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Hi All

Just wondering how thick an oil people think I can safely run in an old L series? could I run 40/70 or is it likley to cause damage?
The lifter noise is really getting to my and anybody who comes within 100 meters of the car.
I have run an oil flush, the engine has no oil leaks and runs very well with 350,000km.
A while ago I ran some 40/70 grade oil, the can ran great for a few days but on the morning of day 4 on it blew the rubber seal from the oil filter, but possible that the filter was not on tight enough?
Also what oil filter should I use as this seems to cause the guys at the auto shop a bit of confusion?
Thanks

RTF

Have you tried a thinner oil? My experience is thicker oils simply make lifter tick unbearable.

I use Castrol Magnatec 10W-40 with Liqui-moly Tappet Stop Noise and have practically no lifter tick, except if the car has not been driven for a few days. Even then it only occurs for a few seconds on start-up.

This question gets asked often enough so I thought I'd show what Subaru themselves say in the factory 87 workshop manual .

They have a table with a scale of ambient temperatures and multigrade oils referenced against them , tells this .

-20 to 0 - 10W30
0 to 16 -- 10W40
16 to 32 - 10W50

Always remember that the first number ie 10W is a cold pumping index and the second is a running temp viscosity index number so its not like 10W50 is 10 weight at 15C .

IMO god help any engine aside from a Ford model T in the Gibson desert in summer trying to pump a 40W70 at startup .
It sounds like the filters oil seal failed because the engines oil pressure relief valve and filter couldn't pass enough mud to withstand the pressure developed .

The important thing is the oils running temperature and its ability to lubricate properly at that temperature . Lower viscosity oil gets iffy at high temps and that's where there is a need for higher viscosity oils .
The other thing is that these older engines survived this long because their original owners if smart followed the manufacturers instructions .


A .

I'm using Z493 on both EA81 and EA82, used to be Z79 but upgrade or whatever.
Z495s are on EJ stuff

To get rid of the lifters best trick is to replace them and at what a pain in the bum job that can be , BUT so rewarding after.

Mizpah engineering in the USA had run out of used cores last time, and wanted your used ones sent to them to reco at about $6 each. return postage is about US$13 in small flat rate USPS flat rate box plus $5 handling charge.

Or new here can be $25 to $45 each - need 8 of