NOTE: In my labeled photos, I may have reversed the oil and coolant line labels. The procedure is the same though.
DIY: How to Replace the Oil Cooler Gasket (Oil Filter Leak)
Background:
I recently had an issue with my '05 OB XT 5EAT regarding an oil leak. I had a slow oil leak that looked like it was coming from the oil filter. I tried many possible solutions, including replacing the oil filter. Upon more thorough investigation, it looked like the oil leak was coming from just above the oil filter. Forum searches suggested issues such as the infamous head gasket leak, etc. but from where the leak was, I wasn't convinced it was a head gasket. I visited a Subaru dealer and asked the parts guy if he was familiar with the issue. He seemed to immediately know what was going on, and told me I needed a new oil cooler gasket. The oil cooler is the cylindrical object between the oil filter and the engine block. I bought one then for just under $10.
This guide is from my memory of doing the repair, so I apologize for any inaccuracies.
What You Need:
• Subaru Oil Cooler Gasket - Part Number: 21370KA001 ($10) Right here on Amazon
• Torque Wrench (capable of yielding 40 ft-lbs of torque)
• Ratcheting Socket Driver
• 12mm Socket*
• 15/16" DEEP WELL Socket (preferably six-point)**
• 17 mm Wrench (for removing the oil pan drain bolt)
• 5 qt. Oil (I used 5W-30 full synthetic. You want synthetic if you have the turbo)
• Subaru Oil Filter (ask for the crush washer with that), if you're due for an oil change.
• 1 Gallon Subaru Coolant/Anti-Freeze
• 1 Bottle of Subaru Coolant Conditioner
• 1 Gallon Distilled Water
• 1 One-Gallon Milk/Water Container (for mixing water and coolant)
• 2 Funnels
• (Optional) Coolant Evacuator System
• Various different sized needle-nose pliers
• Phillips #2 Screwdriver (for draining the coolant)
• Oil Drain Pan
• Coolant Drain Pan
• Lots of brake parts cleaner
• Foaming Engine degreaser
• Jack Stands (or a lift)
• Lots of shop towels
• Safety Glasses
• Muck-Bucket
* I'm going from memory here, but this will be whatever size is necessary to remove the engine under-cover
** I'm not sure what the actual size is. I suspect it is actually a metric value. I did not have a metic socket large enough and deep enough to remove the oil cooler connector, but the 15/16" socket allowed me to successfully remove and re-install the oil cooler connector
0. Look at the attached pictures. Download the Subaru instructions (PDF). Read through everything first, just in case. Unfortunately I have no picture of the actual oil cooler connector since I accidentally deleted that one, but I've got pictures of pretty much everything else.
1. Lift the car (jack stands, lift, etc.) and remove the engine under-cover.
2. (Optional) Use the foaming engine degreaser around the oil cooler.
3. Drain the engine oil (I won't go into detail on how to do that in this thread). Also remove the oil filter.
4. Drain the coolant. Look in your vehicle's owner manual for specific instructions on how to do this. For the '05 MY, there was a service bulletin stating that it is best to use a vacuum/evacuator system for draining and filling the coolant.
5. Place a muck-bucket underneath where the oil filter goes. Disconnect the two lines connected to the oil cooler. One line is for coolant, and the other is for oil. As you are disconnecting these lines, bear in mind that you will have to re-connect them later. Disconnect the lines in locations where it would be easiest for you to hook them up again. This will be a bit tricky with the exhaust heat shields in the way. It may be helpful to loosen the oil cooler part way first (see step 6) to give yourself more wiggle room.
6. Using the 15/16" deep-well socket and a socket driver, loosen and remove the oil connector. As the oil cooler connector also holds up the oil cooler, be careful that the oil cooler doesn't fall.
7. Remove the old oil cooler gasket. Clean off everything (on the oil cooler AND on the bottom of the engine where the oil cooler goes) with brake parts cleaner and shop towels. It is important that there is no dirt, dust, or debris on the oil cooler, especially where the oil cooler gasket will go. In my case, it looked like there was debris between the oil cooler gasket and the engine block. That presumably caused enough of a gap for a little oil to squirt out, hence my leak.
8. Smear a thin layer of clean engine oil on new oil cooler the gasket. It might slowly start to expand a bit. Place the new oil cooler gasket in its place on the oil cooler. Life the oil cooler up to its place under the engine, put the oil cooler connector in the oil cooler, and start screwing in the oil cooler connector by hand. Leave it a little loose so you can connect the oil and coolant lines more easily.
9. Re-connect the oil line and the coolant line to the oil cooler. Re-install the oil pan drain bolt and the coolant drain plug, if you haven't already.
10. Using the torque-wrench and the 15/16" deep-well socket, tighten down the oil cooler connector. For my vehicle, the correct torque value is 40 ft-lbs.
11. Install the new oil filter (or replace the old one if you were not due for an oil change).
12. Fill the engine with oil. This will be in the neighborhood of 4.5 quarts of oil.
13. Fill the coolant system with a 50/50 mix of distilled water and Subaru coolant. Be sure that a full bottle of Subaru coolant conditioner makes it into the cooling system.
14. Run the engine as described in the owner's manual for when changing the engine coolant (it probably says something like, "Run the engine for about five minutes at 2000 to 3000 RPM. Allow engine to cool. Check coolant level"). Then check the following after the engine has cooled down again:
• Oil level
• Coolant level
• Look for coolant leaks
• Look for oil leaks
• It would be wise to check all of your other fluids while you're here!
