The Purvis Eureka Forum

Hey all I have a Subaru EA82 fuel injected turbo motor in my Eureka does anyone know anything about these motors it ticks after it warms up and the oil pressure seems to go down i am guessing the oil pump maybe stuffed i was informed the motor was recoed and new turbo before I purchased it, i had a mechanic look at it he stated it was either the oil pump and quoted me $1000 for a new one installed or its the lifters or belts in the motor this could cost me heaps and may not be the problem or does anyone know where i can get an aftermarket oil pump for this motor that i can fit myself see if it fixes the problem I can’t find one anywhere even factory Subaru quoted me $750 crazy price and would take a month to arrive from O/S if one can be found.

also turbo's does anyone know how much Boost i can run comfortably with these motors the current pressure is set at 5 PSI?

cheers MJM

Perhaps you could try some Lucas Oil Conditioner to boost the Oil Pressure within the Motor and see if the Ticking goes away?

Hi

You may have a number of problems with these simptions

Is there any others

Andrew

I have a EA82 efi n/a in my eureka and it has a lifter that tick from time to time ,When we went to the gokart track @ Mildura it got pretty hot and the engine rattled like hell,once it cooled down and the oil thickened back up it went away,try new oil of a good grade it my help.
Cheers..Darren T

hi all thanks for the sugestions i tried the oil first i am using 10w 30 oil subaru said this is the correct oil, i currently have nulon in it at the moment the last one i used was penrite both expensive oils still makes the noise only at idle once it warms up oil pressure low so i give it a rev when sitting at the lights seems to shut up the noise, but everyone thinks i want to race so i may try another brand of oil this weekend see how i go i just dont want to damage the motor other suggestion from the mechanic was who rebuilt the motor put old part back on such as oil pump he stated it is not a bearing noise from inside.

cheers matt

Hi
Where are you based
Check motor running temp at head
Check rocker gear as loose rockers will give low oil pressure
Check oil filter (cut open and check for content )
Check oil level and check dip stick is right (low oil leve leads to oil being over heated and this makes the oil thiner )
I do not know the motor well but check the oil pressure relief valve operation (can be stuck open)
Tune can also play a part in both oil temp and boost pressure check the tune and valve timing


Andrew

Is it a ticking or tapping noise? Mine (also an ea82t) started making tapping noise during the meet, and hasn't quieted down yet. I changed oil/filter just before the meet, but my flaps (friendly local auto parts store) didn't have the oil I normally use. Normally I use 15/40w(I think) Nulon (think semi synthetic), but they only had 10/30w. I'm thinking that the thinner oil, whist it should normally be easier to spread through the engine, may have indeed been too thin. Thinner would be a little better for an older engine you should think. I get paid this week, so I'm thinking of getting the 15/40w and change the oil.

I'll have a check of the weight of the oil I prefer tomorrow and post it up tomorrow. Either way, I use Nulon.

As for boost, I think mines set up around 10 psi (which I think is 1 bar in the new talk). I wouldn't run much more than 12 psi without getting tougher internals in your engine.   

I haven't tried sourcing a new oil pump for mine yet, either a oem or after market pump. A quick check on eBay doesn't find one for an ea82T, but one from a US Subaru Brat (here it's the Brumby) for a 1.6l  engine from around the same period is selling for $80 (and that includes $40 shipping to Oz). I'd be surprised if you have to spend over $150 here. The main cost should/will be labor. 

The ea82 was fitted to the Leone, Brumby and Vortex (donor for both mine and redreeks engines), though being turbo I think the water pump and oil pump are different to the non turbo engines. When looking for parts remember that in the US the Leone was also the Leone or by trim level such as the GL or DL, the Brumby was the Brat in the US, and also known as the Shifter in the UK, and the Vortex was the XT in the UK & US and called the Alcyone in Japan.

Just remember to check that the parts you need work on the turbo version of the engine.  ;)

Also found this little bit of info on noisy tappets for ea82 engines (http://www.subaclub.com/TechTalk/noisyea82.htm).

