Four oil drips in a row

[smelly_cat]

I have so much oil on the under side of my 84 GL. The drips are evenly spaced about 2 -3 inches apart, under the engine parellel to the bumper. I hope its the oil pan. If its not the old pan gasket, I'm making a drip pan. All the bolts were a half turn loose and I could not get to the 2-3 pan bolts bby the tranny. After 24 years the gasket may need rejuvenating?

It looks like the steering rack is right under the pan. Is the oil pan gasket a easy job? SC

[hatchsub]

chances are if you have drips spread out like that you have more than just an oilpan leaking. Valve covers, oil pump (front of engine), oil pan, possibly even rear main. Oil pan is fairly easy on these cars. Subaru engineers cut holes in the engine crossmember to let you get at the back bolts of the oilpan without yanking the engine. Valve covers are super easy. Two 10mm bolts.

[Indrid cold]

suspect front crank seal also... One of the easier to change but takes a bit of time ... At the least do those seals listed above.... but there always seems to be a drip that always seems to elude the best re-seal job... grrrrr...

 

If you are looking for a serious bonding time with your roo, pull the motor, install a 5 speed, re-seal the motor and learn to love her that much more.

[zukiru]

hey smelly cat... where in GA are you??

 

we should get together and tweak on the subies, yeah!

 

 

I have a good many leaks too....

[GeneralDisorder]

Oil pan is easy - the rear bolts are accesible with a long phillips screwdriver through holes in the cross-member. Tightening them is no good - you need to replace the gasket. OEM only, and coat both sides in a layer of RTV an allow to fully cure. This will prevent the gasket from absorbing oil and failing like the original did. Aftermarket gaskets are cheap cork and the pan bolts will litereally cut them in half if you try to tighten them to spec.

 

GD

[smelly_cat]

Zuk, Im up near chattanooga in GA

[Virrdog]

If you are looking for a serious bonding time with your roo, pull the motor, install a 5 speed, re-seal the motor and learn to love her that much more.

That's what I plan on my '89 and my '93 with the EJ22t. Wait until they need something major (timing belt, clutch, etc...) then pull the motor out and give it and the engine bay some lovin.

 

[Frank B]

The drips are probably spaced that way becasue they're coming off of the crossmember. When the valve cover gaskets, oil pan, oil pump leak oil, it will run down the engine, onto the crossmember, and drip off. All of these gaskets will need to be replaced. The oil pan is easy, as GD memntioned. I had removed the two motor mount nuts and jacket the engine up about two inches, it really helped. But you also have to remove the exhaust, or just unbolt it from the heads and tie it up so it doesn't fall. With the engine up you can get to the rear bolts better. Use a #3 phillips screwdriver. I used a wire wheel in my corded drill to remove the bits of hard, ol gasket after scraping most of it off with a screwdriver. The wheel did a great job. Whipe the gasket surfaces with paint thinner or brake clean before installing the gasket.

Be careful not to overtighten the exhaust studs or you WILL strip out the threads in the heads, then you will have to use a helicoil to repair them. You may have to do this anyway since the threads sometimes come out with the bolts so be prepared. And use new exhasut gaskets too OEM is best as with all the gaskets.

It's a good time to replace the oxygen sensor, if equipped.

If you replace the oil pump, or just it's gasket, remove the four bolts that hold it onto the front of the engine, then loosen the bolt above it, and below it that hold the two sides of the engine case together. Don't remove them, just back them off to relieve some pressure on the pump. The pull the pump forward, do not pry it or it can and will break. If it only comes out a bit, spray some penetrating oil in there then push it back on, and try again.

Valve cover gaskets are easy too, pop off the breather hoses, remove the small bolts holding them on, and do the same as the oil pan, scrape, wire wheel, wipe, etc.

Then clean the engine to get the oil off and check in a few days for any more leaks.