15. Done! Keep an eye on your fluid levels and on the bottom of your engine for a while.
I recently had an issue with my '05 OB XT 5EAT regarding an oil leak. I had a slow oil leak that looked like it was coming from the oil filter. I tried many possible solutions, including replacing the oil filter. Upon more thorough investigation, it looked like the oil leak was coming from just above the oil filter. Forum searches suggested issues such as the infamous head gasket leak, etc. but from where the leak was, I wasn't convinced it was a head gasket. I visited a Subaru dealer and asked the parts guy if he was familiar with the issue. He seemed to immediately know what was going on, and told me I needed a new oil cooler gasket. The oil cooler is the cylindrical object between the oil filter and the engine block. I bought one then for just under $10.
This guide is from my memory of doing the repair, so I apologize for any inaccuracies.
What You Need:
• Subaru Oil Cooler Gasket - Part Number: 21370KA001 ($10) Right here on Amazon
• Torque Wrench (capable of yielding 40 ft-lbs of torque)
• Ratcheting Socket Driver
• 12mm Socket*
• 15/16" DEEP WELL Socket (preferably six-point)**
• 17 mm Wrench (for removing the oil pan drain bolt)
• 5 qt. Oil (I used 5W-30 full synthetic. You want synthetic if you have the turbo)
• Subaru Oil Filter (ask for the crush washer with that), if you're due for an oil change.
• 1 Gallon Subaru Coolant/Anti-Freeze
• 1 Bottle of Subaru Coolant Conditioner
• 1 Gallon Distilled Water
• 1 One-Gallon Milk/Water Container (for mixing water and coolant)
• 2 Funnels
• (Optional) Coolant Evacuator System
• Various different sized needle-nose pliers
• Phillips #2 Screwdriver (for draining the coolant)
• Oil Drain Pan
• Coolant Drain Pan
• Lots of brake parts cleaner
• Foaming Engine degreaser
• Jack Stands (or a lift)
• Lots of shop towels
• Safety Glasses
• Muck-Bucket
* I'm going from memory here, but this will be whatever size is necessary to remove the engine under-cover
** I'm not sure what the actual size is. I suspect it is actually a metric value. I did not have a metic socket large enough and deep enough to remove the oil cooler connector, but the 15/16" socket allowed me to successfully remove and re-install the oil cooler connector
0. Look at the attached pictures. Download the Subaru instructions (PDF). Read through everything first, just in case. Unfortunately I have no picture of the actual oil cooler connector since I accidentally deleted that one, but I've got pictures of pretty much everything else.
1. Lift the car (jack stands, lift, etc.) and remove the engine under-cover.
2. (Optional) Use the foaming engine degreaser around the oil cooler.
3. Drain the engine oil (I won't go into detail on how to do that in this thread). Also remove the oil filter.
4. Drain the coolant. Look in your vehicle's owner manual for specific instructions on how to do this. For the '05 MY, there was a service bulletin stating that it is best to use a vacuum/evacuator system for draining and filling the coolant.
5. Place a muck-bucket underneath where the oil filter goes. Disconnect the two lines connected to the oil cooler. One line is for coolant, and the other is for oil. As you are disconnecting these lines, bear in mind that you will have to re-connect them later. Disconnect the lines in locations where it would be easiest for you to hook them up again. This will be a bit tricky with the exhaust heat shields in the way. It may be helpful to loosen the oil cooler part way first (see step 6) to give yourself more wiggle room.
6. Using the 15/16" deep-well socket and a socket driver, loosen and remove the oil connector. As the oil cooler connector also holds up the oil cooler, be careful that the oil cooler doesn't fall.
7. Remove the old oil cooler gasket. Clean off everything (on the oil cooler AND on the bottom of the engine where the oil cooler goes) with brake parts cleaner and shop towels. It is important that there is no dirt, dust, or debris on the oil cooler, especially where the oil cooler gasket will go. In my case, it looked like there was debris between the oil cooler gasket and the engine block. That presumably caused enough of a gap for a little oil to squirt out, hence my leak.
8. Smear a thin layer of clean engine oil on new oil cooler the gasket. It might slowly start to expand a bit. Place the new oil cooler gasket in its place on the oil cooler. Life the oil cooler up to its place under the engine, put the oil cooler connector in the oil cooler, and start screwing in the oil cooler connector by hand. Leave it a little loose so you can connect the oil and coolant lines more easily.
9. Re-connect the oil line and the coolant line to the oil cooler. Re-install the oil pan drain bolt and the coolant drain plug, if you haven't already.
10. Using the torque-wrench and the 15/16" deep-well socket, tighten down the oil cooler connector. For my vehicle, the correct torque value is 40 ft-lbs.
11. Install the new oil filter (or replace the old one if you were not due for an oil change).
12. Fill the engine with oil. This will be in the neighborhood of 4.5 quarts of oil.
13. Fill the coolant system with a 50/50 mix of distilled water and Subaru coolant. Be sure that a full bottle of Subaru coolant conditioner makes it into the cooling system.
14. Run the engine as described in the owner's manual for when changing the engine coolant (it probably says something like, "Run the engine for about five minutes at 2000 to 3000 RPM. Allow engine to cool. Check coolant level"). Then check the following after the engine has cooled down again:
• Oil level
• Coolant level
• Look for coolant leaks
• Look for oil leaks
• It would be wise to check all of your other fluids while you're here!
15. Done! Keep an eye on your fluid levels and on the bottom of your engine for a while.
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OK I took a good look at the problem. I appear to have 2 leaks. Coolant on the Drivers side. That appears to be running off the bottom of the Coolant reservoir. The 2nd leak is posted in the photos. This is either from the oil cooler gasket, or as you mentioned the head gasket. I have oil spray clear above the oil cooler gasket (pretty much everywhere around it, and a fair amount of oil on the front coolant line. Take a look at let me know any opinions. Fingers crossed that its not the head gasket.
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Here is the coolant leak on the Driver's side. I thought the head gaskets issues were resolved in the XT's. Thoughts????
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