99obw Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 This is crazy... I posted a message here a week or 2 ago... here: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=33808 I know my '98 2.5 is a different beast, but I've found that my piston slap gets worse with thicker oil and goes away with mobil 1 5-30 wt (also gone with 0-30wt) Crazy!? :-\ I said basically the same thing in both threads! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 99obw just disconnect the crank angle sensor. No amount of cranking will start the engine. Of course, as Frag has thankfully pointed out already, you would have to do this EVERY morning. Thanks for the tip. I assume that will disable the injectors and spark? Great, now my oil changes will take even longer!!! I was only suggesting this procedure immediately following an oil change, not every day. I'm not that crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted April 12, 2005 Author Share Posted April 12, 2005 Your car is quite a lot younger than the cars 99 and I used heavier oil in. This is nothing new really, heavier oil has been used to cut burning and noise while protecting worn bearings for years. Perhaps your car circulates oil better when it is thin. This is kind of a you got me as I don't really see why I would get one effect and you another just accross the Bay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Your car is quite a lot younger than the cars 99 and I used heavier oil in. This is nothing new really, heavier oil has been used to cut burning and noise while protecting worn bearings for years. Yep, approaching 180k miles and it loves a 40 weight. I don't think I could stand the racket if I put a thin 30 weight in it right now. Plus, I don't think I could keep the oil level up with a thin 30 weight, as my wife is certain that checking the oil in her daily driver is my job. Don't get me started on tire pressure. Cookie, I think you and I both have early Phase II blocks. I wonder if that may be a factor. Perhaps different revisions of block respond differently to oil viscosity. slo5oh presumably has a Phase I block in his car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted April 12, 2005 Author Share Posted April 12, 2005 I guess slo does have mileage similar to mine. I was thinking he was the guy who had about a 2002. In this case I have even less understanding of why he would get less slap with thinner oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 99obw, an engine left overnight will have drained as much oil as one that is having it changed, if not more - I trust you don't wait four hours for the oil to drain during changes? The only difference is that the "straw" that is used to suck oil up from the pan will be empty after an oil change. The pump is still full and the filter has been filled by the DIY mechanic! So, I accept that "dry cranking" after an oil change will make a difference, but only by the smallest of margins. The sort of margin that might be noticeable once the engine turns past 200k miles. Even then, only in oil consumption, not bearing failure. Still, hats off for obsessing about maintenance! Too few people do it. By the way, Bobistheoilguys "Timken" machine is also useless. The oil is not supplied under pressure, like it is in an engine bearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted April 13, 2005 Author Share Posted April 13, 2005 Another dino note. last night I started tearing down a 67 Pontiac 400 engine. It was rebuilt about 1998 and run with fairly regular dino 10-30 changes from the looks of the receipts. The last change was 76 oil done at a 76 station, before that who knows. Just jiffy lube receipts that say 10-30. This engine has sludge in it like I used to see in the 70s.The PCV valve was all gummed up. I suspect that from the low mileage it has turned that it did a lot of short trips, and most of it on LA freeways where sludge conditions are great. I think Mobil 1 or a really good detergent oil would have helped prevent the formation of this sludge. The engine runs fine, but I will be leary of cleaning it out becuse this sludge could easily plug a lifter or oil passage. Eventually you can bet I'll change this thing to synthetic because it will spend most of its time sitting, and I think the synthetic breaks down less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Good point: Short journeys mean condensation inside the engine block. Mix it with the unburnt fuel that slips past the piston rings, and maybe some of the "oil fog" and presto: Sludge! Now, any oil will be hard pressed to avoid leaving an emulsion on the filler cap and maybe the dipstick too, but a synth would surely fight a more valiant battle. This does underline that synth is useful in compensation for non-ideal driving conditions. Lots of short trips at one extreme and lots of high rev, high speed work at the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I'll get beat up for sure, especially after enjoying a Havana cigar and some quality port to cloud my brain... Change your oil and your wife regularly, and even your fuel filter, although I'm still on the same one after 105k miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I can't think of a more expensive maintenance practice than periodic wife replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted April 13, 2005 Author Share Posted April 13, 2005 Yep, I tried periodic girlfriend replacement for years and that was expensive enough. Here in CA every time you