Just started a few weeks ago. The ticking noise comes and goes and now it's pretty consistent. It's the 94 loyal wagon...1.8 fuel injection with power steering/brakes and a/c. I've changed the oil twice in the last three months with a subaru filter each time. A relative dropped it off about six months ago because he thought I needed a project car and he knew I was so dedicated to my 87 soob dl wagon. He pretty much drove it into the ground and I've been rebuilding it ever since. I still need to replace the front struts and figure out why the heater core is luke warm at best. I'm hoping a proper cooling system flush will solve that problem. Any ideas on what I can do for the lifter noise short of a rebuild?

In my exprience with the 7 subaru's I've had, there are two causes for the ticking. One is gunk built up in the lifters from the oil not being changed on a regular basis(previous owners), and two, the oil pump seal. The seal is an O-ring and the rubber gets hard with age. It will not leak oil, but can still suck air in and fills the lifters with tiny bubbles. Get some Rislone at the parts store and try that with the next few oil changes. Get some Sea Foam there two and put that in the oil now. If that doesn't clean it up, it may be time to change the seal and remove the lifters and clean them out.

 

For the heater core, remove both hoses going into the firewall leading to it, and clamp a garden hose onto the pipe, turn on the water slow at first then turn it up, switch pipes, re-connect and see how it works. They get clogged up.

Edited January 11, 200917 yr by Frank B

I had some light ticking in mine when I first got it. I changed the oil often and seafoamed the engine, seemed to make a world of difference

I had to change the oil seal on the front of the oil pump..cured it immediately...look for an oil leak just under the pump ...you may have to clean that area first around the timing belt covers before determining if in fact it is leaking from there...could also be the "O"ring oil passage on the head..would involve head removal..hopefully not

when i got my wagon it was ticking slightly, i changed from the 10-40w semi synthetic that had been used to 15-40w mineral, the ticking stopped and hasn´t been heard since

my 91 loyale does that alot, usally if i drive it short distances, less than a mile a day, a good hiway run cures the problem. when i first got it i used sea foam and marvels mystery oil, ran the heavy detergent additives for about 100 miles and than changed the oil and filter, it works much better now. also the -10 degrees F. dosen't help much