q240z Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 I just picked up a 1996 Outback automatic with the factory installed bad headgaskets. During the swap out for new style multilayered gaskets (+ hand lapping the valves just cuz I was already in there), I discovered two things: 1) 1996 doesn't need valve shims. +1 for '96!! 2) the spark plug hole gaskets are different from what I expected. The old gaskets are back at home and I didn't take pix of them, but here's a rough sketch. Try not to be too dazzled by my MS Paint uberskills. It's a gift... The 4 gaskets along the top look like what I got in the kit I received. I ended up trying to reuse the old gaskets. Bad move. It pissed out a cup of oil before I figured out there was trouble. Faced with being stuck without a car, I dug into a gasket set for a Honda V-tec that I had laying around. Honda uses the same 1/4" tall x 1/8" thick rubber seals for the valve cover, but it's one big loop with no irregularities. I just cut it up and ran a length of the Honda seal around the groove in the valve cover. Follow the red arrows in the sketch, if you can, to see how I routed the Honda gasket material. It seems to work just fine. There are no leaks after 50+ miles, but I'd like to get the right gasket in there. The gasket kit I got said it should fit 96-98, which they clearly do not (for '96 anyway). Any idea what year they changed those gaskets over? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferret Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Sounds like you didn't get the gasket set from Subaru. the 1996 DOHC 2.5L was a one year engine. It had hydraulic lifters ( buckets ) and different valve covers which is what you discovered. Also different pistons. Subaru did have a separate kit for the 1996. Aftermarket, your at their discretion. By the way, there were a few other one year engines also, the 1999 2.2L anniversary edition is another one year engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
q240z Posted April 26, 2007 Author Share Posted April 26, 2007 I thought I read somewhere that '96 was an odd bird. The ebay seller of the gasket sets is sending me the proper gaskets now. I just hope those Honda bits don't mess up the Subi mojo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 The 96's have their own 1 year only gaskets as you found out. The ones you have are 97/8/9 model years. Take yours into the dealership and I bet they would trade them out. Im a big fan of the 96 DOHC engine. The Hyd lifters alone are worth it but on top of that they used a nicer piston than the 3 years following. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
q240z Posted April 29, 2007 Author Share Posted April 29, 2007 The funny thing is, that Honda gasket I hacked in there is working just fine. I might just leave it there for a while. Does that make me a bad man? lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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