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EJ22 oil leak

The oil leak that my '95 Outback (EJ22 engine, 167,000 miles) suffers from seems to be getting worse. I'm not adding a quart every week, but I'm adding a quart every 1000 miles instead of just before an oil change as before when the leak wasn't as bad. A lot of it seems to depend on the driving being done, and I've made these observations:

Relaxed driving causes little or no oil loss. However, frenzied driving and sustained high speeds will cause oil loss, often to the point of causing smoke to billow out from under the hood at a stop. It seems to be linked to engine RPM, where keeping the revs at over 3000 for any length of time causes the oil to leak and eventually burn off on the hot bits. 70 MPH seems ok as far as oil loss goes, but if I'm not stuck in gridlock I'm stuck in a pack of wild SUVs doing 90-100 and they'll run me over if I so much as take my foot off the go pedal. :(

Any ideas on the most likely spot for a leak, given that it only happens at high RPM/speeds? There are no driveway drips and since the engine is completely coated with oil I can't tell where it's coming from.

-Matt

Reply to
Hallraker
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leak is almost certainly from the crankshaft oil seal on the oil pump. Higher revs create higher oil pressure which forces more oil past the failing seal. $300 - $400 job at a shop - change the timing belt & camshaft seals at the same time for minimal extra cost - or do it yourself over a weekend at home. Takes care & patience but other than that it's not difficult, and you can take the oilpump out without removing the water pump.

Reply to
CRGILL

Take your car to a competent Subaru mechanic. Have him put some I.R. sensitive dye in your oil. Drive the car for a day or two. Take it back and have him shine an I.R. light on the bottom/front of the engine when the car is up on a lift. Any and all oil leak locations will be quite apparent.

Reply to
Subbies Two

Camshaft and crankshaft seals love to leak. On the EJ22, there is an O-ring behind the oil pump that can leak forcing oil past the crankshaft seal. However I did tear into one where only the passenger side camshaft seal was leaking. Also, are you the first owner of the car? If so, did you have a timing belt done? The recommended mileage is 105,000 for a timing belt. I'm sure they are good for a bit longer than that.

If you want to do it yourself, call Jason at Auburn Subaru in Washington. They give a 30% discount on parts for internet customers. My local dealer quoted me $89 for just a timing belt, I got one from Jason for $44.95!

There is a thread at

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I think it is '96 Impreza 2.2 Timing Belt Change. You can get info there or I can help you with instructions if you need assistance.

Reply to
Henry Paul

I forgot to ask him if the leaking oil was ending up on the ground.......... :)

Reply to
Henry Paul

Matt,

In addition to the other suggestions, you could have a clogged PCV valve or hoses in the system. Also, take a look at your air filter. If there's oil on the filter element, you're looking at a blowby problem, which could be something more serious, like worn, stuck or even broken rings. You'll need a compression and cylinder leak down test to diagnose ring problems. Blowby can cause oil to blow out the PCV system and seals at high speed more than low as you described.

Rick

Reply to
Rick Courtright

Hmm, troubling. Well, I did see a little oil in the filter, and I had forgotten to change the filter a few times, so I think I had about 10,000 miles on the filter. I'm going to go out and check the new one and see how it is. There's no doubt though, most of the oil seems to be leaking from somewhere underneath (maybe more toward the front) at high speeds.

-Matt

Reply to
Hallraker

Take it to a car wash and pressure wash the engine good and get as much grease and oil off as you can. Then keep your eyes on it and see if you can tell where it is leaking.

A leak near the center of the engine would be near the crank seal and a leak on either the right or left side would be near the respective camshaft seal.

Reply to
Henry Paul

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