I just changed my drivers side head gasket. I put it all back together and the valves are knocking really bad. I pulled the valve cover off and the cam is completely dry. I also noticed a decent amount of air coming out of the oil fill tube. I did a little research and saw it could be the o-ring between the came and the head or the oil relief valve. I loosened the oil relief valve and made sure it was at the right torque. I wanted to know what others might think it could be. Also what I should look for on the relief valve to see if its bad

Edited March 29, 20197 yr by scorpiankill

Air out the filler tube is combustion gases blowing by the rings.

If the cam was oiling OK before disassembly,you must have disturbed something.

It was find before so I figured I did something to it. My spring measures on an inch and a half 

I know it's not the spring because there is no way it shrank that much sitting out while I changed the head gasket

Still worth replacing.Under $2. https://parts.subaru.com/p/Subaru__/SPRING-RELIEF-VALVE-ENGINE/49227449/15020AA000.html

This thread may help 

 

Dumn question but is there any chance you put the headgasket on backwards?  Blocking the oil port?

To rule this out, take the relief valve out of the head, and crank engine a little.  See if oil comes out.

If not, you blocked the port somehow.

A leaking O-ring would still allow some oil, so if there is NONE, the port is blocked.

That was my first thought.

Wasn`t sure if it was possible.

Pretty easy to look at the bottom of the engine and check the gasket is correct.

If it's not, the oil port in the headgasket will be kinda poking out the seam.  Towards the back on Drivers side.  

Even forgetting the o ring wouldn't make zero oil.  Too much loss, yes.  Not air.  Not zero.

It does get a tiny bit of oil because my valve covers love to leak. The cam has the tiniest bit of oil on it but I know it requires way more to be lubed correctly. The head gasket i bought couldn't be put in backwards. It wouldn't fit. I'm going to take the cam tower out in a few days

2 minutes ago, scorpiankill said:

It does get a tiny bit of oil because my valve covers love to leak. The cam has the tiniest bit of oil on it but I know it requires way more to be lubed correctly. The head gasket i bought couldn't be put in backwards. It wouldn't fit. I'm going to take the cam tower out in a few days

I've seen people install the gasket backwards.  Results in exactly what you are describing.

Make double sure.  If you did this, the gasket edge with the hole i it will be poking out the bottom of the head/block seem.

If that's not it, then you've got some foreign debris or sealant blocking the passage.

I'll look today and see

The head gasket was put on correctly no holes showing and all the edges line up. I took off the valve cover and cranked it. The valve was shooting out a good amount of oil. It wasnt however shooting it directly on the cam that makes contact with the rocker arms. Its hitting the cam a few millimeters to the side of it. I'm going to loosen the bolts on the valve and see if I can slide it over to line up

I took out the whole valve. I saw that the small bolt hole flap was leaning to one side. I straightened as best I could. Oil is going directly onto the cam now. It should be getting more than enough lube. The sound seems like it's coming from the valve itself or the lash adjuster. When I took the cam out before all of the rocker arms fell out. I didnt put them in the right spots unless randomly guessing worked out. If they weren't in the right spot could they cause a loud tick?

There will be loud ticking for a while, as the air is worked out of the lifters.  Whenever I've reassembled one of these engines, it takes a while.  And it comes and goes, but eventually goes away.

Thanks DaveT I know everything is being lubed up how it should so I was gonna drive it around see if it quiets down