Valve ticking getting really weird on me, its intermitant!

[czo79]

Valve ticking getting really weird on me. I did an oil change with a quart of rislone, it went away after a hard 3 hour drive. It stayed away for most of a day, then I was back in town doing errands, and it came back. Then later in the day it went away. Another long trip, car idles for a while, it comes back, on the way back from trip it goes away...and the same has happened today. It kinda seems that long idling and around town driving tends to bring the valve clatter back. The valve noise is only on the passenger side, can't tell which cylinder though. I was told that it is because the oil passages in the hydraulic lifters clog, causing them to collapse. Kinda wierd for it to become intermitant if this is the case.
Much thanks!
Micum

[rsstiboy]

its a common problem with subaru hydraulic lifters, the holes in the head are too small to let the oil go through easily, the lifters tend to pump the oil out as they move leaving a 'bubble' of air in there it then takes a while for the oil to get back in there - depending on what viscosity you use and at what temperature the oil is. I use an engine flush EVERY time i do an oil change and replace the filter as well, which might I add is approximately every 1000miles it gets a bit monotonous but I have my oil changes down to about 5 mins with a hot engine. if it doesn't happen very often I suggest trying a bottle of Nulon E20 if you guys have it over there.

[steeo]

Same with my car except if i leave it ticking over it solves the ticking problem. I normally let the car tick over in the morning till its up to working temp then drive away but the once or twice i didn't do it the ticking noise stays there for the day

2 days ago i changed the oil for 10W40 (from 0W40 mobil 1) and the lifters havn't made a sound yet so as soon as they start again i'll just change the oil again

[ciper]

Just to let you guys know, replacement HLA are 17.15 each from 1stsubaruparts.

[czo79]

Ciper...HLA = hydraulic lift adjusters (er...actuator)? I wonder if it would be the same as the ones on my EJ20G... Does anyone hear know if the valve cover gaskets and spark plug gasket (don't know what its called, needs to be replaced when doing valve covers, gaskets around hole in valve cover for spark plugs) from different subaru quad cam engines are interchangeable? Like EJ25 ones with EJ20G? Or the new gen wrx EJ20 gaskets with the 94 EJ20G? I know its a long shot, but I'm thinking ahead if I can't solve this problem otherwise. Lately my ticking is not going away, but I havn't driven it much. I think I am going to try a motovac engine flush...
Steeo...Are you saying that your car ticks and if you just let it idle for a while it goes away? Wish mine was that easy...could yours be piston slap if it goes away like that? I guess if you got a legacy turbo thats not likely.
I really hate this, it hurts to listen to my car, and its embarrasing to, makes me wish I still had an EJ22T, as things would be easier to deal with.
Thanks
Micum

[steeo]

Ye i will start it about 5 mins before i drive it, the ticking noise doesn't start straight away it will take a minute or 2 to start and it will then tick for about 2 mins and then all of a sudden stop and thats it for the day.

But if i only give it a minute warm-up and then drive sometimes the ticking will start even when the car is up to running temp and the faster i drive the faster the ticking is BUT if i put my foot on the clutch and let the car free wheel and let the revs go down to a tickover the ticking disappears but eventually it will come back.

As i said in the previous post i changed the oil to a heavier grade and so far no ticking but even with the ticking there is no noticable difference in performance

[czo79]

Yeh...my car had amsoil series 2000 synthetic 20w-50 for a really long time in it...but I've slowly switched to 10w30...recently ticking hasn't been going away, and has been really bad, I wonder if its a coincidence with the oil...I found a shop that does "motovac" engine cleaning, think I will give it a shot.
Thanks
Micum