I know its common for the lifters to tap. But this seems exessive. It recently started. I dont have a oil pressure gauge so I have no idea what its at. There's no oil light on tho. I checked the oil for or 5 times and it always said it was full. The other day i checked and it was low, so i filled it. That solved the clicking for about 20 miles. As soon as I got to my destination the clacking was back. That was last night and now it seems louder.

 

Is there a place i can tap into the pump to install an aftermarket oil gauge? I'd like to add a boost gauge as well so if anyone has any suggestions that'd be great.

 

Thanks guys

-Brian

Oil pressure gauge -- I think that the oil pressure switch is on the front of the block, near teh oil filter if I am not mistaken. Should be a round thing about an inch in diameter with a wire coming off of it, that drives the light on the dash (REmove and ground the wire wiht the engine running -- dash light should come on). REmove it , and you can tap your oil pressure gauge in there.

 

Boost gauge: Find either a plugged port on the manifold, or T it into a vacuum line that comes out of the manifold. I recommend an Autometer gauge, they are a little expensive ($50 or so from Summit Racing Equipment) but they work good, I have one. I know they make a pillar pod for an Impreza, which is what I have, but it should fit the Legacy :-P

I had a similar sounding problem once. Same clacking noise. Turned out there was some small foreign object (piece of plactic) that got caught in one of the oil portals in the engine and it was clogging up normal flow to one of the lifters, not allowing it to fill with oil. Expensive little problem.

Hrm. Expensive as in how?

 

-Brian

If im going to do an oil change, would it be bad to use a type of addative before hand to clean the crankcase?? I dont want to if its going to damage the turbo, but i'd like to do something to clean most the gunk out of my block.

 

-Brian

try some seafoam in the crankcase

 

www.seafoamsales.com

Ok, so seafoam is okay?

 

-Brian

Tried Mystery Marvel oil - no help. Ended up taking the engine apart to physically clean out all of the ports by hand. Ran arounf 500.

I did an oil change, and it was still clacking. So I took it for a drive to the Gas station... got there, and it was still clacking.

 

So on the way home from the gas station, I hammered on it. Screamed through the 1st four gears on the on-ramp, and made it home in record time. Got home, and the clacking has stopped.

 

We'll see if it does it again tomorrow. I think it was just crying out for attention. I think i will drain some of the oil and add MMO (Kragen was out ) then drain it all and do another oil change later to make sure all the gunk is out.

 

-Brian

Wal-Mart carries MMO also.

yeah the italian tune-up does work pretty good for those cars who's driver's pampered them

My 90 Legacy does clack sometimes when I first start it, I just shut it off and restart and it quits doing it.