goes my EJ22. When you first start it up, it's smooth and quiet, but when it gets up to temp, there's a quiet ticking that you can hear at a stop light with the windows down, and it's plain as day with the hood up. My automotive stethoscope says it's coming from the heads of all four cylinders.

 

I understand that the following can cause valvetrain noise:

Ill-adjsuted valves. But mine are not adjustable.

Low oil pressure. But the gauge reads 15-19psi per 1000rpm. That is within spec, right?

(at startup) Too thick of oil, or a poor oil filter antidrainback valve. But my problem isn't at startup.

Dirty valves. This might be contributing to my problem. Though the sound is heard roughly equally in all cylinders.

 

What else can cause valvetrain noise? And what do you think is causing mine?

 

You might say "It's a Subaru engine. Don't worry until it *stops* ticking." Well, I'm not terribly worried. Still, ticking is the sound of wear. If I can do something about it, why not? And now's the time to do something about it. I plan on doing my first oil change since I installed the oil pressure gauge, somtime this week.

stuck lash adjuster perhaps?

 

goes my EJ22. When you first start it up, it's smooth and quiet, but when it gets up to temp, there's a quiet ticking that you can hear at a stop light with the windows down, and it's plain as day with the hood up. My automotive stethoscope says it's coming from the heads of all four cylinders.

 

I understand that the following can cause valvetrain noise:

Ill-adjsuted valves. But mine are not adjustable.

Low oil pressure. But the gauge reads 15-19psi per 1000rpm. That is within spec, right?

(at startup) Too thick of oil, or a poor oil filter antidrainback valve. But my problem isn't at startup.

Dirty valves. This might be contributing to my problem. Though the sound is heard roughly equally in all cylinders.

 

What else can cause valvetrain noise? And what do you think is causing mine?

 

You might say "It's a Subaru engine. Don't worry until it *stops* ticking." Well, I'm not terribly worried. Still, ticking is the sound of wear. If I can do something about it, why not? And now's the time to do something about it. I plan on doing my first oil change since I installed the oil pressure gauge, somtime this week.

mine ticks just like yours but mine has 241,000 on it so mine is wear.i would try the marvel mystry oil trick,a pint in oil about a week before you plan to change it,worked for me a number of times. ed

Yes, I would reckon clogged hydraulic lash adjusters. It has gotten stuck with a little bit of clearance. Cold oil is thick enough to mask the noise, but heat thins it and allows the click.

 

Any work done on the car recently? Something oil related that might have freed up some gunk?

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=34929&highlight=tick

 

Click on the above link for my ticking story. Maybe it will be some help to you.

 

matt

goes my EJ22. When you first start it up, it's smooth and quiet, but when it gets up to temp, there's a quiet ticking that you can hear at a stop light with the windows down, and it's plain as day with the hood up. My automotive stethoscope says it's coming from the heads of all four cylinders.

 

I understand that the following can cause valvetrain noise:

Ill-adjsuted valves. But mine are not adjustable.

Low oil pressure. But the gauge reads 15-19psi per 1000rpm. That is within spec, right?

(at startup) Too thick of oil, or a poor oil filter antidrainback valve. But my problem isn't at startup.

Dirty valves. This might be contributing to my problem. Though the sound is heard roughly equally in all cylinders.

 

What else can cause valvetrain noise? And what do you think is causing mine?

 

You might say "It's a Subaru engine. Don't worry until it *stops* ticking." Well, I'm not terribly worried. Still, ticking is the sound of wear. If I can do something about it, why not? And now's the time to do something about it. I plan on doing my first oil change since I installed the oil pressure gauge, somtime this week.

 

put oil in it.

put oil in it.

Oh. Is that why steam comes out when I open the oil cap? And why is there a picture of a red magic lamp on the dash?

 

Setright's probably correct.

 

Hmm. Yes, I recently installed an aftermarket oil pressure gauge, and I also attempted (unsuccessfully) to stop the leak where the oil filler neck meets the valve cover with some sillicone. However, that sillicone would have to get past the leaking filler neck o-ring to get into the engine.

 

I guess I'll throw a quart of ATF in the crankcase and do the oil change next week. I'll use a $6 filter this time.

EJ22 are know to have valve noise problems. Our '98 EJ22 (last generation of the EJ22 and year in a Legacy) did this from 75k onto 152k. Never had any issues. You can get rid of it with a valve adjustment but I never did it.

Oh. Is that why steam comes out when I open the oil cap? And why is there a picture of a red magic lamp on the dash?

 

Setright's probably correct.

 

Hmm. Yes, I recently installed an aftermarket oil pressure gauge, and I also attempted (unsuccessfully) to stop the leak where the oil filler neck meets the valve cover with some sillicone. However, that sillicone would have to get past the leaking filler neck o-ring to get into the engine.

 

I guess I'll throw a quart of ATF in the crankcase and do the oil change next week. I'll use a $6 filter this time.

 

smartass.

 

if there's oil in the engine then the pressure will read ok and the light will not come on. but if the oil is too low a ticking sound will occur even though nothing on the dash is telling you there's a problem.

and steam WILL come out after removing the oil cap if the car has been on the road for a while.

Steam? Oil vapour, please :-)

 

 

TheBrian, to seal that filler neck requires a new o-ring. Undo the two bolts, remove filler, remove old o-ring, go to parts store...

Steam? Oil vapour, please :-)

 

 

TheBrian, to seal that filler neck requires a new o-ring. Undo the two bolts, remove filler, remove old o-ring, go to parts store...

 

I was with TheBrian when he tried to fix the leak. It got a new O-Ring and silicone. I didn't know it started leaking again. Seems he forgot to tell me.

 

 

Dirty valves. This might be contributing to my problem. Though the sound is heard roughly equally in all cylinders.

 

Seafoam it?

If the filler is still leaking, you need to check the PCV system. Excess crankcase pressure is causing the leak.

 

Very worn pistons and rings will cause this too.

I was with TheBrian when he tried to fix the leak. It got a new O-Ring and silicone. I didn't know it started leaking again. Seems he forgot to tell me.

Well, it's a very slow leak, so it takes a while for me to decide whether the oily coating on my ignition wire and valve cover is from the filler neck or somewhere else. I threw a new O-ring at it on my lunch break yesterday. The o-ring we had on there really was on the small side. Give me another two weeks to tell you if it worked.

Seafoam it?

Sure, Seafoam, ATF, IPA, kerosene. I'll throw some thing in the crankcase before the upcoming oil change.

Well, it's a very slow leak, so it takes a while for me to decide whether the oily coating on my ignition wire and valve cover is from the filler neck or somewhere else. I threw a new O-ring at it on my lunch break yesterday. The o-ring we had on there really was on the small side. Give me another two weeks to tell you if it worked.Sure, Seafoam, ATF, IPA, kerosene. I'll throw some thing in the crankcase before the upcoming oil change.

 

I meant to suck it in through a vacuum line. Clean out the whole combustion chamber hardcore. But now that I think of it, that won't help a sticky valve. Whatever it could probably use a clean anyway.

if there's oil in the engine then the pressure will read ok and the light will not come on. but if the oil is too low a ticking sound will occur even though nothing on the dash is telling you there's a problem.

 

Not the first time I read that and I'm not challenging it, but I dont understand. Could someone explain that to me? In my book, either the oil pump pick up tube is sucking in oil or it's not (level is too low). In the first case, whatever is the level in the crankcase, the oil pressure is normal and there should not be any ticking sound heard. In the second case, there is no oil pressure. Am I missing something?