Jim said:
If my seals were leaking or my engine was consumming oil...would it be
painfully obvious to me? Or might it be something I need to look for??
Any drips of oil on the floor underneath the engine? If so, yes, you
have a leaky seal. If not, you could still have a tiny leak, but nothing
to fret over--it will just make the engine grimy. Engine oil
consumption's a "risk tolerance" thing. Most mfrs won't talk to you
about oil consumption being a problem unless you're going thru more than
a quart in 1000 miles. My experience with a variety of engines is that a
quart in 2000 to 3000 miles is about right for my driving style once the
engine's got some miles, though as long as it's less than 1 qt/k mi I
don't worry. A few of newer engines may show minimal oil usage in as
much as 5000 miles. I check my oil at least once a week (depends on time
of year as my mileage varies tremendously by "season") and keep it
topped up, adding 1/4 to 1/2 qt or so as needed. Friends think I'm nuts.
I'm the only one of them with over 350k miles on an original engine. You
pays your money and you takes your choices.
Also, I wasn't aware that they changed seals with the timing belt. Is
that part of the normal service? What seals are those?
Probably not a part of normal service unless you do it yourself or ask
your mechanic/dealer to do it. Seals you want to pay attention to are
the camshaft seals (one on each side of the engine), the front main
crank seal, and the O-rings on the back and regular seal on the front of
the oil pump. All these are quite easy to service during a timing belt
change cuz the engine's already stripped down for easy access. Some
people add a water pump to the list of "just do its" cuz it, too,
requires the same disassembly as t-belt service. BTW, if you do the
t-belt yourself, or have in independent mechanic doing it, Subaru OEM
belts are the only way to go. Life expectancy of aftermarket belts, even
top name brands, CAN be lower than should be expected.
I've noticed lately my engine is starting to show some of it's age.
It's a bit pickier about my clutch work when it's cold and when I
change the oil I can really feel the difference afterwards. These are
We all get older, find it harder to get out of bed in the morning, and
hear stranger noises each year while doing so...
The clutch could be
getting worn, there could also be a bit of oil leakage from the rear
main seal onto it. The added perkiness after an oil change is something
many of us "perceive" even in newer engines, though it could also be a
signal an engine flush is in order. You can use Rislone to help clean
things out while you drive, Marvel Mystery Oil in the crankcase does the
same, or you can go to more aggressive cleaners at an oil change. I'd
start w/ Rislone or MMO--they're far less likely to bust loose a big
deposit of "stuff" and clog something.
HTH,
Rick
