Kudos Posted May 20, 2006 Share Posted May 20, 2006 I am new to this site and a new owner of a 1984 4wd Subaru Wagon and I have a question about oil pressure. I have searched this site about low oil pressure and have found different answers. The factory gauge does not work so I installed a mechanical oil guage. When the engine is cold the pressure is around 50+ and the lifters are only a little tappy, but when it is warmed up it drops to around 5 to 10 psi and I get a slight knock and more lifter noise. When I cruise down the freeway the pressure is around 30 psi ( 2800 rpm) and the knock almost goes away. I have rebuild the pump but it is still the same. I read that it is okay for a ea82 but not a ea81. Whats the scoop.I would apreciate some help.Thanks:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSubaruJunkie Posted May 20, 2006 Share Posted May 20, 2006 Sounds like thats normal to me. Maybe alittle low at idle, but any pressure is good. The tapping might valves out of adjustment. If the car is a 4speed, you most likely have solid lifters, check their clearances with a feeler gauge. The Owners manual should have the info for the valves. -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 20, 2006 Share Posted May 20, 2006 I'm a bit paranoid about the oil pressure thing. I had a digi-dash EA81 with no guage, and even though I resealed the pump when the idiot light started flickering at idle, I blew a rod out the top of the block about 4k miles later. Keep in mind that this car *was* a 2WD grandma car with perfect maintenance, and a beutifully smooth running engine with only 145k when I got it. I lifted it, wheeled the piss out of it - drowned the engine in swamp water more times than I can count (had water halfway up the inner door panels on it's maiden lifted voyage ). I changed the oil afer each run, and used quality filters (WIX). The oil pump itself is what did the engine in. Had I REPLACED the pump when I got the car it would still be running - that I'm sure of. On my Brat the pressure was low when I got it - around 15 at warm idle, and would go up to around 45 at cruise. I changed the sending unit and it made little to no difference - I resealed the pump - no change. REPLACED the pump ($60 from subaruparts.com)... now it's 20-25 at idle, and nearly 60 at cruise. On to the new engine in my wagon - got it from an 83 or 84 automatic that Turbone parted it. Sat in his shed for a long time - came to me and sat for another year. When I installed it I got some slight ticking (hydro lifters - actually a whole lot at first even thought I dead cranked the engine without plugs till I saw the oil pressure guage come up). It quieted down a little. Pressure was not what I wanted - so again I replaced the sender - actually replaced the entire guage with an aftermarket autometer setup. No change. Resealed the pump - no change. NEW pump - ticking is gone in the last 100 miles or so after the pump change(it doesn't get driven a lot being a lifted weekender), pressure is around 20-25 idle, and 50 cruise. This engine is awesome - it pulled 220 psi in each cylinder for compression, and I really don't want to blow it up like the last one. People say you can just "reseal it", but my experience has been that this is not sufficient to restore a pump with 100k miles on it to full capacity. Being the most important fuild in your engine, personally I don't take chances anymore. After you have thrown a rod as a direct result of insufficient oil pressure, and completely destroyed a perfectly good engine, you won't find the $60 all that expensive. I pay it now with a smile. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now