98 Forester HG blew, now what? (2 Viewers)

[MDarius]

So, my Head Gasket blew on my Forester. Not sure of the internal damage to the engine, it overheated a few times on the way to the shop. No fluids mixed in the oil or coolant yet, so that might be a good sign. My FRIEND quoted my $1600 from his shop to do the job. I can get a stock Japanese engine for under $900 online.

I owe about $5k on it, it's in ''Fair'' condition at best, and I really don't like it. BUT, I still owe on it so I can't just get rid of it. Any thoughts?

 

[JJS]

It sounds like the new engine route is much more cost effective. There's no point in making payments on a dead car, so you may as well bite the bullet and fix it.

 

[Gumby]

I think you need to do both head gaskets given the overheating. Unfortunately, that's a lot of separate work on that engine. One head is 7.3 hours. Both is 11.8. I'd send them both out to check for pressure testing and milling. Probably $150 for each head. You should put a timing belt and water pump on it while it's apart. About $100 for the water pump. Another $100 for the head gaskets. I don't have a listing for a kit so you'll pay for a few more gaskets as well. Oil change and new coolant too.

$1600 isn't bad. Japanese engines can have low miles, but can also be pretty well beat in a relatively low miles.

It could easily cost $700 to have it put in with new fluids and a new timing belt as well.

 

[MDarius]

Thanks Gumby, that's very helpful. A couple questions:

$1600 isn't bad. Japanese engines can have low miles, but can also be pretty well beat in a relatively low miles.

So, do you mean that the new/used Japanese engine that I would buy as a replacement might be beat? I have no experience with them, just know they are an option.

It could easily cost $700 to have it put in with new fluids and a new timing belt as well.

So you think labor and other necessities that would go along with just replacing the engine would bring me to about the same cost as having them do the HG?

Thanks!

I told my 10 year old son a couple months ago that if I ever wreck the Subaru and the engine is still good that we'll build one of these.
UH-18SPW Hoverwing : Universal Hovercraft, The World Leader in Hovercraft Technology
I didn't think I might actually have to live up to it! This might be an opportunity to get 2 working engines for close to the price of one. Additional thoughts?

 

[Gumby]

Right. A JDM engine from one of those importers could very well be beat. If it's new, or even rebuilt, then that's a different thing. Most of the importers get used engines with very low miles because of traffic conditions in Japan. Doesn't mean they are not abused. I would certainly not put a used one in without doing the timing belt first.

 

[FirstToy]

my friend blew his motor on a pathfinder and replaced w/ a jdm used motor. it was a piece of crap. i think finding a junkyard wrecked forester motor is probably a better bet than those motors.

 

[MDarius]

my friend blew his motor on a pathfinder and replaced w/ a jdm used motor. it was a piece of crap. i think finding a junkyard wrecked forester motor is probably a better bet than those motors.

Dealer says it's an interference motor (?), which means that if it's in a wreck the timing can jump and screw up the valves and head.

So, I don't know what all that means or the mechanical theory behind it, but it sounds bad. I don't even know if I stated it correctly. To have someone else do it there is $1000 built in for labor, give or take. Throw in a used engine where things may be different or just as screwed up but in a different way and I'm just bleeding money.

I'll go for the valve job on this one. My boy will just have to wait for the hovercraft. And I'll just have to wait for my sliders and bumper. Again.

Ready to buy sliders and bumper #1: Birfields needed to be done...in winter. Paid to have them done.
Ready to buy sliders and bumper #2: Clutch needed to be replaced in Subaru
Ready to buy sliders and bumper #3: dumped money in to 2nd Land Cruiser, which was then sold.
Ready to buy sliders and bumper #4: Valve job in Subaru

It's just not meant to be.

 

[MDarius]

Right. A JDM engine from one of those importers could very well be beat. If it's new, or even rebuilt, then that's a different thing. Most of the importers get used engines with very low miles because of traffic conditions in Japan. Doesn't mean they are not abused. I would certainly not put a used one in without doing the timing belt first.

Thanks. That is helpful. I've marked that off my list.

 

[FirstToy]

MDarius,
interference motor means that the pistons can hit the valves if the tb/timing chain breaks. some motors are non-interference and the tb breaking is not as critical.

 

[Gumby]

If your engine jumps time in an accident it has worse problems. It would have to be hit hard enough to cause other engine damage.

Generally, the timing jumps bad enough for the valves to hit because the belt breaks at speed. Replacing the belt at the recommended intervals prevents this. That's why I suggested replacing the belt on a used engine that you don't know the history of, or on yours while the belt is off for the head work. It's cheap insurance.

 

[ducktapeguy]

x2 on what Gumby said. Those JDM motors are being sold cheap for a reason. By the time all is said and done, it'll probably cost you more to put a new motor in than to repair the one you have. I'd rather fix an engine that I know the history of than take a chance on something unknown. $1600 is about the going price for the headgasket repair, and while you're in there you may as well do other preventative maintanence.

The headgaskets are a common problem on the earlier foresters. If you do a search you'll find a lot of info. The good news is that there is an updated headgasket that seems to fix the problem, so it should be a one time fix.

Subaru Head Gasket Problems Explained. - Seattle Subaru Repair

 

[MDarius]

Thanks. That's a great link. Some technology mentioned in there that I don't understand:

the corrosion from the battery causing the acidity of the coolant to increase, causing increased HG corrosion? Very strange.

 

[motorsargeT]

What year and how many miles on the car. Subaru is very sensitive to the word "headgasket' and actually extended the warranty on certain years of engines. Even if it is out of the period you can usually call Subaru of America and complain and they will get you a claim number and cover at least a portion of the repair if it is done at a Subaru Dealership(1/2 the cost is fairly normal). I've even had customers get engines that weren't affected by the bad years get portions of their repairs covered.

 

[MDarius]

'98 and 128000 miles. I wish I'd known about that 2 days ago! I got home last night and the mechanic had dropped it off in my driveway, all finished.

 

[motorsargeT]

sorry for the late reply then!

 

[MDarius]

It's all good. Thanks for your help.