Please tell me this is normal?

So new to me Legacy GT I bought with a jacked up tranny snout and needing a clutch. I put it all together and have been fixing a few cosmetic things (hatch, window motor) and chasing down a few things.

 

Right now my main concern is the engine, which sounds like death on a cold start. For the first second or two on the first start of the day, or sometimes after sitting for a few hours, it'll rattle until oil pressure builds. Hoping this is a normal thing, horizontally opposed engine, oil draining out of the heads, that kind of thing.

 

Here's the obligatory vid:

 

 

So...normal? I really don't want to put a short block in it

Cracked oil pickup tube may be a possibility.

What are your oil pressures during cold starts?

 

What are the pressures after 20 mins of running?

If it wasn't making that noise before you started doing work on it (I'm assuming you at least started the engine before the buy), the good news is it probably isn't the block and is more likely something else that was inadvertently disturbed while you were working on it.

If it wasn't making that noise before you started doing work on it (I'm assuming you at least started the engine before the buy), the good news is it probably isn't the block and is more likely something else that was inadvertently disturbed while you were working on it.

 

Unfortunately I bought the car in pieces, so I'm not really sure, but it's doubtful anything I did led to the issue. The car was owned by a professor and his wife, as their family ski shuttle, and it seems like he kept up on oil changes and it was bone stock and I think it's doubtful he really hammered it too hard.

 

Still, googling seems to indicate that short block issues aren't unheard of on EJ255s -- although it's hard to tell whether that's true for both stock and modded cars.

 

Thanks for the input everyone, sounds like it's definitely not something that should be happening. I noticed the oil pickup issue on these cars, but haven't investigated too much, it sounded like 2005's (my car) weren't that susceptable, but who knows... That's a subframe drop to get to it?

Check all cambelt pulleys and the tension of it to make sure it's not a dying pulley.

 

But since it goes away I have a feeling that it might be oil pressure related. That kind of noise isn't unusual on cars with hydraulic lifters but since that engine don't have it then it's something else.

 

I wonder if it might be something related to the clutch though.

Are you getting any OBDII codes thrown? Typically if there is a problem with the block, you'll get a bunch of them.

Check all cambelt pulleys and the tension of it to make sure it's not a dying pulley.

 

But since it goes away I have a feeling that it might be oil pressure related. That kind of noise isn't unusual on cars with hydraulic lifters but since that engine don't have it then it's something else.

 

Yup. That's what I thought the first time I started it dirty/leaked down hydraulic lifters pumping up...and then I found out Scoobies have solid lifters.

 

I've thought about the belt pully/tensioner, but it seems directly related to oil pressure, so I'm guessing it's something with that.

 

I think I'll wait until I get the TT off the lift and pull the oil pan. Is there a write up anywhere?

I'm not sure about that model year if it has cam advancing or adaptive valve lift. If it has then it can be one of them that's giving the noise.

 

Or it can be a tumble generator valve issue.

Yup. That's what I thought the first time I started it dirty/leaked down hydraulic lifters pumping up...and then I found out Scoobies have solid lifters.

 

I've thought about the belt pully/tensioner, but it seems directly related to oil pressure, so I'm guessing it's something with that.

 

I think I'll wait until I get the TT off the lift and pull the oil pan. Is there a write up anywhere?

 

Subaru DOHC engines have NO lifters-just buckets and direct contact on the head of the valve stem.