idosubaru

this comes up all the time and never gets good results, just oppinions and a few good links, that's why you didn't find anything. if you want info on oil, search google or bobistheoilguy and similar sites. you're asking the wrong question, what you're asking doesn't matter. the EA82 has HLA's in the valve train, the most important thing you can do with your oil is change it often. that is far more important than what brand you use. if the history is unknown, keep an eye on it and change it more often than you might normally do.

keep your eye out, there are really cheap deals out there too. i found Paraut water pumps at $8 each for the XT6 so i bought a ton of them. emily nailed it with the translations, they are fun!

get the EJ22 - 2.2 liter motor. type in "headgasket" on the search function rather than rehash all of that here. check for torqe bind when you're buying the car. after you get it, replace the ATF. do those two things and you got a stellar car. don't do those and you probably still have a stellar car, just a little more risky. you'll also want to take into consideration when the timing belts were last changed. if you end up with a 1997 or newer 2.2 liter motor or any 2.5 liter motor, they are interference engines, which means if the timing belt breaks very bad things happen inside the engine. and even for reliability you'll want to know when any motor has had the timing belt replaced. if the owner doesn't know you'll want to plan on that expesne right away - timing belt and possibly water pump depending on mileage. timing belt jobs can run up to $700 depending who's doing it and what all is being replaced.

look up headgasket or EJ25, use the search button and you'll find some information that's worthy of knowing prior to looking. modifying a non-turbo subaru engine for power is functionally a waste of time. if you want to spend alot of money, effort and time working on it to gain very minimal increases for fun and as a hobby then tear it up, but if you really want more power get a turbo. the EJ25's i've ridden in pull very nicely for daily driving duties.

new oil pumps solve this problem often. your HLA's may be sticking....just a guess of course. some ATF, MMO, seafoam in the oil may help. do a search on TOD, tick of death or seafoam and read up your options. if that doesn't work they'll need to be replaced. never use RTV on the oil pump. there are two tiny spots where the block halves come together...it's a zig-zag patter at 12 noon and 6 oclock behind the oil pump housing. it is a little "rough" here so that's why you put a dab of sealant there. technically you use anaerobic sealant, but these spots are so small RTV would certainly work. they require only a tiny amount of sealant - a pin drop. at each spot only.

and when was the last oil change? is it clean or dirty? changing the oil can quiet them as well (don't get your hopes up, but it can help).

read my post on the other oil pump TOD thread....a new oil pump can solve issues as well...i believe and explain that in the other thread. resealing is a good first step. and yes the ER27 uses the same pistons, HLA's and other parts as the EA82...it's just an EA82 with two more cylinders slapped on the end and some minor modifications. the internals are interchangeable.

i also think the oil pump housing can cause issues. some people have repeated instances of the mickey mouse gasket failing even after cleaninga nd installing a new one. it is only a guess, but i believe the aluminum housing of the oil pump is so thin that if it warps even a tiny amount it could prevent the housing from seating even a new gasket properly. my last two XT6's i've installed new oil pumps on and no issues at all. and as GD said - HLA's can be the culprit. if the sound is isolated to one cylinder, or one HLA then that's a solid indicator that it's possible HLA related and not oil supply related

was it proven to be original gaskets though?

calipers are soo easy to rebuild. it's a dust boot, circlip and seal for each piston, very simple. if it's only sticking, greasing the slides of the caliper may be the issue and not the actual caliper/piston itself. all you need is to clean the slides and regrease, have you checked that?

you need to fix this as soon as possible or look for another engine. i have pictures of heads...i lied, i have the heads in my garage, but no pic's..but heads that are run too long while leaking...they show significant..i mean chunks of metal missing at the leakage points and the block didn't look much better. it's not worth the risk considering how long and well this engine will run if fixed properly and timely.

try searching the forum "gas mileage" threads are everywhere...they creep up regularly. at the bottom left of this screen you're looking at is a "similar threads" list...check those out. then wear out that search button....

i agree entirely. but knowing is a good thing and the 03 and later models seem solid with few issues. it is annoying not being able to recommend 96-2002 soobs, i don't either - not without explaining the risks involved.

might want to try one higher grade in gas to keep that pinging down...but i'm not a "pinging" expert either. how old is the air filter? are you letting it "warm up"?

V5 - actually the rear seats usually aren't too hard to remove, but your family won't know that! with the caveat that you know where the few bolts are of course. the more annoying part is removing trim. but i don't think you have to remove any side trim to get the seats out, so that's a good thing.

EJ25 headgaskets leak? just kidding. replace both. replacing one is a very very bad idea and that's not oppinion speaking, that's experience. you'll be glad you're fixing it and dealing with it, this thing will run forever once you're done if you do it right. can be done with engine in the car. tons of info on this, i'd start reading through all the threads and make your decision based on what others say and your time, tools, personality...etc.

ha ha, i don't care, no appologies needed for me. just a fair warning that their are some hardcore pet lovers. anyway....when you removed the brake light, wasnt' it fastened by a bracket? did you remove the entire bracket/brake light assembly? i agree that the back rest will likely have to come out, though i seem to recall some plastic fasteners that push out easiest from inside the trunk...again not something you dig into often so my memory is vague. someone with an FSM needs to chime in...that should show it. stop by your local subaru dealer if noone here pipe's up. if their nice they'll show the page in the FSM that tells you how to remove it.

yep, they will definitely wreck your timing belt. i actually like having it removed, no worries about it coming off again. no problems here and i won't have any either, it's already been quite a while like that. i could argue it ADDS reliability since it cant happen again. if you were really bent on replacing it, i wouldn't bother until you're in there again for something else.

7 years. HG issues were 1996-2002. once produced you can't expect it to go away. since 2003 they don't have issues and are not "having" HG problems.

i think it's funny, but many like pets more than people or treat their pets like people, so you won't likely get away without commentary on that. did you look in the trunk up under the panel to see if there's anything there holding it in? could you get any of it up, the front, the corners, anything pried up at all to at least tell what was preventing it from coming out?

yes i've seen that ring come off before. remove it and all will be fine. you can cut it with wire snips if it's just hanging there, saves you from pulling the belts back off.

subaru doesnt have any oil pumps? i bought one earlier this year. or are you talking about just the oil pump parts?

owners manual?????

oh yeah, read up on oil pans too, a search might help. they are notorious for leaking soon after installation. if the bolts have ever been "tigthened", you're more prone to have this happen. the bolts if tightened can cause the oil pan mating surface to be concave up at each bolt hole (towards the engine so to speak). they need to be flat, otherwise the gasket won't seal. keep an eye on them when removed.

some patience wiggling should do it. mount it back to the block if that helps steady it. a rubber mallet to the shaft to push it through the oil pump housing may help as well, but go light on it.