Think I'll certainly give the oil change a go (thicker oil) and a short hard blat up the road. Think I know just the road.   ;)

Hi all i am in canberra i have ted's old yellow pl30 from what Ted and last owner stated george had replaced the motor and turbo, dont know if it was done right but the motor is tapping when warms up does not do it when cold does not run hot at all i may try a diffrent grad of oil thanks CYCO and everyone for advise maybe the oil is two thin when hot Subaru may have given me bad advise on the oil or i have checked on u tube it seems if any carbon gets in the heads these motor can make a tapping noise.

Regards Matt

Just checked, and the oil I use is Nulon 15w/40 (http://www.nulon.com.au/products/Engine_Oils/15W-40_Modern_Everyday_Engine_Oil/#.UMFCz6yBCM0).

There is an Upper Engine Cleaner you can buy from Subaru which is meant to clean the piston crowns, cylinder walls and valves. From memory it's about $20. So if you want to give it a try it won't break the bank even if it doesn't solve the problem. At least the upper engine will be clean.   ;)

As I stated earlier, the Luca's Oil Conditioner is legendary at upping Oil Pressure on worn engines.
It's not going to be a permanent fix, but it'll at least confirm that Oil Pressure is what is the cause of the tapping noise.

I used it my P38 Range Rover 4.6 V8 before I could get a chance to change the Oil Pump and it worked wonders.

thanks everyone i purchased the thicker nulon oil today and adatives that where suggested, CYCO since you are running the same motor can you confirm what oil filter/number you use on your eureka? i dont think i would have the wrong one but it does not hurt to see anything is worth looking at. i went to start it today dead battery had to buy a new one so i could not change the oil keep you posted.

Cheers Matt

Ok, so I went out to check the filter. I'm not using a genuine filter, so it has a different serial/part number, but I do remember it having the right part number on the box as well as the other number. What the original number is/was, I don't remember.

(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y105/cycoholic/My%20Eureka%20F4/photo001.jpg)

As I went to look under the car to get the number off the filter, I noticed something else. Looks like I do have an oil problem, but a bit larger one than I had thought. An oil change isn't going to fix this;

(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y105/cycoholic/My%20Eureka%20F4/photo002.jpg)

Looks like I have a bung gasket. Which would still explain the tappets making noise, as the engine is having trouble keeping the oil pressure.

 >:(

thanks CYCO for the info sorry to hear about the oil leak, i did not get the chance to change the oil the roof has stopped working I can’t catch a break, I just had the car rewired last year hope it’s nothing serious, I will have a look this weekend I checked the motor for oil leaks on mine not one leak I noticed the exhaust is very close to the sump runs around the back of the car may wrap some exhaust tape around the exhaust while under the car.

Cheers Matt

Yeah, it sucks. Wish I had bothered to check that earlier, as now I'm probably going to have to wait until early next year before I drag it to the mechanic to do the gasket. I'm pretty sure his plate is already full and trying to cut work down so he can close over X-mas/NYE.

Well, I've had some success.

Ween I was looking the engine over, and generally swearing, I noticed that the gasket for the oil filler looked somewhat crap. A quick look around the net and local auto parts, and a gasket for the oil filler couldn't be had (unless I bought a whole gasket kit, and waited for it to come from the US).

(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y105/cycoholic/My%20Eureka%20F4/notjustoils_zps44e284ff.jpg)

So off I went to the local auto store to gather some supplies. New bottle of 15w/40 Nulon oil, Nulon Oil Flush, a new sump plug (the old one, while only a couple of years old, put up a valiant struggle. I had to take a metal file to it whist still on the sump because it was jammed hard and was rounding), some gasket stripper, and some gasket paper. I also bought some high temp silicone as I couldn't find my other tube. Of course, I found the other tube as soon as I got back. I'll just keep the new tube as it may come in handy.

Unbolted the oil filler. I then got a small section of rag and stopped the entry into the engine so nothing would fall in! Then I hit the face on the engine block for the oil filler with the gasket stripper. I let that set for 5 to 10 minutes.

I then traced the outline of the oil filler onto the gasket paper and cut it out. I used some radio nose pliers to help 'trace' the bolt holes and the throat of the oil filler. Then I cut that out. One new gasket!

First time I made one, and it came out great, at least I think so. Of course, I forgot to take photos.  :-\ I know I could have used something else other than gasket paper, but it only cot around $10. I dimly remember dad using cardboard from a cereal packet. But I'm pretty sure he only did that until he could get a proper gasket.

