Subaru EJ25D: valve bender?

[FJ40Jim]

Friend has a 1998 Outback w/ non-turbo EJ25D 4 cylinder. I think it is a DOHC 16V design, but not positive.

A shop worked on it a couple weeks ago. Replaced leaky front oil seal and the T-belt. Now it has popped the belt and made a bad sound, about 500 miles after recent repair.

Are these engines benders? How bad of a bender are they?
Like a 22RE, 2 intakes, 1 exhaust and a chain?
or like a VAG 1.8T, all 20 valves, some buckets, maybe a cam or a piston...?

I have a bad feeling it may fall to me to fix this as the local import shop that worked on it has just proven themselves incompetent.

Any insight appreciated.

 

[ducktapeguy]

According to wikipedia, all 1997+ ej25s are interference. So you could be looking at some pretty expensive repairs. Might be cheaper to get a low mileage replacement than try and fix it.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Thanks Duck.
I know she won't go for the replacement engine, because she has been car shopping lately. She's actually looking for an excuse to get a new car.

I was hoping to keep her out of a car payment for a while longer.

 

[ducktapeguy]

Wouldn't the shop that worked on her car be responsible for the damages? I wonder if they damaged the hydraulic tensioner while working on it. I'm not sure if the 97 is the same way, but I remember there were some special instructions on how to remove and replace it without damaging it.

Also, if you decide to tackle this project, some of the earlier DOHC engines were notorious for failing headgaskets. There's a new headgasket part number that's supposed to fix the problem. I can't remember if they switched from a composite headgasket to all metal, or the other way around, but it's whatever the stock one isn't.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Yes, the shop that flubbed up SHOULD take responsibility. Instead they are now claiming that the tensioner (you know, the one w/ the very specific instructions for resetting & installing) just happened to break. Mere coinciedence, nothing to do w/ the greasemonkey not resetting it properly. So they are gonna do her a "favor" and pull the heads, replace bent valves and update the HG's for $400.

Unfortunately, it's not enough money and not enough of a car to get attorneys involved, so she's having them fix it again. Wonder what they will fawk up this time?.