Front leak still unresolved....

[Plays_with_Toys]

Ok I still have a leak at the front of the motor (EJ22 SOHC). It gets all over the oil filter, its bloated the lower timing cover gaskets, and it travels all over the passenger side header, and back across the crossmember back to the y pipe.

I replaced both cam seals, with no results. I removed the power steering pump, and there is nothing below it, no pooling, no nothing. But, I poured stop power steering fluid in anyhow. I just removed the passenger side timing cover, and its already got a film/dirt along the bottom of it (I cleaned all the covers thoroughly after doing the cam seals). I also replaced both valve cover gaskets.

I didn't replace the crank seal or the oil pump o-ring because the entire face of the oil pump was super clean, plus the film of residue was located below the passenger side cam pulley on the bottom lip of the timing cover, with very little out towards the drivers side.

Here's some shots from below:
http://img325.imageshack.us/img325/7386/leak19ml.jpg
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/6688/leak23vk.jpg

And here are some pics with the timing covers off. Notice on the first one the oil on the block just to the right of the cam pulley.
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/5468/img24647bd.jpg
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/6121/img24639gp.jpg

Could this mean I have a leak from the headgasket there? Right above there is the powersteering pump, which is why I was so suspect of it being the leak after the cam seals did nothing. You can also see in the second pic how pretty much everything from the middle to the driver side is clean. The super black thing is the tensioner, and that is the color of the paint.

Any ideas? I'm already $160 into this repair, and it just doesn't seem to have an end to it.

[Wiscon_Mark]

I have the same issue apparently...just found this out from the mechanic. He said it's not major and I should watch the oil level, and I should be OK for now. He was going to take care of it when I go in for a timing belt/water pump change @ 200k.

So, sorry, I don't know? :lol:

[Manarius]

Front crank seal with combination of valve cover gaskets I think. Not head gasket. If your head gasket is leaking, you get oil in the anti-freeze.

::EDIT:: Looks like just valve cover gaskets and maybe intake gaskets. You have a lot of oil coming from the top of the engine. Could be thrown around from crank seal though.

[Plays_with_Toys]

Valve cover gaskets are both new, with nothing around them. You said intake gasket? Like the intake manifold? I'm going back in and changing out the crank seal. I'm also going to be putting dye into the oil to see if I can track it better.

Mark, yeah, I'm not worried about it, but it smokes like crazy if I drive for more than 20 minutes because so much gets on the headers.

[Wiscon_Mark]

ooh. I have a question.

Did you overfill your oil recently? My dad had the shop do that to him once (put in 5 quarts) and it was the front cam seal. Just a thought.

[Manarius]

Valve cover gaskets are both new, with nothing around them. You said intake gasket? Like the intake manifold? I'm going back in and changing out the crank seal. I'm also going to be putting dye into the oil to see if I can track it better.

Mark, yeah, I'm not worried about it, but it smokes like crazy if I drive for more than 20 minutes because so much gets on the headers.Yeah, I don't know how oil would get near the intake manifold, but it looks like you have a lot of oil coming from the top of the engine.

20 minutes of driving and it smokes? You have a lot more oil coming out than I do...

[Wiscon_Mark]

It's not that it's a lot of oil, but if it hits the headers...one drop will smoke forever.

[2.5GT]

I have this problem also. and i thought it was the powersteering fluid. which in my case, it is :P and its mix with oil.

so wtf? im still tryin to figure out what it is and at the same time, left it alone :lol:

if you find anything, let me know so i can fix mine too ;-)

[Plays_with_Toys]

I coulda swore it was power steering too. I put some Castrol High Mileage power steering fluid in, its like $4. Apparently, the stop leak that is in it, bloats your seals so they seal better. Might try that to stop the power steering leak. I have to work alot, so hopefully the subie dealer is open monday and I can buy the seals. It sucks, I have a vice clamp, but it is .75" too narrow to compress my timing belt tensioner.

[2.5GT]

I coulda swore it was power steering too. I put some Castrol High Mileage power steering fluid in, its like $4. Apparently, the stop leak that is in it, bloats your seals so they seal better. Might try that to stop the power steering leak. I have to work alot, so hopefully the subie dealer is open monday and I can buy the seals. It sucks, I have a vice clamp, but it is .75" too narrow to compress my timing belt tensioner.

seals for the powersteering?

hell, my p/w leaks whenever i run the car. i mix it with synthetic fluid and that gotten worse. (of course i didnt read :roll: )

but my seals are probably bad, so do i replace the seal or is there an O ring in it?

[Plays_with_Toys]

I don't know if you can take apart the pump. But the pump costs $100 through auto stores, so you might just snag a junkyard pump if you can fix the gasket/seals.

[Manarius]

It's not that it's a lot of oil, but if it hits the headers...one drop will smoke forever.Nope. I've got valve cover oil dropping on the headers and it doesn't smoke that much (more of just an odor). If he's got more smoke than I do, it's coming from somewhere else, or it's a worse leak than mine.

[Plays_with_Toys]

Ummm... its not just a drop hitting the headers...

http://img314.imageshack.us/img314/8003/exhaust4kh.jpg

[Manarius]

Hah, that's what the underside of my car looks like.

[2.5GT]

goddamn...i lost pretty much all the power steering today. and its making a weird noise too :cry:

the powersteering fluid is full, but still does that. oh well, time for a new pump! :razz:

[Plays_with_Toys]

Well... Turns out it was the crank seal. everything around it was clean, so I guess the oil cleaned off that part. But the seal was dripping with oil on the outside of it. But the drama of the day. I forgot to hook up my cooling fans when I was done. My car overheated last night, a little this morning (plugged in the fans this morning), and got to H this afternoon. Enough fluid had leaked out the day before and this morning that I got an air pocket. The car got to H twice, but only for a short period and cooled from there very quickly, so I am hoping no damage was done :cry: The fluid looks a little milky though which has me worried.

[2.5GT]

so it was the crank seal huh?

mines leaking a little too. but i just wipe it off :roll:

[Wiscon_Mark]

PWT- overheating isn't good, but you probably didn't kill anything.

My fans almost never go on except in the summer. The cooling system in the EJ22 just seems that good (could apply for all Subarus). Hell, the resirvoir was dried up for a couple months and it never overheated on my Legacy.

I figured it was the cam seal. That's gonna cost me a bit. I'll wait until water pump/timing belt are due in another 15k or so...

[scottzg]

My fans almost never go on except in the summer. The cooling system in the EJ22 just seems that good (could apply for all Subarus).

or wisconsin is colder than an eskimo's testicles...

[Wiscon_Mark]

har har.

It got up to 98* today, FYI.

I'm talking during a normal 60-70* day, they don't go on much.

[Plays_with_Toys]

Well I looked under the car, and I actually saw some oil coming down still. But its not dripping to the driveway, nor is it getting on the exhuast?

[Wiscon_Mark]

hmm, maybe some oil that didn't get cleaned up?