Engine Oil check valve?
 

Hello, nube question here... I just got a '17 86 that was wrecked from hitting high water while driving. I was told it sucked the air filter into the engine, and they put another engine in the car. ( it defiantly looks like a new(er) engine. and I know nothing about this engine. ) I've been working for a month finishing someones project and enjoying it. I'm not a subie experienced mechanic... just loving the car and trying to give it a fighting chance on having a long life.

I'm having an interesting oiling issue. For the first 3 seconds of start up the engine seems to starve for oil and there is a valve tick at start up. It does this with the engine cold/warm/hot, and every time I check the oil filter its empty. The gear head in me says the oil filter should hold the oil in it to prevent oil starvation at start up. Is this normal for this motor? I'm running valvoline 0w-20 with a K&N filter.

Does running a heavier oil help this?
Has anyone tried adding Lucas additive?
I also found a check valve plate that you can add between the oil filter and base... has anyone tired that?

:search:

then put an original Subaru oil filter, so you are less paranoid
it s super cheap and take 2 minutes to install too

There's enough oil on the parts to prevent galling on initial start up.
The filter was designed to drain so you can replace it without dumping a cup or two all down the head.

Hasn't been an issue that has affected anyone.
If you blame it hard enough, you may get a few people to jump on the bandwagon.

FA20's are notoriously noisy engines. Post a video of the start up. In all likelihood your engine is just making normal noise.

If you hold the gas pedal down all the way to the floor and crank it, it will crank without starting. Dumping oil down the heads on any engine doesn't really do anything, if there is anything that needs oil that immediately it is the main and rod bearings and you are not getting oil to them buy dumping it down the heads. If there was any oil previously in the engine there is enough on the parts to survive startup. If it was a fresh long block/short block then there should be enough assembly lube on it to survive first startup. If this was an issue at all cars that have sat for a long periods of time would be blowing up.

What you are probably hearing is the high pressure fuel pump on the driver side head, or if it is an AT car, the vacuum pump on the passenger head. Could also be an exhaust leak. These are noisy engines regardless.

If the timing chains weren't pre-tensioned properly before the engine was buttoned up, they slap until oil pressure hits them. Credit to @Opie. Tapping sound only for a couple seconds point to either that or a rod bearing going South.

thanks everyone, I think I am being paranoid a little.

Here is the video, I couldn't get it to upload so here is a link.

https://youtube.com/shorts/J6yZGcptPD8

You're not being paranoid. I stand by my previous post.

That doesn't sound like a heathy engine. I don't know what sound improperly tensioned time chains would make. Could be a rod.

on an FA20 do rod knocks only happen at start up? On other motors I've worked on they seem to always be there.

defiantly think checking the timing is a good piece of advise for starter's.

They're no different than others. If the bearing failure happens gradually, the first sign is knock at startup.

Hard to isolate the noise from the video. Sounds like rod knock on startup, but I have never heard rod knock go away. If you rev it up a little do you keep hearing it? You could pull an oil sample and send it to Blackstone. They will be able to see if there is bearing material in the oil. Need to try to isolate the sound more. Use a stethoscope, the noise is going to transmit through the whole engine but I'd try to isolate where it is the loudest. Does it change noise with the clutch in/out?

the sound is only there at the first couple seconds of start up and it goes away and stay's away and doesn't come back at any rpm. also there is no check engine codes or miss fires. Doesn't smoke or give a sign on being down on power.

I am also wondering about the VVT. With the car hitting water maybe they re used the solenoids and one is acting up?

I do have a couple Blackstone oil kits, there is no harm in sending one out... I'll do that soon. Thanks for the idea!

I guess it could be a rod starting... the oil could take up the slack and it goes away for now. if that's it, it's going to get worse and we will know soon.