How big a job is it to adjust the valves? I'm not even sure if it's a single cam or a twin cammer.
Valves are self-adjusting. The "lifters" are either sucking air or very dirty, maybe both. By sucking air I mean the oil is being aeriated. An oil/air mixture is being pumped into the lifters. The air compressed and the lifter collapses. Fix the oil leak. If you aren't much for oil changes, replace the oil and filter with an oil/ATF mixture. One qt ATF/10W30 oil. Run this for about 500 miles and then drain. The ATF has a lot more detergents than conventional motor oil and will remove a lot of sludge inside the engine.
Hi,
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe your engine's got hydraulic lifters. Tappet noise is quite common in engines from this general time frame--lots of discussions have been had on what causes it and how to cure it, from new oil pumps thru a variety of chemical additives. A search of the archives for "lifter" or "tappet noise" or similar should give you some ideas.
Good luck,
Rick
Isn't that pretty risky on a 230,000 mile engine?
I just had a service guy tell me that they've seen different brands of oil filter can greatly affect valve train noise. He suggeted splurging on an OEM filter.
Yeah - that about the biggest myth in automotive maintenance for years. Don't know where it started, but it was obviously from someone who didn't understand what ATF is made of.
Myth #12
Adding a quart of ATF the day before an oil change will clean your engine. ATF added to the motor oil will clean the engine due to the high levels of detergent in ATF.
Fact
ATF does not contain detergent chemistry. ATF does contain dispersants, which have properties similar to detergents. But ATF is not formulated to withstand the combustion environment inside the engine. Quaker State® recommends that you keep the fluids where they belong: motor oil in the crankcase, and automatic transmission fluid in the transmission.
Mac Townsend wrote: (clip) I just had a service guy tell me that they've seen different brands of oil filter can greatly affect valve train noise. He suggeted splurging on an OEM filter. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You obviously didn't take his advice, since you are not reporting on the outcome of an OEM filter. I personally have my doubts that any oil filter could have that much effect, especially i done at the same time as an oil change. But I wonder why you haven't tried it. Couldn't hurt, you know.
Don't think they are adjustable in that model. I always have noisy valve/lifters during the winter when running 5w30 - but that's the price you pay for wanting a car that starts in -30 C weather.
Hi,
Before I got a Subaru, I'd have agreed with you. But my experience with Subies is they really DO seem to work better with OEM filters. Can't say why that is, but I've tried most of the brands out there on mine and keep coming back to OEM. It makes a difference in my engine: better oil pressure, less valve train noise. YMMV, of course!
Rick
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