oil pump... just replace?

#1 07-02-2003, 06:24 AM

I have a 92LS-L with about 165,000 on it. Runs great. I am wondering, should the oil pump be replaced as a matter of good, long-term maintenance? I'll be away for a week soon and had considered just having it done. I've pretty much kept up on all the other stuff...

benebob · #2 07-02-2003, 08:43 AM

I'd do it at the second t belt change (or about 150k). Subie pumps are good for about 180k before they crap out. Rebuilding is possible but only gets a few more years out of it. Buy a new one they aren't that expensive but I wouldn't do it unless you're doing something else in there.

Phast SVX · #3 07-02-2003, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by benebob
I'd do it at the second t belt change (or about 150k). Subie pumps are good for about 180k before they crap out. Rebuilding is possible but only gets a few more years out of it. Buy a new one they aren't that expensive but I wouldn't do it unless you're doing something else in there.

no offense but where did you come up with the 180k estimate?
phil

benebob · #4 07-02-2003, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Phast SVX

no offense but where did you come up with the 180k estimate?
phil

Well starting with the How to Keep Subaru's Alive book which says they'll last about 120k (going by 1980's technology for the seals), most mechanics will recommend replacement or at least a rebuild at the second (or 3rd t-belt change). Plus the fact that everyone I personally new that had one go in a Legacy based engine it went around the 150-200k mark, RARELY BEFORE!!!! Usually they would just start leaking b/c the seals would crap out. Granted you have a lot of people that have 'em for 250k but to me its pretty much like a water pump. Much cheaper to pay the $100 or so for a new one before it goes then deal with the aftermath if you don't.

svx_commuter · #5 07-02-2003, 09:58 AM

I had a 97 OBS and the oil pump went at about 90k miles. The plate on the back of the rotor housing came loose. It's held in with six(?) flat head phillips screws. The pumps wear out because the rotor and the plate wear. The clearance between the rotating and stationary parts increase. This causes internal circulation in the pump and a lowering of discharge flow/ pressure. On the OBS it pushed out the oil seal. So if you see the oil seal pushed out of the housing, the pump is really bad.
I have two used oil pumps now from the SVX. One with 150k miles and the other with 110k miles, well that's if they were never replaced and there's no way for me to know that. I have been meaning to check the clearance of the rotor to plate. It would be interesting.

#6 07-02-2003, 10:25 AM

So, I'm getting the sense from you all that at 160,000 I should replace mine. Now, I don't have anything else that I know has to be done, so it would just be the oil pump... While the tech is in there, is there anything else that should be done? How big a dela is changing the oil pump?

svx_commuter · #7 07-02-2003, 11:47 AM

The oil pump is way in there. The T-belt has to come out so consider the, Water pump, Cam seals and Crank seal. If your T-belt isn't due you may want to wait on doing the oil pump.

The idler pulleys for the alternator and a.c. compressor are due too.

The ones that keep me guessing are the T-belt sprokets and idler pulleys...... someday those bearings are going to go. I hope with a lot of warning.

#8 07-02-2003, 01:28 PM

I did the idler pulley on the a/c just last month, the t-belts were done 20k ago, the cam seals about 10k ago... the idler on the a/c gave me about 2 weeks of warning, then it seized...

benebob · #9 07-02-2003, 01:45 PM

Water pump? It is much cheaper to do it all at the same time regardless of if it is going bad or not. Then again. If they put a bad part in you're in the same boat so it is kinda apples to apples.

huck369 · #10 07-02-2003, 07:53 PM

The crank seal is in the front of the oil pump, so the crank seal will come with the oil pump, it is right behind the t-belt, if you haven't replaced the water pump before, go ahead and do it to, tthe cam seals are oly like $8 each so do them too, then everything in the front of the engine will be new again...oh yeah, put a new T-belt on to

All of these things will be easy to do when you get it down to the oil pump.

Just did all that myself...except the oil pump.....now my lifters are pecking

...shouldn't have cheaped out and got a Oil pump while I was in there, now I have to take it all back apart

oh well, thats just the way my luck has been running lately

#11 07-02-2003, 07:55 PM

Did the water pump last December. It and the idler pulley are the only two things that have ever gone on this car... The rest was just maintenance I thought should be done...

#12 07-03-2003, 05:55 AM

So let's say I get the oil pump done anyway, and therefore the T-Belts. Is this a job my own mechanic can do or are special tools required (for special tools, I'm thinking more about the T-belts...).

huck369 · #13 07-03-2003, 06:00 AM

No special tools required

curlykicker · #14 07-31-2003, 04:38 PM

I was reading another post that said that most of the time the only thing that needs to be replaced is the oil pump o-ring, not the entire pump. What's your guy's opinion?

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