Is your timing cover leak? My narrative and tips

[Setgo]

**Note: I am not responsible for any problems you may cause to your car.**
So I wanted to talk about how I did my timing cover and what obstacles I was confronted with. Hopefully this will help someone who is considering doing their timing cover. This is not a complete step by step (because I didn’t document the whole thing), it's more of things to know while doing the job and a basic walkthrough. And before I go any further, it has been now 2k miles since I have fixed this, and everything seems to be great. I will type the material I used in full caps when applicable for easy reference for the reader.

Symptoms:
> Often found on the underside of the engine near the timing cover. Most of the time on the passenger side, but happens on both sides.The reason why it leaks is because it does and that is why it leaks. Lol. But really, its because over time with the heating and cooling of the engine, it just becomes weak and leaks oil. The same as when gaskets become brittle from the thermodynamics of everything and need to be replaced, or hoses turn hard and crack.
> Can be leaking from the oil dipstick area and/or the 4 bolts spanning the middle of the cover as well.

Materials you will need before starting:
Subaru gasket kit (absolute must)
Tech manual (absolute must)
THREEBOND TB1217H silicone gasket maker (or equivalent. Often referred to as Grey RTV)
Soft Brass Wire brush (At least two)
Can of brake cleaner ( I ended up using 4 or more)
Compressed air
Razor blade
Oil (since you are draining your oil, have a filter ready too)
Coolant

**WARNING** There is a video on youtube where an owner fixes his timing cover with his father while the engine is still in the car. In my opinion, that is not the proper fix but rather a temporary and almost dangerous fix for the engine, I will explain why shortly.

There are 2 methods that you can approach this to do it the proper way. #1 which is what I did. Remove the engine completely from the BRZ and work on the engine on an engine stand. This method you would only need to drain your radiator. You can move the A/C off to the side while removing the engine. #2 is removing the front bumper, radiator, a/c condenser, and front part of the chassis frame. This is an option for individuals who do not feel comfortable removing an engine or cannot. Heads up, to recharge your a/c will cost anywhere between $70-$120.

Now that the engine is out, look it over. For me I found that I needed to replace my valve cover gaskets, crank seals (front & rear) and my dipstick o-ring. I am glad i had ordered the GASKET KIT earlier because a lot of the parts came in handy. Don’t forget to drain the oil while it's out.

**WARNING** Ensure you have removed ALL bolts of the timing cover BEFORE prying on the cover. Reference the TECH MANUAL for locations of all 32 bolts. Not doing so will damage your short block, cause possible cracks, etc.

<<TIP>>
When removing the bolts, I went Clockwise, and used a cardboard box to place each bolt in while removing them. That way, I would not lose any of them.

After prying off the timing cover, I noticed that from the factory, there is a generous amount of RTV all around. Also be mindful of the O-RINGS and where they go. Match them up with the appropriate size from the gasket kit. If forgotten, refer to TECH MANUAL for locations

This is where I talk about the youtube video. There is absolutely no way that the creator was able to effectively clean off ALL of the RTV applied by the factory. There is a bunch of rtv around the waterpump, and a bunch down below and all around the inside of the timing cover. Not only that, even though you have drained the oil, there will still be oil leaking from the passages. You will need to apply even pressure when applying the cover, ensure no oil is leaking on your new RTV bead, etc. Anyways just don’t do it the way they showed in the video.

After you have the cover removed, use a RAZOR BLADE to get the bigger chunks of RTV off. **WARNING** do not go aggressive with the RAZOR BLADE. Take your time, be patient, play some jazz music. You WILL shave off the aluminum if you aren’t careful. Not that it matters because you are putting RTV on it, BUT STILL IT MATTERS. After the big chunks are removed, use the SOFT BRASS BRUSH to get the smaller rtv off. This will not damage the cover or block. Or use the brush for everything, no one’s the boss of you, you’re a boss a$$ bi---.

After the RTV is cleaned off the cover and the engine block, I used COMPRESSED AIR and BRAKE CLEANER on a rag to clean up all the little pieces of RTV left around. If you put the O-RINGS in their homes, be careful not to blow them away.

Once it’s all clean. Take a moment to look at the TECH MANUAL. It mentions one or two specific areas where RTV should not be so generous. Also, take note of the TORQUE PATTERN for the 32 bolts referenced in the TECH MANUAL. Replace the front crank seal at this time as well. The rear is replaced when the engine is in the car. I was able to do this because I also had my transmission out. **NOTE** There is a specific depth for the front and rear crank seals. Putting the rear seal too far in will prevent the oil passages to work properly and can cause your engine to hate you.

Rehearse putting the timing cover on and have bolts 2,3,4,5 ready for hand torque to hold the cover in place. Also having bolts 25 and 29 ready wouldn’t hurt either. After you feel confident, and have practiced some RTV beads, and have your O-RINGS in place, get the RTV and apply it per TECH MANUAL. You will need to be relatively fast. The timing cover needs to be placed on the block within 3 minutes after being exposed to the air (I'd say you got 5 minutes) and then it needs to be torqued within 10 minutes after the cover is on. The RTV cures around 30-40 mins depending on the amount. Apply even pressure and get those bolts in BY HAND but not torqued by any means. There is a specific torque pattern so reference the TECH MANUAL.

