Oil pump gasket.
 

Now that I have to dig around the front of my car to fix my power steering hoses (hopefully that's all), I'm thinking of replacing my oil pump's gasket (and perhaps the pump too). Is it readily accessable, or is it buried away in the engine bay? Are there any "Oil Pump Gasket for Dummies" guides out there? Thanks.

Clarke

:eek: :eek: You mean pulling your timing belt cover, and idlers, etc.?? :eek: :eek:

Personally, I would save that job for when you replace the timing belt. That's kind of a hefty job just to do the gasket alone. :)

Agreed. Changing that front crank/oil pump seal isn't exactly a walk in the park.

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/fil...etkd/23832.jpg

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/fil...etkd/23833.jpg

It's a pretty cheap part (~$5), but the process of replacing it is very involved! :eek:

-Chike

That's what I thought... I need to replace the belt and the cam seals at the same time. I'm scared of that repair.. Does anyone know of a good Independent repair shop in the Greenville, SC or Charlotte, NC area? I knew a guy in Greenville (Chris something I think) that used to own a place called "The Roadshow". He was a great former Subaru tech that knew all about the SVX. He had all the books and equipment to work on them and we specially trained by Subaru on the SVX. Unfortunatly he is no longer on his own. He went back to dealership work.

Good luck finding one around here. If it was me I'd hit one of the north carolina dealers near asheville/hendersonville area. Check nasioc.com southeast region for some locals up there who know good shops.

That repair isn't all that difficult really - as long as the crank sprocket comes off easy and you have tools to get the cam sprockets off the rest is a breeze.

What dealer is Chris working at now?

He worked on my car when he was at the Steve White subaru dealer about 5 years ago.

There is no gasket for the oil pump. Factory used an RTV for the oil pump. If you mean the front seal, that is what Chike is showing you. Also, there is really no need to replace the oil pump as they are self-lubricating, so as long as there is oil in the car, it won't wear out in less than 200k in my opinion

Tom

I'm not sure... I don't think it's a Subaru dealer. If I knew, I'd try to reach him and see if he'd like to do some sideline work on my car.

Yea, I need to replace the timing belt and all the "front seals". That's according to a Subaru dealer in Orlando. I'd do it myself but I just don't have the working knowledge of the SVX to undertake the job. I've done engine work on my 635CSi and my Triumph TR8, but those don't really compare to the flat 6 in the SVX...

Yea, it's the front seal that's bad... It's pouring out oil... Since getting to it requires removing the timeing cover, belt, etc, I think I just need ot get a shop to do it.

It would be good to do the water pump while you are doing the timing belt. They don't last forever. The entire job really isn't that difficult, but you do need a few specialty tools. If you have a garage where you can do the work and a spare car, you can take your time with the repair.

Noob here...
 

I've got an SVX with a similar problem (front oil pump seal). My problem is this- I have nowhere to work on the car. How much, respectively, would it cost for someone else to do it? Sorry if that question is assenine. I just need to know because this car is about to go on a trip to Texas from Florida (about 1,200miles give or take) and I need it to make it! Any help would be appreciated. By the way, sorry to hijack the thread.

There is an o-ring behind the pump that seals it to the engine. With time they can leak. However the most common leak is the crankshaft seal as it not only seals the crankshaft, as in a normal engine, but also seals oil pump pressure.

It really is a good idea to replace the crank seal and the oil pump o-ring when replacing the t-belt. Many times cam seals are replaced also but I've found that most of the oil thought to be coming from them is actually just carried away from the crank sprocket by the belt. I've been finding that the crank seal begins seeping around 30k miles and when removed is rock-hard.

Replacing the o-ring behind the pump is easy once the t-belt is removed. Once the pump is off it's an easy task to punch the crank seal out from the back. BE WARY - many people have been abused by dealers/shops that oversell, stating that an oil pump must be replaced because it is leaking/age/etc.

The above should be permanently recorded in the "How To" stuff.