Oil Leak on 91 Loyale 1.8 NA

[foxgap]

I had this motor sealed twice now by a real good Subaru shop near here. I still have a leak that drips on the exhaust and leaves spots under the car. The seals that have been replaced are, cam covers, rear main and all the seals behind the flexplate, oil seal, front crank, oil pan, oil filler tube, and probably some others I can't think of right now. After the last time everything was great for about 12 days and the drip started again. Do these motors have a PCV valve that may be stuck closed and is putting pressure on the inside of the motor? I'm getting real tired of seeing smoke come out of the engine compartment every time I shut the motor off....

 

Thanks all, Mark

[idosubaru]

yes, replace the PCV valve for sure. it's really simple to replace and get to on most subaru engines.

 

if it's dripping it should be easy to look and note where it's coming from underneath. left/right and front/back would help us help you a lot.

 

the valve cover gaskets and grommets are known weak spots.

 

when the cam seals were replaced, were the orings behind them also replaced? being a subaru shop they should know to replace those, but in general those orings should always be replaced.

 

the easiest way to fix this is to first tell us where it's leaking.

[Quidam]

Hi Mark,

 

Yes, your Loyale has a pcv valve. Open hood, remove spare tire, look down behind the throttle body...on the back.

 

Doug

[foxgap]

Thanks for the info on the PCV valve. I will check on that before I leave today. The spot I see most of the oil laying is on the right side of the front crossmember. There is a small indentation in it and the oil just seems to puddle there. I checked the oil level this morning and it has used about 1/2 quart in the last 15 days.

[Quidam]

Hey Mark,

 

Can you take a picture of that?

 

Doug

[foxgap]

sure can. I've never posted a pic to this forum, is there a Posting software to use? Gotta go to work now, I'll check back again later.

[idosubaru]

There is a small indentation in it and the oil just seems to puddle there.

sounds like a valve cover gasket but there's other possibilities.

 

definitely change the PCV if it's never been done. that's a part that is best to get from Subaru rather than a parts store.

 

picture would be fantastic. no software needed, just attach it. i think the size requirements are 25 or 50k or smaller in size, so just reduce the size in paint or any generic editor to post. try to get a shot of where the engine is wet rather than where the oil is ending up.

 

in general oil leaks migrate from the origins towards the middle/back of the engine. so the outer most indication of leakage points to that area as the culprit.

 

valve covers, cam mating surfaces (including cam carrier oring), head gaskets. start at the valve covers on the far drivers and passengers side of the engine and work your way in towards the center of the motor when looking. the first wetness you see will likely be the leak.

Edited November 21, 2008 by grossgary

[foxgap]

Thanks for the advice Gary. You hit it right on the head (no pun intended) when you mentioned the head gasket cause that is what it is. On my way to work I stopped and pressure washed the engine compartment down and added some of that dye for the oil that shows up with a black light. Sure enough the oil is squeezing out of the gasket next to the block, not much but enough to ruin my day. I'm going to sit down tonight and make a list of the gaskets I need and get them here to the house. I just got done doing head gaskets in the 2.2 Legacy so I think I can do these also.

 

Thanks again everyone, I am glad I can get the right stuff from the list again.

 

Mark

[idosubaru]

sounds good, glad you figured it out.

 

i can take a look at the head gaskets when i get home, but i'm almost positive you don't have a catastrophe on your hands. there's a small oring embedded in the gasket material. i am doubtful that it would completely blow out and trash your engine.

 

but of course who wants to find out the hard way!!??

 

make sure to use Fel-Pro Permatorque headgaskets (denoted by a PT in the Fel-Pro part number). those, unlike others including Subaru, do not require a retorque. many of us on here use those and torque the final setting to abaout 5-7 pounds higher than recommended with excellent results.

 

also be very cautious with the intake manifold bolts. i've written essays on here before about multiple ways to get them out without shearing them off. they are prone to being seized and shearing. can become a real nightmare in a number of ways. but i don't have time to rewrite all i know about that subject. i'd search for some old posts about it. they shear rather easily.

 

the Subaru intake manifold gaskets are far better than after market gaskets.

 

good luck!

[idosubaru]

oh, and i might have an extra set of Fel-Pro permatorque gaskets i could sell you. but i'm out of town for a week so timing probably isn't good for you.

[foxgap]

Thanks Gary for the offer of the gaskets. My neighbor has a parts store and he recomended the same gaskets, those are the ones I used in the 2.2. I'll do a search for your articles on the intake. No need to repeat yourself when the search button is just a click away.