jim martin Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 My 92 loyale has 145K miles. Apparently it needs a new head gasket, it is leaking coolant. It will overheat if I don't keep the coolant filled up. My reliable repair shop says it will cost around $1000 to fix, they have to pull the engine, etc. Is this right? They say it is an engine "reseal job". I am disappointed about the supposed long life of subarus, and lack of long life on my loyale. My older 82 wagon went for 188K miles, no head gasket problem. I was thinking about getting a new Outback. Should I drop the $$ on this job? THX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaRube Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 Did the shop tell you it was a head gasket? The price sounds about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nug Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 145K? She's just broke in! How mechanically inclined are you? Got some tools? The scope of this project might seem overwhelming, but isn't impossible for a "newbie" to accomplish. And it'd be a lot cheaper. If the car's not all ragged out, then I would fix it, no doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calebz Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 $1000 seems steep to me for just a single headgasket. If they are doing a complete reseal job(cam seals, crank seal, both headgaskets, waterpump.. the ususal) then thats a different story. But not knowing anything else about your car, I don't know if that is necessary. Head gaskets can be done without pulling the engine, although the I believe the FSM calls for the engine to be removed. You definitely have more room to work that way. It can be done at home.. Most people here do their own One very important thing would be to find out why the headgasket went kaput.. did you overheat the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaRube Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 I just got a couple quotes on that a few months back. It was over $1100 at both places. And that's not even from a dealer. I think resurfacing the heads and little stuff like coolant, etc. helped bring the price so high. My car wasn't worth it, but it had a ton of problems beyond the head gasket. Since you're in Colorado, I would think you might be able to shop around for a better price. Old Subes aren't very popular around me and the garages don't really need the work, so the prices seem to be high. If you have a place and time to spare to work on it, do it yourself and keep it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viceversa Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 I have the same question, my 92 Loyale with 100K miles overheated and compression on the driver's side went from 150psi to 75psi. Nothing else seems to be affected, good performance - should I get it replaced? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Hill Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 You could do it yourself for around $300.00. That would include the head set, front and rear main seals, timing belts, misc. gaskets, fluids, unexpected strangoddities and trips to Taco Bell. A little more to do the clutch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeky Moose Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 better yet, just get another engine for a couple hundred, plop it in, reseal the old one, and have it sitting for a good spare.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealleyboy Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 One very important thing would be to find out why the headgasket went kaput.. did you overheat the car? [/b] This is definitely a biggie.... Also, the extent of the "meltdown" will have a lot to do with whether its worth paying to have the job done. Did it overheat time and time again? If the heads are cracked or warped, you can tack a few hundred more onto the $1000 estimate. (A new head gasket on a warped or cracked head won't do you any good.) At that point, a used or rebuilt motor will be your best bet. My advice: get a second opinion, particularly on the condition of the heads. The mechanic may say he can't say for sure until it's torn down. That's ok, just make sure you know how much he's going to charge you to get to that point. With the motor out, you have lots of options. Even if you don't want to try to overhaul your old one, installing a replacement is something you could probably handle yourself. You may be able to pick up a good used ea82 from one of your Sube brothers on this board. good luck, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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