legacycentral bbs

Ever since I bought my 93 legacy (ej22) it has smoked and used oil. I nevr really worried about it since its a relatively good running car otherwise, and I'm really only using it for a beater. I always just figured the thing had been beat to hell before I owned it. It was barely ever serviced. When I got it I dropped the oil pan for a good cleaning....wow!

I have been thinking lately of trying to make it a bit better (get it to stop smoking and using oil). Since I know the HLAs have never been blead I was wondering if you guys thought that could reduce oil consumption and burn (it does clack a little bit)? Its still a remarkable little car at 32 mpg highway (and there was the one 400 mile free way trip I took at 35 mpg).

any thoughts?

Unless things are plugged somewhere, they should bleed themself.

The oil consumption is probably valve guides. A compression test should tell you whether it's the valves/guides or the piston.

Excuse my stupidity. . . maybe lack of remembrance, but probably stupidity. . . but what are HLA's?

Horn Lubrication Association


.....I'm such an imature prick!


HLA = Hydraulic Lash Adjuster

wait, cars have horns right? haha thanks. . . I would have believed you. . . quite baffled, but I wouldn't know the difference

Sweetie (Laura)...remember when we took the rocker blocks out of your heads, and it had the little dealies in the ends of the rocker arms, that push on the valves...those are the HLA's

Well, gosh. . . that's all y'all had ta say. I'm one of those point-to-it-and-tell-ya-what-it-does sorta people, not the I'm-so-smart-I-can-memorize-every-frickin-"dealie" sorta people.

Thanks, darlin (555BCTurbo), for putting it in my kinda terminology. . . but then again, who doesn't know what a dealie or a whatchya-ma-callit is?

Have you tried replacing the PCV valve with an OEM one from Subaru? I have seen so many Subarus burn large amounts of oil because of a sticky PCV valve. The EA-series cars are a lot worse about this problem, but the EJ-series cars, despite vast improvements in PCV system design, are not immune to it either. Subaru engines are generally very easy on rings and valve guides. I have never personally seen an oil-burning Subaru engine that ran well otherwise that was burning oil because of anything besides the PCV valve.

Oh, and if your lifters are ticking, try a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil in your next oil change. It sometimes takes about 1000 miles to work completely, but it usually cleans up the lifters and stops the ticking.

LOL....Just bought the Marvel Oil. I'll try the PCV valve. Couldn't hurt to change it anyway...

Its always seemed funny to me that I get such good gas mileage but still burn so much oil. Its not a huge deal...just kind of an annoyance.

My mathmatics is....
Rebuilt head = about $300-$500 per side
As is (quart of oil between oil changes) = $2-$3 -I can do this a lot! If it gets worse I'll just put the oil filler tube inside the car, like the 4wd rally trucks.

I just hate driving a car that smokes. People see it and think...thats a Subaru. I would prefer them to see smoke coming from the tires of my EJ22T....and them thinking..."that ass holes going to kill someone!"

Haha, I guess burning lots of oil is a relative term that changes quite a bit based on geography. I'm from a small town in SE Alaska, and most people here consider "serious oil burning" to be more than a quart per gas tank!

Yeah, I wouldn't call this a serious oil burn at all. If it got to the point that it burned a quart per gas tank I would drop in the engine from my 91 L. Might do that anyway. That engine always seemed to have more pep...but never got 32 mpg.

Laura wrote:Well, gosh. . . that's all y'all had ta say. I'm one of those point-to-it-and-tell-ya-what-it-does sorta people, not the I'm-so-smart-I-can-memorize-every-frickin-"dealie" sorta people.

Thanks, darlin (555BCTurbo), for putting it in my kinda terminology. . . but then again, who doesn't know what a dealie or a whatchya-ma-callit is?

Hello Laura,
I just saw a new poster here that had a nice way with words so I took the liberty to read your other posts, you are very likable...... Look forward to reading more of your light harted, "I-don't-take-myself-or-anybody-else-too-seriously" kind of stuff.
I had a real crap-ola kind of day today and you made me forget about it for a minute or two....
Thanks!
Frank

ever try mobil1? an old car sales trick. it will still "burn oil",but it won't blow blue. give it a try.