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  #1  
Old 08-08-2009, 04:25 PM
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BIG Problems...I think

At some piont today my engine ran out of oil...very bad I know. This morning began making a slight tapping sound (like maybe a stuck valve) which I have known before to be attributed to low oil. I stopped and checked to oil and it was fine (just recently got the oil changed). Some time after that point, apparently all the oil leaked out. Driving home and I started hear a bad rattle from the engine so I stopped and shut it off. Only then did the oil light come on and of course it was bone dry. I figure I'm pretty much f***ed cause it sounds awful. But I hitched a ride and got oil and filled it up and when I started it, it sounded fine. So I continued home. Just as I got into town (15 min later) the noise started again and much worse this time (sounds worse than a diesel on a cold morning). I'm guessing this is really bad, I'm wondering if anyone here might have any idea how bad.
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  #2  
Old 08-08-2009, 04:42 PM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

My mom ran her mazda 626 dry of oil. She ended up frying most of the piston rings and bendindg most of the valves. Does yours have any smoke coming out the back like crazy?
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  #3  
Old 08-08-2009, 05:38 PM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

No, not smoking at all. That would indicate rings, right? So you think bent valves then? I was guessing something to do with the valves because the rate of the rattle seems to be about the rate that the valves operate at, it sounds like it might only be one.
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Old 08-08-2009, 05:50 PM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

Does the noise get louder with higher rpms? I no one time my car sat for about a week without it being started and I had a loud knock coming from the motor for about 20 min then it went away. It was from the oil being drained out of the motor from sitting so long. Try running a can of seafoam in the oil.
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  #5  
Old 08-08-2009, 06:05 PM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

If your lifters collapse it would make an awful tapping sound similar to a cracked flexplate. Mine went away after adding oil and running it for a while, then learning never to do that again
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  #6  
Old 08-08-2009, 06:50 PM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

How big a deal is that to fix? I've pulled off, machined and replaced heads on an mx6 once but never any rebuilding. Got the car towed to the subaru dealer to see what they think. Said they'd look at it for free. I wouldn't mind taking a stab at doing the work myself. If I do that I imagine I'll be on here a lot then. So anyone with any knowledge on this: I'll be picking your brains a bit. Once I can pull the heads off I'll know for sure.
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Old 08-08-2009, 06:57 PM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

Quote:
Originally Posted by radarwhiz View Post
How big a deal is that to fix? I've pulled off, machined and replaced heads on an mx6 once but never any rebuilding. Got the car towed to the subaru dealer to see what they think. Said they'd look at it for free. I wouldn't mind taking a stab at doing the work myself. If I do that I imagine I'll be on here a lot then. So anyone with any knowledge on this: I'll be picking your brains a bit. Once I can pull the heads off I'll know for sure.
search for the thread that "techy" has on pulling and resealing the engine. You should get most of the info you need there.

Edit: here it is
http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=49482
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Old 08-08-2009, 07:19 PM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

How did you lose all the oil?? Where was it coming out?
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  #9  
Old 08-09-2009, 07:27 AM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

I can't really determine where it leaked out at. I just happened yesterday and I haven't got a chance to get underneath to inspect it better. And since It was while I was driving, oil is blown all over everything and making it hard to tell.

Shouldn't the oil light have come on once it started leaking and oil pressure dropped? before this happened to warn me?
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  #10  
Old 08-09-2009, 07:51 AM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

Check the oil leak, fix it, fill it with oil and drive it. I have run EG33's w/o oil pressure before due to a broken oil pump. Got me home over 1 mile in the city. You may have premature bearing failure due to running it w/o oil but if the light was only on for a second it is likely nothing is too bad

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Old 08-09-2009, 10:12 AM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

The problem with the oil light is once the oil is low enough to starve the oil pump and kick on the light, its too low to splash the cylinder walls and you usually end up scoring them and losing a lot of compression. After you fix the leak, keep an eye out for oil being burned off, or a noticeable loss of engine power. This will give a fair indication of any ring or cylinder damage.
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  #12  
Old 08-09-2009, 01:08 PM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

Tom
You didn't say anything about valve damage, do you think that's not probable? That is kinda what I was expecting with the noise it's making. I've filled it back up with oil and don't see any particles in it. Do you really think it will be no more harmful to try to run it?

Tim
Could you possibly explain what happens when lifters collapse? When this first happened I immediately filled it back up with oil and the noise went away for about 10 miles then it came back and is much worse now.
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  #13  
Old 08-09-2009, 01:11 PM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

Quote:
Originally Posted by radarwhiz View Post
Tom
You didn't say anything about valve damage, do you think that's not probable? That is kinda what I was expecting with the noise it's making. I've filled it back up with oil and don't see any particles in it. Do you really think it will be no more harmful to try to run it?

Tim
Could you possibly explain what happens when lifters collapse? When this first happened I immediately filled it back up with oil and the noise went away for about 10 miles then it came back and is much worse now.
The EG33 is not interference, so if a valve did hang due to a lack of oiling, it would never hit the piston and you would have a dead miss due to the lack of compression in the cylinder in question.

Tim is right that the clattering you would have heard was the lifter's bleeding out and causing the clearance between the cam and the lifter to increase and you are hearing the valve smack the seat.

Piston rings can be worn due to no oil on the wall as they travel but this is typical to engines that were run for some extended period of time after being starved of oil.

So at this point, fill it with oil, run it for a little while and try to find out where it is leaking. Fix the leak and go from there

Tom
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Old 08-09-2009, 01:19 PM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

Ok. Just trying to make sure that whatever is causing the noise will not damage it any more if I run it like that.
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  #15  
Old 08-09-2009, 01:45 PM
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Re: BIG Problems...I think

Quote:
Originally Posted by radarwhiz View Post
Ok. Just trying to make sure that whatever is causing the noise will not damage it any more if I run it like that.
It shouldn't but I may be off because I cannot diagnose a noise over teh interwebs. Worth a shot, if it is that bad, it is going to need an engine anyway

Tom
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