legacycentral bbs

It's looking more and more like I am going to have my valve covers off so I can clean out my hydraulic valve lifters (actuators) with brake cleaner....I havn't been able to get rid of my valve tapping any other way, although I still have the water trick left to try. But in the past, when nothing else has worked on other cars, pulling them and cleaning them with brake cleaner has worked incredibly for me. But its going to be a lot more of a pain in the a$$ with the turbo than with an impreza 1.8. Methinks the engine will need to be pretty much pulled. Anyways, I have a 94 WRX EJ20G closed deck block etc etc, and I need valve cover gaskets, actually, just one. Anyone know of a US source for these? I hope I don't have to go foreign, this could take a while!
Much thanks
Micum

Have you tried running a flush through?

Is the rubber gasket damaged, or just leaking? Usually the grommets are where it leaks on the EJ22.....not sure if it'd be similar with the EJ20

What kind of flush do you recomend? I tried adding this stuff called rislone to the engine oil, I also tried this foam produced by amsoil that I sprayed into the intake manifold. I've used valvoline syntec fuel system cleaner...not that expected that one to do anything. I'm going to the water in the intake trick. I believe that I will need a new gaskets if I have the valve covers off to fix the lifter....correct, no? What about those engine treatments the dealer does? Might that help?
much thanks
Micum
Oh yeah...does anyone know if subaru offers some kind of crazy long warranty on seatbelts? Mine is messed up, and I though I remembered that legally they had to fix them for a really long time...I could be insane however.

Use an engine flush. It almost smells like kerosene....you put it in right before you change the oil. Run it about 5 minutes or so, then drain the oil and refill

Seatbelts as far as I know have lifetime warranty.

Really? Seatbelts have a lifetime warranty? A few weeks ago, the first set of "structural fuse" stitches tore out on my driver's lap belt, exposing the "this seat belt should be replaced" label. Are you saying I should just take the car to my local dealer and ask for a new seat belt?

vrg3 wrote:Really? Seatbelts have a lifetime warranty? A few weeks ago, the first set of "structural fuse" stitches tore out on my driver's lap belt, exposing the "this seat belt should be replaced" label. Are you saying I should just take the car to my local dealer and ask for a new seat belt?

Same thing happened here

MK

I'd give it a shot.

All they can do is say no.

Josh...
Not to bug you, but I is desperate...what kind of engine flush do you recomend? Anyone else have suggestions? What about those expensive three part dealer jobbies? Where they hook up the machine to your engine and flush/clean it? Might this help a sticking hydraulic lifter?
thanks
Micum

It's been a long time since I've used any sort of flush.

I don't remember the name, but you should be able to find some generic engine flush stuff at the autoparts store.

I suppose you could try some of those special new fangle flushes.......but I don't know....that'd be up to you.

here's some
http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products ... product=29

http://www.goldeagle.com/gebrand/eng_we ... stem_Flush

Also, here's some info on engine flushes
http://www.oilanalysis.com/message_boar ... umber=1%20

http://www.motorlife.com/online/yourengine/page6.htm

Also, synthetic oil is a good cleaner as well.

Bottom line if the lifter is bad.....no matter what you do with flushes, it's still going to tick.

Thanks josh, those links had some interesting stuff. I don't think the lifter is hopeless, it sounds just like my impreza lifter that my mechanic fixed. The claim a little peice of silicon or something from a seal or something gets caught in the oil passages for a hydraulic lifter...I don't really understand, but I guess these lifters operate by oil pressure, using oil pressure to adjust the valves. Anyways, I guess the clogged oil passages cause the lifter to collapse, again, I don't understand, but thats the terminology they use. Anyways, if you can remove the clogging material, everything works like a charm again. I imagine that if you let it go too long, maybe permanent damage would be done that couldn't be fixed so easily. But on my impreza they just pulled out the lifters and cleaned them with brake cleaner. Amazing how well it worked, I couldn't believe it. Its just going to be a lot more of a pain to do this on my turbo then on my impreza 1.8. On the 1.8 I don't think they even had to pull the engine or even loosen the mounts and lift it up a bit to get the covers off. On the turbo, methinks they might have to pretty much pull the engine.
Thanks
Micum

Yeah hydraulic lifters need oil pressure to maintain proper valve clearances.

It's possible a piece of slicone or something got in there. A flush or taking the lifters out is about the only thing you could do.

To pull the valve covers onthe EJ20T in car you need to do the following:

Drivers Side:
Remove Battery, Windshield washer bottle, spark plug coils, undo engine plugs. Then curse and swear as you remove the 6 valve cover bolts. the worst being the bottm rear.

Passenger side:
Remove airbox etc, unbolt and move powersteering pump. this is the easier side. Follow above.

Valve cover gaskets are cheap, shipping is expensive. I got mine from Possum Borne. I bought it via email with them.
Mark

ahh mark, thank you so much, you are a godsend! I was really worried the engine was going to have to come out some to do it...something I didn't want to tackle, and didn't really trust my mechanic to do either. Its pretty amazing it can be done, as there is so very little clearance between the covers and side of engine bay. YOu are saying it can be done on an EJ20G in a legacy turbo, right? Thanks so much for the lead on finding gaskets, its been driving me a little batty!
Thanks
Micum

I have done it.
Possum has the best prices. I dont have the part number for the newer EJ20T, only the older (89-94) motor. which do you have? Where did you get it?
Mark

Cool...thanks mark!
Of course, my car had to go and make things interesting. I used some valve medic, it didn't work, I went and changed my oil, (amsoil series 2000) and added this cleaner called rislone that emily at CCR inc recomended. doesn't do much...I'm real late for an appointment in southern new hampshire...a few hours away, my other car isn't running well, so I have to take the turbo, and run it FAST, I get there, voila, no noise from the sticky lifter. I don't believe it, then I'm on cloud nine, my day is made. I drive back to VT. All is still better. Park the car for half an hour. Go to get lunch at a restuarant 20 miles away...get out of the car, its tapping again. Go drive around, drive back home and stop at the bank, its gone again! Its kinda driving me nuts. Its never ever gone away before, no matter what I did. But I'm thankfull. Still, I'm not counting on it staying good, so how much was the gaskets from possum with shipping? Oh yeah, its an older engine...a closed deck, sand cast, and all that jazz, EJ20G wrx engine from a 94 JDM. and my engine came from CTC motorsports in texas. So you got a closed deck EJ20 in your legacy turbo? Thats great...how do you think it compares to the original engine?
Thanks
Micum

It's very possible you have some junk floating around or stuck some where, and running the piss out of it got your oil pressure up there as well as oil temps, which possibly dislodged it.

Also, just curious......what is your driving style like? Does your car see anywhere near redline on a daily basis, or are you more a docile driver?

I ask this, because my personal opinion is that engines that "routinely" see higher revs will stay a little cleaner. But that's just my opinion.

Absolutly no comparison. It walks all over the EJ22T. Ohh.. I have the JDM RS-RA gearbox behind it with 4.11 ratio's instead of the 3.9 in north america.

Ya... the car is very fast. While i still have it im gonna get some 0-60 times and 1/4 mile tries. (I have a brantz rally computer that can do this)

Ohh.. it is sold to a new owner who has not picked it up yet.
Mark