legacycentral bbs

I know I am not the only person who has stuffed a 2.5 in a legacy. But because I am really new to that experience there is a heck of a lot I dont know. Is it possible to get the valve covers off and adjust the valves with the engine in the car? I am specifically asking if there is enough clearance between the valve cover and the frame rail to get the valve cover off and then do the necessary work. If there is extra work required to get access, what must be done? The reason I ask is there is one valve lifter that is way out of adjustment compared to the rest and clacks like crazy once the engine gets warm. The guy that built the engine may have gotten the others right but that one is way wrong. Any advice would be welcome

I was able to do it in my '90 and '02. It was necessary to pull the washer reservoir and the airbox to get room, but that's all. There isn't excess room by any stretch of the imagination, but there is enough.

ronemus wrote:I was able to do it in my '90 and '02. It was necessary to pull the washer reservoir and the airbox to get room, but that's all. There isn't excess room by any stretch of the imagination, but there is enough.

I really dread trying to do that. I have one valve out of spec that clacks like hobnail boots. So at least I wont be doing them all. Not for 100k miles anyway thanks for your input. I figured it would be a lot more trouble than that. meaning lifting the engine way up or some such thing

An 02 is a sohc, much more room. I know crazy people have done in car head gaskets on DOHC, but that's a nightmare. Doing sohc HGs in car is a huge PIA, but doable. I've done it over a weekend.

The 02 sohc 2.5's you adjust the valves with a screwdriver, with the non-hla dohc's you change out shims on the buckets. I don't know if you can swap shims with the cams installed. Couple that with almost zero clearance to the frame, it's gotta be a PIA in car. But this is speculation on my part.

hobnail boots!!

ride_child wrote:hobnail boots!!

hehe, love me some boots

Subaru has a special tool that allows the shims on the solid lifter ej25d's to be removed without taking off the cams, but it's still a pain in the ass.

Thanks for the answers guys, and gotta love the boots hehe:-)