After it is all torqued, you did it! Hopefully you didn’t clog any of your oil passages, and ruin your engine. I put oil into the engine AFTER it was installed in the car, this ensured that the RTV would be cured.

So, we are at the end. Everything is plugged up, you changed the rear seal after the engine is installed, and changed the oil dipstick o-ring. You made sure to torque all the bolts, coolant in the radiator, all good. Fill her up with oil, turn her over and check for leaks, and hope for the best. Your mechanical skills will be judged by the car blowing up or not due to clogged oil passages via RTV. Normally, people would experience spun bearings and/or holes in their blocks under 200 miles. I gathered this information from the reports from members who got their valve springs replaced. If you pass 200 miles, I would say you’ve done good.

Side notes:
The reason why the the youtube video can be dangerous to follow is if you are not cleaning off the old RTV correctly, you will clog your oil passages and your oil pickup. Reference my photo to see where the water pump is, and how much RTV is there from factory, as well as the area you have to work with between the water pump and the chain tensioning bracket things. If you can efficiently remove that much rtv while the engine is still in the car, that is awesome but understand how much is actually there. My personal opinion is that it needs a constant visual, in-depth inspection as you are removing the RTV around the block and cover.

[Setgo]

Reserved

[DarkPira7e]

Very good info, thank you! I think we should make a razor blade etiquette video on YouTube.

[NoHaveMSG]

Some things I learned from doing this.

Brake clean will soften up the sealant and make it easier to remove with a brush.

Go buy 4 six inch long bolts, I believe the thread pattern for the timing cover is 8x1.25. Cut the hex off of them and round the ends. Then screw them to the motor. It will help guide the cover on. Makes it much easier if you are working by yourself.

I wrote the torque sequence of the timing cover on the cover with marker. There are two different torque specs since some of the bolts are 6mm. I used red marker for the 6mm, and black for the 8mm bolts.

[Turdinator]

Just an FYI for anyone who finds this thread. The timing cover can be successfully removed and reinstalled without removing the motor from the car. It's not a lot of fun to do, especially solo, but it can be done. The radiator did need to be removed tho.

[Breadman]

mines leaking from somewhere in the back drivers side. it isnt leaking enough to pull the engine tho, just wipe the skid plate, engine, and plastic with a cloth and call it a day.

[DarkPira7e]

Originally Posted by Breadman

mines leaking from somewhere in the back drivers side. it isnt leaking enough to pull the engine tho, just wipe the skid plate, engine, and plastic with a cloth and call it a day.

Just be wary that over time, if any of this oil is dripping on exhaust components, it could start a fire eventually. I understand if it's just a drop now and then, but don't be too complacent with anything leaking form anywhere; if people can win the lottery or be struck by lightning, you can have your car lit ablaze by an oil leak. Think Final Destination

[Breadman]

Originally Posted by DarkPira7e

Just be wary that over time, if any of this oil is dripping on exhaust components, it could start a fire eventually. I understand if it's just a drop now and then, but don't be too complacent with anything leaking form anywhere; if people can win the lottery or be struck by lightning, you can have your car lit ablaze by an oil leak. Think Final Destination

it is more like seepage


so i actually went to look to see if there were any videos, its where this guy has it so ill check for loose bolts. his is way worse but i bet that is the issue

[Setgo]

Originally Posted by Breadman

it is more like seepage


so i actually went to look to see if there were any videos, its where this guy has it so ill check for loose bolts. his is way worse but i bet that is the issue

So a leak from the backside if its truly the backside, can come form the cam plate. If it is on the driver side and leaking, my best bet is that its actually the valve cover gasket + fuel injector seals. Usually timing cover leaks will cause the block to be dirty as shown, but will not actively drip unless it progressively gets worse.

When I did my replacement, i thought the only thing i needed to do was my timing cover, but in the process, i replaced my front/rear main seal injector seals, valve cover gasket, and all the o-rings that i could get my hands on.

[Breadman]

Originally Posted by Setgo

So a leak from the backside if its truly the backside, can come form the cam plate. If it is on the driver side and leaking, my best bet is that its actually the valve cover gasket + fuel injector seals. Usually timing cover leaks will cause the block to be dirty as shown, but will not actively drip unless it progressively gets worse.

When I did my replacement, i thought the only thing i needed to do was my timing cover, but in the process, i replaced my front/rear main seal injector seals, valve cover gasket, and all the o-rings that i could get my hands on.

yeah it looks like it is coming from the bolt that holds the grounding wire. so it could be a the seal. i guess this isnt covered in the power train warranty? it looks like it is this cover https://parts.subaru.com/a/Subaru_20...10-020-01.html so i guess just pull it off and put a new gasket in?