I then very carefully removed the old gasket using a safety razor in a scraper handle. Making sure none fell on top of the rag. If any did, I made sure I got it off straight away. I also made sure not to score the face of the engine block under the old gasket. I then did the same to the face on the oil filler. Most of the old gasket was on the engine side of things.

I then smeared just a little of the high temp silicone onto the oil filler face, like about 1mm thin. Then I stuck the new gasket to the oil filler, then put more silicone on the other side of the gasket. Then I bolted it home.

I let it sit for a bit, then I turned the car on. The tapping noise hadn't gone away over night. Shame. I put in some of the Oil Flush, and let it run for 15 minutes. Then I turned the car off and let it sit for a few minutes. But not too long as it's best to do it while the oil is still warm. Had fun trying to remove the sump plug and not get hot oil over my hands. Had a partial success. lol Let it drain until I couldn't see any dripping out. I also had taken the oil filler car off and the old oil filter (really only a couple months since it was fitted). Fitted the new oil filter, and the new sum plug with the old washer. The new ones are a white nylon. My old one is copper. I prefer the idea of the copper one to the nylon. The composition of the nylon is probably a high temp, but I know the copper one won't melt. lol

Put in 4 liters of the 15w/40 and went for a spin. Just worked it out, it was around 90klm and took about 1.5 hours. give or take. Mostly crusing at the speed limit. Had a, erm, spirited competition with a Bentley GT, and lost. Had another spirited competition with a Honda Prelude, and won. Well, at least until we went our separate ways.   

About half way through my drive, I noticed the tapping had stopped! But it wasn't to last. It's now somewhat intermittent, but is much less noticeable most of the time. So now I'm leaning towards a sticky lifter.

I was going to buy some Lifter Free additive (also Nulon), when I went to the auto store. But I was hoping this afternoons work would fix my problem.   





 

There was a modification that was done by Subaru to fix this problem. I can't remember what it was but someone that has worked on these should know it. I had mine fixed by Taree Mechanical Services a few years back in a Subaru Wagon, there is new owners there now thou, he did it for the Subaru dealer as well.

wynns engine oil stop leak usually works well as my son put me on to it and what do you know "no more leaks" ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Hi

I have found that larger sound system will help with the motor noise 100-500 watts rms you will not hear it and yes I have been drinking

Andrew

The amount of oil leak, if any, is negligible. I certainly don't see any on the floor of my garage. Other than what I spilled when I changed the oil. :roll: I've yet to try the lifter free yet, I did the oil change on saturday, and decided to leave the lifter free until this weekend. Maybe. lol

And yes, I know a loud sound system will 'fix' the noisy lifter. That's how I survived the trip home from Bathurst. lol   ;)

Hey guys,

A few thoughts b4 the kids find me. The thicker oil for older engines has a cushioning effect on valves, etc. I would also check valve clearances before replacing parts. Fun job for those who like to play and generally you shouldn't need to replace parts. Access is probably also a lot better than when in a suby.

Cyco in your second picture you show a banjo fitting which should have a copper washer on either side of banjo. Otherwise its not uncommon for suby's to be a bit wet for one reason or another but if its not dripping noticeably than it should have no effect on oil pressure. Given though that its noisy when warm I would say easy fix is the 10w40 or even 20w50. Don't forget that even in good condition these engines are still old.

Time to go...kids on loose.

Ah, never noticed that! Thanks for pointing that out. I don't' know if it's been like that since I've had it, or it's one of the several mechanics that didn't fit the copper washers. I'll have to get some and rectify that. And yeah, I'm well aware that my engine is over 20 years old. I've got the 15w/40 in it now, but I probably won't get around to trying the lifter free until next weekend when I got 4 days off.

hi all changed the oil with the thicker stuff +Addative still makes a bit of noise but i cant drive it so it may go away with a good run had a hell of a time getting the sump bolt and filter off took me all day should have taken 20 minutes, i noticed CYCO also had dramas, i think it maybe the tappets that need ajusting the noise seems to be coming from the drivers side head, might pull the rocker covers off and a have look when i get a chance not sure if they are hydraluic or ajustable anyway oil pressure sits a lot better on the guage so maybe the pump is ok after all just need to fix the steering and the roof then it should be back on the road. :)

Cheers MJM

Yeah, I have no idea how my sump plug got so damn tight as well, took way too long to get the damn thing off. The lifters/tappets are hydraulic on these Scoobie motors, relying on oil pressure to adjust themselves. I haven't tried the lifter free stuff yet, planning on that for next weekend.

