Subaru Tube Seals

"Agrajag" (Agrajag) 04/13/2015 at 08:49 • Filed to: diy, subaru

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Assisted in replacing the infamous Subaru spark plug tube seals on a 2002 Subaru Forester. Thing learned: Subarus(at least this one) are incredibly easy to work on.

The vehicle had been experiencing difficult/non-starts and misfiring. The tube seals, if you're not familiar with them, keep oil from getting into the spark plug tubes. They fail at an alarming rate, but luckily are not much more difficult to replace than changing the spark plugs.

On the driver's side you need to remove the battery and windshield washer bottle.

Passenger side is all the air intake tubing nonsense.

Once that is all removed, it is tight but you do have enough room to get the valve covers off.

These guys continue to be the all-stars of my tool collection.

Pretty sure that's the issue...

5 bolts on each head and they pop right off. The tube seal is the rubber grommet looking thing on the end of the one tube.

Old(left) vs. new(right). The originals were flattened and brittle. New ones were nice and soft(ish).

Valve cover gaskets will need to be replaced. The kit comes with both valve cover gaskets, tube seals and new washers.

Wanting to get as much oil out the tubes as possible, I improvised a tool. Shop towel over a tooth brush.

New plugs, wires, valve cover gaskets and tube seals. Time to start it...

HUZZAH!

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Agrajag 04/13/2015 at 08:52

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Did you draw that lead image? Cause if you did that's awesome.

Party-vi > Agrajag 04/13/2015 at 08:53

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Man, we should have more DIYs on Oppositelock.

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > Agrajag 04/13/2015 at 08:57

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Seals in an inner tube! I like it, nicely drawn.

random001 > Agrajag 04/13/2015 at 09:00

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Best. Illustration. Ever.

dumpsterfire! > Agrajag 04/13/2015 at 09:20

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good job. tried same on 06 outback last year and learned that there is not enough room to remove the valve covers without jacking up the engine.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Agrajag 04/13/2015 at 09:27

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Please submit to blipshift

Mattbob > Agrajag 04/13/2015 at 09:35

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nice, did you see oil under the car for this failure? My GF has a 2005, and it likes to eat oil randomly, and I'm wondering if it could use these.

Also that drawing is amazing.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Agrajag 04/13/2015 at 09:49

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THIS. SO NICE.

Agrajag > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 04/13/2015 at 11:27

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I did, thanks.

Agrajag > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 04/13/2015 at 11:28

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Hmmmm....

Agrajag > Mattbob 04/13/2015 at 11:31

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There were no leaks, just the rough running. The plug boots did a good job of keeping the oil pooled inside the tubes.

Agrajag > dumpsterfire! 04/13/2015 at 12:27

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That's bullshit. I saw in a forum where someone recommended doing that for this one, but the swivel head wrench made it easier.

Agrajag > Party-vi 04/13/2015 at 16:23

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I added "DIY" to the tags. Maybe it will catch on.