I recently replaced the left head gasket on my 96 Legacy Wagon EJ22as it was leaking a little oil. As soon as I started it up it sounded like a sewing machine. I shut it off and pulled the valve cover and 1/2 of a rocker arm spacer dropped out. I fished the other half out of my oil pan hole. I'm a glutin for punishment so I re-did the job again thinking I was smarter than the average mechanic. I started it up and guess what. Same bad/loud clicking sound and I bet the new spacer I put in broke like the last one. Before I replaced the head gasket, other than the oil leak it ran pretty good. Any ideas on my problem. It has 130,000 miles. Is it worth my time to fix a 3rd time. Any help would be greatly appreciated.:-\

If the car is in good shape yes it's definitely worth it. Very strange that you lost a headgasket though, it had to have been overheated or lacking in maintenance at some point in the past 13 years for that to happen to this engine.

 

Do you recall if these are solid lifters or HLA's (Hydraulic Valve Lash Adjusters)? HLA's are typically VERY loud on a fresh start up after having the motor apart. Yes - sewing-machine-i-think-my-car-is-about-to-blow-up-loud. Reduces drastically after 10 miles and completely after not much more.

 

But if you had a previous problem then surely check as the valve covers are easy to remove. I'm not even sure what rocker arm spacer you're talking about but these motors have so few issues (this is extremely rare - like unicorn stuff here), that i would think something is wrong with the used head or something.

 

If it's repaired right and maintained these motors will outlast other components of the car.

Hydraulic lifters. But that does not explain the "Spring Valve" spacer busting off from my fulcrum. There are 2 of these spring loaded spacers one on either side of where the center of the rocker arm assembly bolts to the head. They keep the tension pushing the rocker arms out from the center of the rocker assembly. They're probably referred to as "spacers" and not "spring valves" as I have seen them listed in a Subaru Manual for the EJ22's. So the loud valve sound is normal after an initial head installation? I guess I should go and drive it down the free way to see if it makes the noise go away. Is this because the lifters are not pumped up fully yet?

do you know if you have solid lifters or hydraulic valve lash adjusters?

 

the HLA's are always noisy after being torn down. solid should not be, but i can't keep straight when EJ's changed and which has what.

 

that yours is falling apart definitely points to something more sinister though. If it was a Ford I might shrug my shoulders, but these motors do not randomly drop valve train parts, something was wrong for that to happen and probably needs addressed.

(Hydraulic Valve Lash Adjusters)? HLA's are typically VERY loud on a fresh start up after having the motor apart. Yes - sewing-machine-i-think-my-car-is-about-to-blow-up-loud. Reduces drastically after 10 miles and completely after not much more.

X2

 

Hydraulic lifters can make one hellacious racket until they get pumped up. Idle the engine at about 1500 rpm for 10 minutes or so and that should shut them up. This spring you talk about is there just to keep the rocker arm from dragging against that center rocker shaft support block. I wouldn't think that would make a big difference to be there or not. It certainly wouldn't cause a racket like a drained lifter would.

I ran it for about 10 minutes and the sound only went away a little bit. Should I just take it for a drive and warm it up really good? O'h and I love having to burp my Suby. Reminds me of crappy diapers and puky kids.

Oil somehow has to get up to the valvetrain. Just wondering if when the HG was replaced, maybe an oil hole got plugged or something.

Oil somehow has to get up to the valvetrain. Just wondering if when the HG was replaced, maybe an oil hole got plugged or something.

 

My thought exactly..

Hyd lifter subies are very loud when you take them apart and put them back together. It goes away eventually as long as you didn't clog any oil passages with silicone and put everything back together correctly.

Good news. I have a Subaru that no longer sounds like a sewing machine. I drove it for about 30 minutes and all of the sudden it went quiet. NO MORE BAD LIFTER SOUNDS. Thank you to all that helped me through this nerve racking time.