steve2005

well sorry if you think i am annoying but i'm on a fact finding mission and have still not found an answer to my question about the phase l block and the phase ll block in regards to the head gasket issue and the dohc heads in the 1999 transition year for the outback blocks. are the phase l blocks with the dohc heads more prone to leak than the phase ll blocks with the dohc heads? as i understand it, which phase block has something to do with this (or maybe it doesn't). that's all i want to know.--sorry

well thanks for the info! makes me feel a little more confident about this car. don't think i will fool with that conditioner. gut intinct is to stay away from it because of clogging as you say. understand cooling passages in these systems are small. temp gauge has always been rock steady even in hot weather with the a\c on. i do like it but this head gasket failure thing has me rattled. i've owned alot of these subarus and i like this one the most. i do like the foresters too! hope you enjoy yours! 2006--wow! btw did you ever have your valves adjusted on the 99 forester. i assume you had the dohc's with the solid lifters?

okay so i have the 1999 phase ll dohc. so are my chances better that i won't have the head gasket problem? also should i use the coolant conditioner in this engine? i was told once it would be an internal leaker if it ever does and its (conditioner) for the phase ll sohc engines.

okay what about the 1999 phase ll dohc engine? that's what i have. are the chances good for this one to leak? i have 119,000 and no problems so far. i still don't understand if i should use the coolant conditioner in this setup?

okay--temp has always been stable even with the ac on on hot days. i might even jam the gas pedal to the floor a little more often now . maybe i've got a non-possesed engine blessed by the subaru gods. i am going to carry garlic in the glovebox and quit worrying about this. thanks!

okay, i can deal with this i guess. i did think only the sohc heads were the external leakers but i thought maybe the phase ll blocks starting in 1999 might have a somewhat improved gasket i think i read somewhere? will not use the conditioner and drive sensibly. i guess the check valve adjustment is the next big thing to do. a reputable mechanic told me if the engine idles smooth your solid lifter valves are okay. if it idles rough check the adjustment on them. mine idles smooth. humm anyway--thanks for your input!

humm--wonder if you should use higher octane gas in the phase ll dohc's? i'm using 86 octane but i'm in the mountains. maybe 87 octane? has never pinged on me anywhere.

so do you think i should start using the coolant conditioner for this engine if it would be an external leaker if a leak should happen? glad about the external leak part of this puzzle. so the phase ll blocks always leak externally no matter what heads eh? i'm starting to feel better about this now. thanks!

but do the later 1999 phase ll blocks have an improved gasket on the dohc heads or is it the same gasket used on all the dohc phase l blocks. i hope someone knows. i might keep this outback if i can find out for sure if this is the case. i love this car otherwise but this headgasket thing is bumming me out. thanks you guys for the info on this! steve2005

well thanks for the info! i guess you answered my question! it's all in the head gasket and not the phase block that's under them. it's the sohc heads that will leak externally if they ever leak at all and all of them are phase ll blocks. it doesn't matter if it's the phase l or the phase ll block for the dohc heads. if they ever leak it will probably be an internal leak regardless of which block is under them. i hope i finally got this right. i ordered the conditioner but i will think more on this before i put it in if i even do now. i like the garlic idea. might come in handy camping sometime! thanks!

well i looked behind the power steering pump where it says japan and it has one ridge instead of two which according to the nasioc subaru forum is a phase ll engine block. i have no coolant loss now but i'm wondering if this would be an internal leaker or an external leaker (if it ever leaks.) it's my understanding that you only put the coolant conditioner in a phase ll engine with the sohc heads to stop external leaks. (some rare 1999's and all 2000's and beyond.) it's no good for the phase l engine blocks with the dohc heads. but what about the phase ll blocks with the dohc heads which were produced in 1999? i guess i'm in the twilight zone with this engine setup. wierd.

okay, i have the 1999 outback with the phase ll block and the dohc heads. is this a better setup than the phase l with the dohc's? full blown phase ll's with the sohc's might develop an external coolant leak from what i've read here. what will the phase ll with the dohc's do if this should happen to me? would it be an external or internal leak? i'm confused about putting in the conditioner in this engine. i'm going to do it though. no leaks yet (119,000 miles) using distilled water and changing regularly. any advice will be appreciated here. steve2005

i was thinking the same thing. thanks!

thanks!

thanks for the info. very informative thread.

thanks for your info!

opps!

great site for info! i just joined to see if anybody was concerned about valve adjustment at 105,000 miles? i have a 99 outback with the dohc 2.5l with 113,000 miles. i dont seem to see much about this. it has run great and still is aside from the crank seal i fixed at around 62,000 miles along with the timing belt. dry as a bone since. the book calls for it but i have not done anything about this. would like some thoughts on this. i dont think i'm going to mess with this if it's not critical and it's running good. thanks for any input on this.

great site for info! i just joined to see if anybody was concerned about valve adjustment at 105,000 miles? i have a 99 outback with the dohc 2.5l with 113,000 miles. i dont seem to see much about this. it has run great and still is aside from the crank seal i fixed at around 62,000 miles along with the timing belt. dry as a bone since. the book calls for it but i have not done anything about this. would like some thoughts on this. i dont think i'm going to mess with this if it's not critical and it's running good. thanks for any input on this.