hey all,

I recently have been having increasing cooling problems, and harder starts. I just checked the air filter last week before taking it in for the emissions test (passed!) and it was clean. I checked it today and there is some sort of grease in the air cleaner compartment and alot more oil than usual. Is this a head gasget problem or what?

 

thanks for any help or leads!

check your oil does it look murkey or water mixed with it

Welcome to the USMB! Oil in the air filter housing is a result of excessive blowby. The crankcase is vented to the filter housing, alot of blowby (caused by worn rings, scored cyl wall, cracked/hole in piston, etc.) will pressurize the crankcase and push oil vapors up into the fliter housing where they collect and pool.

 

I see in your profile you have a 280k engine. It's getting tired. I'd run it 'till it blows:headbang: It could last another 280k, just will use a little more oil.

 

What kind of cooling problems are you having?

Welcome to the USMB! Oil in the air filter housing is a result of excessive blowby. The crankcase is vented to the filter housing, alot of blowby (caused by worn rings, scored cyl wall, cracked/hole in piston, etc.) will pressurize the crankcase and push oil vapors up into the fliter housing where they collect and pool.

 

I see in your profile you have a 280k engine. It's getting tired. I'd run it 'till it blows:headbang: It could last another 280k, just will use a little more oil.

 

What kind of cooling problems are you having?

 

That's almost never the case - oil in the filter box is a result of a clogged or poorly functioning PCV valve, and hoses. Clean the valve in kerosene, or get a new one, and clean all the hoses very well. Replace the little foam PCV filter element in the corner of the air box.

 

Subaru's almost never experience blow-by. They do not wear their bores - it's just a fact. The horizontal cylinder does not drain away oil easily, and they are very well lubed. The main bearings, rod bearings and valve guides will fall apart before the bore even gets broken in.

 

GD

hey,

thanks for all the tips...

however the PCV filter seems cleaner (and dryer) than the amount of oil that's pooling up...the biggy is that there is a thick lubricating type of GREASE in the air compartment.

A few months ago the radiator started leaking, but only when the fan comes on. I have just been replacing the coolant as it gets low. But in the last week or so, it has been leaking somewhere else, even when the car isn't running.

 

I havn't tried cleaning out any hoses, and I still haven't replaced all of the older clamps...

 

But what could be the reason for grease in the air cleaner, and the hard starts? At another forum, someone was saying that the "thick chocolate milk stuff" on the inside of the oil cap is a gasget thing...it's that stuff, but in the air cleaner.

oh...and the oil looks ok.

That's almost never the case - oil in the filter box is a result of a clogged or poorly functioning PCV valve, and hoses. Clean the valve in kerosene, or get a new one, and clean all the hoses very well. Replace the little foam PCV filter element in the corner of the air box.

 

Subaru's almost never experience blow-by. They do not wear their bores - it's just a fact. The horizontal cylinder does not drain away oil easily, and they are very well lubed. The main bearings, rod bearings and valve guides will fall apart before the bore even gets broken in.

 

GD

 

Maybe not in YOUR case.

 

1. Crankcase ventalation is vented to the air filter housing to recycle any unburnt gases that pass by the rings. This is normal even for a zero time engine.

 

2. ALL, repeat, ALL engines wear out eventually.

 

3. A worn engine (cylinders) will have more blowby than new ones. The increase in volume and velocity of blowby gases will carry oil vapors with the usual gases out of the vent and will deposit said vapors to wherever the vent leads (air filter housing or overboard), leaving an oily deposit.

 

These are basic facts that exist on any internal combustion piston engine. Subarus are not exempt. True, they last longer than alot of other designs, but sooner or later succumb to laws of physics and wear out.

 

But you did say almost never.

 

This may not be his problem, but it's a good place to start. A simple compression test will tell. A differential compression test will tell the exact cause of leakage. I did a differential test on a 1985 XT and observed air escaping from the crankcase when I pulled the oil fill cap. Only one thing will cause that.......