split up she gets half and it does not take too many halfs to make a guy earning $100,000 who lives in a bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted April 14, 2005 Share Posted April 14, 2005 Shoot her, take the 7 1/2 years with time off for good behavior, get your 3 square meals a day, let your savings work for you while you study in the prison library and get your law degree. Like in California, 3 strikes, become a lawyer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted April 14, 2005 Author Share Posted April 14, 2005 I guess this depends on personal philosophy, but I actually like women. I have little desire to make the aquaintance of large persons who rely on words of few syllables in the shower. Just perhaps a bit of interest on something I noticed. Weather has been fairly good lately so I've been driving the BMW roadster. The Subaru sat for several days, and when she first started after the oil had drained way down. The slap was back just the way it used to be. When it warmed up it was gone again. This makes me think that all the synthetic is doing is staying on the piston longer, but if you leave it alone long enough it will eventually drain back to the pan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted April 15, 2005 Share Posted April 15, 2005 Interesting. And thanks for taking us smoothly back to the topic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted April 15, 2005 Share Posted April 15, 2005 Sorry guys, I should have digressed, but isn't this topic about out of pages? I always try to take life in stride and throw a little levity into its ups and downs. You'll have to excuse me when I verbalize the same way on this board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmm001 Posted April 26, 2005 Share Posted April 26, 2005 Originally Posted by 99obwI just thought I would chime in here and back up cookie on his claims. I too have found the boxer to prefer something thicker than the average 30 weight with regard to piston slap and engine noise in general. I had to respond to this thread because I just talked to my mechanic about it today! They are a small, independent garage, who specializes in repairing Subarus. I noticed that when I have my car in for a lube and oil, they use 15W40 oil. I asked him "why" today and he gave me the following paraphrased answer: The heavier diesel oil has more detergents and is more purified than regular oil. Due to the boxer engine design, it cleans and protects the parts better and they've had great success in using it. He said he's never had an oil-related engine failure in a 2.2 that used 15W40. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted April 26, 2005 Author Share Posted April 26, 2005 And since this thread still lives. The gas mileage is still about the same and the engine has used no oil. This is a bit unusual as by this time I would have topped up at least once with the old dino 10-30. This stuff does not appear to be thinning out and breaking down as much as the dino did. It is interesting that the independent mechanics have come to use a heavier diesel oil. I bet that really keeps those engines clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slo5oh Posted April 26, 2005 Share Posted April 26, 2005 Another dino note. last night I started tearing down a 67 Pontiac 400 engine...The engine runs fine, but I will be leary of cleaning it out becuse this sludge could easily plug a lifter or oil passage.Eventually you can bet I'll change this thing to synthetic because it will spend most of its time sitting, and I think the synthetic breaks down less. If you're tearing it down anyhow you might as well take the block to a machine shop and have it hot tanked... or at the very least take it to a "do-it-yourself" carwash and pressure wash the block. I've done a few junkyard rebuilds in my life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted April 26, 2005 Author Share Posted April 26, 2005 That one just had an intake manifold leak and I had to pull the valve covers for clearance. The old beast runs too well to rebuild just yet. I have a rebuilt 400 with a few thousand miles on it in the garage I might use. I am tempted to build a 455 but there is really no need for it. I used to quite like building engines and I might enjoy it again. I did kind of enjoy changing the manifold on the Pontiac as it was such an easy job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slo5oh Posted April 26, 2005 Share Posted April 26, 2005 I love fixing problems and installing NEW "go-fast" parts. Live and learn... that's my motto. My last rebuild as it came out. I've always had Alum heads b4 so I didn't know to paint the new-to-me iron Dart Jr. heads I put on this one... so they turned to rust on the car. I still need to pull it back apart and clean then paint the heads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted April 26, 2005 Author Share Posted April 26, 2005 That's a nice one. My current project car is a 200 year job. Every day I do a little bit of work on it when I get done worrying about trains that are millions of dollars in the red. I shouldn't complain though as I just got $274,000 added to my budget today for shuttle for a couple of the Caltrain stations we are closing. that makes this already a good day. I have the world's worst 65 GTO that somebody will inherit when I die in the backyad with my torch in my hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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