One other suggestion I've read is to use 500ml of Automatic Transmission fluid in with the oil. The theory being that there is oily sludge in the oil galleries, and the ATF helps dilute/fluch it out. I would have thought that is kinda what the Oil Flush would do.

Hi again lads, if you have hydraulic lifters than you will more than likely need to remove them, clean them and reassemble again to fix the problem. Basically over time the oil ends up gluing the lifter together. Not hard to do just takes some time. Rocker cover gasket may need to be replaced but often not necessary. I would suggest getting a manual just to familiarise yourself with the job before you start. The problem with adding any sort of additive to rectify the problem may also cause other problems. If you use something that will remove carbon (as someone suggested), then your engine will more than likely start burning oil and therefore blow smoke. Just remember the lifter sticks because the oil turns to something like a varnish. If hot oil under pressure won't clear it. Thinner oil at the same temp and pressure more than likely won't clear it also. Hydraulic tappets for subarus (and other manufacturers) have been a short lived exercise for good reason.

For mjm, if you don't have hydraulic lifters then go the adjustment, its often skipped/overlooked by mechanics if the engine runs ok to save time when doing major services. If your engine is old it probably hasn't been done in a while, if its been recently reconditioned than things may have bedded in and need nipping up. Generally now they use head bolts that don't need retensioning but sometimes they do! If you can't drive your car, running the engine for a while is still a good idea. Stick it in the back yard and run it a bit above idle just to get it warm, get the thermostat open, etc. You could always block up the back end as well just to turn the trans and diff too if its going to be a while between drives.

Keep us posted about how it goes.

Any progress on this lads?

Cheers

Not yet. I haven't touched the car since the last post. I'm planning on hitting the car with the lifter free stuff this weekend, then hopefully taking it for a series of road trips to see what happens.

The ea82 series of Scooby motors has hydraulic lifters, and are not manually adjustable. The engines on either side of it (the ea81 and the entire EJ line) didn't have the hydraulic lifters as I understand it. Almost seems like the ea82 was kind of experiment, and as they didn't pan out as promised, dropped the idea.

I'm really hoping that the lifter free works, as I can't really afford to get the lifters done. I'm going to go with a lifter additive and not the ATF, the ATF is meant to do the same thing the proper lifter additive does, but at a probable expense of thinning the oil and maybe starving the bearings and cylinder walls. Not something I'd really want to do.

Been looking for this topic, somehow I couldn't find it for ages. And now I look at the last post, and it was december last year! lol

Well, I've barely done the 500klm... :-[ I haven't driven it much this year at all. My bad. I took it to a local mechanic I've been told is good with Scoobys, and he's had it for a couple of weeks. The reason I took it to the mechanic, was because on the last couple of runs in the car, I had a engine problem. A loss of power. Engine still running, just no go. So with that coupled with the sticky lifter, I figured someone should sort it out, so I can then do my usual, and try and get everything done at the last minute (gearbox/fuel tank/exhaust). lol

And then found out, it's not a sticky lifter. You stick your head in the engine bay when the engine is running and tapping away, and you can pick the lifter making the noise. One of my work mates who's handy with cars also came to the same conclusion, he's a panel beater by trade, and rallied for a few years and modified his own cars.

It's a dodgy fuel pump. But for some reason, I have two fuel pumps in series. So it's taken some time for the mechanic to test the fuel pressure. In the end he asked me to take it for a run with a fuel pressure gauge  running into the car so I could keep an eye on it. Went for a 2 hours drive friday, and it performed normally (if not 'tappy'), and then had a loss of fuel pressure less than a k from the mechanics workshop. Not a full loss of power, but it dropped from around 220kp (that the right abbreviation?) to about 150kp. And was a tad jerky.

In short, we think it's just the dodgy fuel pump and replace it. Hopefully that's the cause of both my 'noisy lifter' and the loss of power.

Hopefully I can pick the car up next week. But I think I'm really pushing it to get the car done by the meet (and rego!).

Pick the car up next week?  You bin workn out or sumting?

lol Yeah, I'm well huge.   :roll: