suggest you to drain such mixture, change the oil filter, and try with fresh oil; I use Valvoline's "MaxLife" 20W~50 for high mileage engines with great results...

 

However, if the Clacking sound is severe, I suggest to try to Diagnose it / repair if necessary, prior to change your Oil.

 

Kind Regards.

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It's not severe... Like I said it is intermittent, and doesn't do it when cold and seems to be affected by throttle input... I was just outside while on break at work showing a co worker and also noticed my timing belts seem to flex so to speak when the engine is running. I turned the engine off and can rotate the timing belts almost 180 degrees... I just replaced them a few hundred miles ago, but reused the tensioners... Could this be my issue? I've seen this on other cars where the tensioners were worn and caused problems

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