Parts for your 2006 Subaru Forester-Oil seals

2006 Subaru Forester oil-seals — what they do and when to sort them

Oil-seals absolutely are used on the 2006 Subaru Forester (SG series). The Subaru Factory Service Manual for 2006MY Forester (engine mechanism and drivetrain sections) and the Subaru FAST parts catalogue both detail crankshaft front and rear oil-seals, camshaft seals, oil pump sealing, and differential/output shaft oil-seals for the EJ-series engines and AWD driveline fitted to this model. These are standard service parts designed to keep fluids where they belong.

On this Forester, oil-seals do the everyday graft of holding engine oil inside the rotating assemblies and keeping grime out. They sit where shafts spin through housings, using a spring-loaded lip against a machined surface to maintain a tidy, leak-free film of oil. When they harden or wear, oil seeps out, making a mess under the bonnet or on the driveway, and can lead to low oil levels if ignored.

Common seal locations on a 2006 Forester include:

• Engine: front crankshaft seal (behind the timing cover), rear main seal (between engine and gearbox), camshaft seals, and oil pump seal/O-ring.
• AWD driveline: front differential/output shaft seals, driveshaft and rear differential axle seals.

For servicing, it’s smart to treat seals as “do it once, do it right” items. During a timing belt job (around the 100,000 km mark for many AU/NZ schedules), it’s sensible to inspect and proactively replace the front crank and cam seals while access is easy. That little bit of extra parts cost can save paying for the same labour twice. If the Forester’s a manual and the clutch is coming out, that’s the perfect time to replace the rear main seal, as the gearbox has to be removed anyway.

Tell-tale signs that oil-seals need attention include dampness around the timing cover, oil mist on the undertray, a whiff of burning oil after a drive, or an oily bellhousing (rear main). Keeping the PCV system healthy matters too