STE.W.

Hello everyone, are you seated comfortably, ok let me begin!

I have an my94 Legacy Turbo. The tappets have been getting gradualy worse over the last 6 - 8 months. I've tried top end lubes but they dont seem to be working.

Last weekend I changed the oil to Mobil M/sport 15w50 and added Wynnes top end additive. Again the miracle didnt happen.

Last night on our weekly shopping run, I fire the car up and the tappets were noisey as hell. They didnt get any better with temperature either. It sounded like a 2 stroke petrol lawn mower and even more embarasingly noisey from outside.

Could this be the oil being too thick to reach the top end or is it just coincidental?

Please could any one tell what to do next.

Should I look at replacement Legacy heads?

Should I look at replacement engine swaps, if so how difficult will this be with wiring etc??

The car is modded with upped boost etc so I understand that the WRX heads will not be suitable as they are a higher compression.

ANY advice or help will be greatly appreciated as I'm lost without my car. (I think you know what I mean)

If replacement parts are the way to go - please reccomend good places to purchase the right parts from.

Thanks In advance.

STE.W.

STE.W.

ttt

Pavlo

does my head in too, but seems otherwise okay.

new tappets or heads are the only real solution. although i beleive you can shim them to help them pump up somehow (or stop them collapsing)

Paul

STE.W.

Paul, thanks for the reply.

Do your tappets sound like an old fiesta / escort popular engine?

If they do then I dont know how you have been able to put up with em!

I'm at the end of me tether with this now. I need to go out and tonight, have a few beers and pick a fight with a massive bloke.

That should calm me down for a bit.

AAAAHHHHHHH!

STE.W.

Just me again.

Can anyone recommend a good mechanic / Subaru engineer in the Teesside area to sort the noisy tappets out.

My brother in law has a garage but he's a bit reluctant to work on Subaru internals as he thinks they were designed and built by the devil!

Thanks

Ste.W.

ustolemyname??stevieturbo

iTrader: (1)

You may be surprised when working at a subaru. They are, IMO very well designed, and not that diffcult. The only problem when stripping the engine, is th e amount of bits...
If you can pick up a good impreza engine, for good money, then it would be the easiest option, rather than changing the heads. There are no wiring issues really to worry about, just take the loom of your existing engine and transfer it. It can be a little tricky, but in no way complicated.
Changing the heads is an option, but again, for the work involved, and the amount of bits actually needed, I would prefer to get a complete engine and just swap it. It would also leave you with a good bottom end spare, should it ever become necessary. The impreza engine would also have the TD05 turbo, which is better.
If you did decide to do a head swap only, the ideally you should fit pistons to suit, as the compression ratio will be raised slightly otherwise. Not a problem if using standard boost levels. You would also need the plastic backing plates for the timing belt cover as they are different. ( Drivers side mostly, the pass side is very similar )
If you are paying someone to do a head swap, id guess that by the time you have paid for the labour, to remove engine, strip and remove the heads, new head gaskets etc. and replace, then a complete engine swap, which take a lot less time, and less parts would in my opinion be the better long term option.

STE.W.

Ustolemyname... Thanks for the reply.

What model year engines would be best suited or will they all be ok.

I would like the easiest option with the best end result.

Where is the best place to source a complete engine and would you say its a job for the common garden mechanic or should I go to a specialist to carry out the conversion work??

Sorry about the volume of questions.

Ste.W.

ustolemyname??stevieturbo

iTrader: (1)

Pretty much anything 93 onwards will fit, but easiest would be 93-96 as inlet manifolds etc are all the same, and if you get a complete engine, then you will also get the TD05.
I see Rally Colin sells a few bits here, so perhaps he may have something.
I dont live in England, so cant really recommend any breakers, or mechanics anywhere near you. Hopefully someone else will recommend somewhere for you who you can trust to do the work.
I do say that the job is pretty straightforward, but I would still tell you to get someone who has good experience with subarus to do the job. Better safe than sorry.

LEGACYTURBS

I had the same problem with my93 legacy turbo, had impreza heads fitted. After that the car sounded sweet.Good luck mate

STE.W.

Thanks for the response people.

I was well wound up with the car on Thursday evening after the shopping run so I thought I'd do a "Bassil Faulty" on it and give it a damn good thrashing!

I blasted it for approx 45 mins over the moors and back. It seems to have made a difference!!

Could this be the hydraulics have pressurised due to increase in oil pressure underload etc?

Has the oil been thrown around the engine by the spirited lesson teaching?

It was a lot colder on Thursday night compared to the weekend temps, it surely isnt temp related is it?

The tappets are still rattly but no where near as bad as Thursday night - please advise why.

Could an oil pump problem cause tappets to become noisey?

How long should it take for the tappet additive to start to work and would the thrashing it received have thrown the additive up top with the oil?? (I maybe didnt give it long enough - oil changed 150 miles ago.)

Once again a barrage of question - soz.

STE.W.

STE.W.

TTT for the Legacy boys coming in for their tea!

Charlie H

t.t.t. cos I want to know why mine does it as well

STE.W.

Get back up there.

Charlie and me need to know

Paul Michael Davis

I can drive to a track day in mine with the tappets rattling, thrash it round the track all day, this not only shuts them up but can keep em quite for a couple of weeks.

Its got to have something to do with the higher revs (oil flow/pressure) flushing them out.

next time i'll remove and clean the sump and ghange the oil and filter after and see how long the tappets are quite for then.
Think maybe it could be to do with swarf in the heads getting flushed to the sump then making its way back to the tappets again.

anyone now if the sump comes off easily on a my92 leg turbo?

Also the noise is not only anoying but it cuts the power of the engine as the inj computer thinks the engine is pinking and backs off the turbo boost and ignition timming!!

ustolemyname??stevieturbo

iTrader: (1)

Why do you want to try and remove the sump?

NutterKam

I used Wynns with a 15/50 motorsport oil (not Mobil). Takes a few trips to sort the tappets but has worked for me so far. Unfortunately got other problems with it right now!