EJ22 oil leak

H

Hallraker

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
 
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.
 
x-no-archive: yes
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
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.
 
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 www.nasioc.com 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.
 
Hallraker said:
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

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
 
Rick Courtright said:
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.
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
 
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.
 

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