I’ve got an 01 Outback 186k miles that had piston slap on cold starts. After revving the engine to red line one time the engine now knocks loudly at idle but goes away when I go past 1.5k rpm. Oil is also now showing up 1qt over filled but I haven’t changed the oil in over a month and when I checked a few weeks ago it was .5qt low. Did I spin a bearing? Idles smooths but sounds like a diesel engine
Final belated update. Was the belt and tensioner. Guess revving the engine too often wasn’t the best idea. Now runs great
Lucky man. Thanks for reporting back.
The engine is shot. The oil level is increasing due to a blown head gasket letting coolant into the oil. (If you have not overfilled it yourself that's the only thing that would make the oil level increase.) Coolant in the oil kills the bearings, so with that and the piston slap problem you were already experiencing it's done. It's not worth rebuilding or replacing the engine in a 20-year-old Subaru.
I did the head gasket last year
I don't know what else would be increasing your oil level if no one has actually added oil. Coolant is the only other liquid in the engine that can cross over into the oil. Other than a bad head gasket this could also occur due to a cracked cylinder head or engine block. Obviously it is difficult making an accurate diagnosis from a distance but everything you've reported here points to impending catastrophic engine failure.
Maybe the block is cracked. Or cracking. I have a second car I’m trying to sell. I’m just going to drive it until it’s sold then baby the other one until I have enough saved to buy something newer. Most likely a honda
fuel ingress can cause the oil level to go up
Good point, I'd forgotten about that. I'd think the odor would be a giveaway. Does the oil smell like gasoline?
Haven’t checked. I’m guessing if that’s the case the I probably have a blown ring. I’ll check later today
Update: checked oil and has slight gas smell. Took of.f the timing cover and found that the camshaft gear has a bit of play. When I move the gear by hand it makes that knocking sound. Should I replace the gear? It doesn’t have vvt or anything it’s just a simple gear that is held on by one bolt
Where is the knocking sound actually coming from when you move the gear? Is the gear loose on the cam? On the other hand if it's from loose cam bearings replacing the gear isn't going to help.
Hard to tell. Sounds like it’s right at the gear or within a couple inches of the gear. When the engine idles it sounds a loose connecting rod but at the cam gear
You may be able to zero in on the source of the sound with a mechanic's stethescope. From a distance going by your description I'd say the cam bearings are likely worn and loose, or the gear is loose on the cam.
The camshaft is torqued and doesn’t wiggle so I’m guessing it’s the bearings. Is it worth replacing the bearings or getting rid of the car?
Although I hate giving up on a vehicle it seems to me you're beyond that point with this car.
Yeah. That’s what I was thinking
One last update. I was putting the valve cover back on and I noticed the timing belt was loose. I took the whole cover off and was able to slide the timing belt right off the pulleys without removing any of the pulleys. The tensioner pin was all the way up as high as it could be. Seeing it’s less than a year old I’m going to return the whole kit. Maybe that’s why it was knocking. In that case good thing I caught it
I don't think a loose timing belt would make that kind of sound, but if you can get the kit exchanged under warranty give it a shot.
Sorry to mention ChrisFix on a Scotty forum but IMO there is room for everyone! Chris has a recent video, probably only put on a week ago where he tested head gasket sealant and using it actually worked on his father's Jaguar. It is actually a two year test and after it he strips down the engine to show exactly what the sealer actually does. Maybe worth a try on yours? Obviously won't solve the piston slap but it may sort any HG problem you may have.
I think you got your money's worth!
One last update. I was putting the valve cover back on and I noticed the timing belt was loose. I took the whole cover off and was able to slide the timing belt right off the pulleys without removing any of the pulleys. The tensioner pin was all the way up as high as it could be. Seeing it’s less than a year old I’m going to return the whole kit. Maybe that’s why it was knocking. In that case good thing I caught it
Oh wow! I have heard of poor workmanship and parts being labelled wrong since this pandemic began.
Hope the replacement is a good fix.