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Hey all,

My Subaru L Series wagon (1992) started sounding like a chaff cutter about 6 months ago. I checked the oil and topped it up, it continued, then suddenly just stopped the clatter.

All has been well, until now.

It seriously sounds like a clack clack sound, that increases with revs and decreases when revs drop. It seems to be coming from the drivers side, near the timing cover I think. It does sound like it is definitely inside the "piston area"

Not being a mechanical genius, it is simply a big worry. IS this a terminal thing?

Any advice/contact from south Tas would be really great.

Thanks in advance.

If it's a bearing it wil be
from the centre.

May be HLAs (hydraulic Lash Adjusters)
as is a come and go thing that nearly
all EA82 engines suffer from at one point
or another.


Tried different oil? Diesel oil
can fix it and very quickly!

What are you using now?

Power change at all?
Is there a miss?

I think my dads L series has the same noise if I understand you right. I've also heard a few other EA82 subarus around the place with exactly the same noise. Sounds like a constant rattling coming from the engine which increases/decreases with revs.

If I remember right, when my dad took it in to be looked at (years ago) they said it's nothing broken or wrong, just an air bubble somewhere there shouldn't be (can't remember the exact details) but they said it could be expensive to fix, but isn't doing any damage to the engine. Now it still does it but comes and goes (air bubble moves or something)

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable that me will know what's going on, and don't take my word of no damage too seriously, it could be something different.

Best get it checked out anyway

If it is that common noise to many not so well loved L Series - it sounds to be your lifters. Various methods of fix have been replacing timing belts or just retensioning them, there is a lot to search on this website, oil pump seals doing mine at the moment as a preventative for oil leaks, wynns tune up or someone elses lifter free (can take a 1000km to work) , try a diesel spec oil for its better detergent package and stick with it. Just change oil and filter maybe a good start, having too much oil in EA82's is a known no no causes oil froth or airation. New are about $45 each times 8 plus the labour. I bought reco from mizpah engineering US$6.50 each plus $5 handle fee and $14 postage, got them in a week.
Have it checked out rather than say so in here please in case belt tensioner pooping itself

Hey guys,

Many thanks for the help so far. It has provided a few possible resolutions.

It is very strange, I had the noise before, then it disappeared one day after I had added oil. I had gone about 10 KM and had to accelerate hard for some reason, and it was almost like a pop and the noise wnet. It has just suddenly started again.

It may just be the air issue others are mentioning. I will look to get a new oil filter and replace it with a diesel grade oil. Won't be until the weekend. I will post a reply to let you know how it goes.

If anyone has more of an idea or has had same and dealt with it, please add to the post.

Again, many thanks to those who have posted so far, it has been a big help.

My brothers L had the lifter noise that would go away momentarily if I had hand brake on, select a gear and slowly let clutch out before release brake - that load point quietened the bugger down, so too did the wynns tune up of 1996 after about 800km, just in time for a mechanic to come along and take for a drive loved it and paid asking price. At the same time was an old tosser who did not even look at it but was telling me it was worth no more than $2k way back then - got 3.5k

15w40 valvoline is a Diesel; grade I used to use. SCA have it in 20l tubs to help steer you towards an oil

I agree with Steptoe. My 92 L Series was making the same noise and my mechanic was pretty sure it was one of the hydraulic lifters.

Mine actually got worse after an oil change. I stuck with the normal 20-50 oil and used some of the Wynns(? - I think) lifter cleaner stuff and it stopped the problem after a couple of days. (You're supposed to add it as you change the oil and leave it in until the next change).

I find my car still makes the noise when I start it cold, but it usually drops off after about 30 seconds. Sometimes if it doesn't, I turn it off... restart straight away and everything is good.