The Dude

Do you have a spec sheet for the "remanufacuring" of your engine? Here's what I would expect from a REMANUFACTURED engine: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/465997/remanufactured_engine_vs_rebuilt_engine.html?cat=15 These are just my personal expections, they would be same no matter who was the remanufacturer. And I can not comment on your particular engine because I have absolutely no knowledge of the steps used to remanufacture it.

So, what happened? Are you on engine #4? How was this problem resolved? The rest of us on this board can learn from your experience. Thanks.

My comments do NOT apply to any particular company. In my view, here's the big drawback to JDM motors and rebuilts. If everything goes well, congratulations, you're golden. But if things don't go well, they can go down hill very fast. Usually, you're financially responsible for de-installing the bad engine. You're usually also on the hook for the freight to send the bad engine to the supplier. Oh yeah, you're also probably going to have to pay the freight for the replacement engine to be shipped to you and the re-install. Even then, it's not a sure thing that the replacment engine is any good either. My point is that JDM engines and rebuilts usually are only good options if you get a good engine the FIRST time. If that doesn't happen, you can spend yourself into a deep hole pretty quick.

In 1999 I bought a brand new Forester. On the way home from the dealer's lot, the tranny sprayed fluid up though the fiiler tube. The dealer immediately installed a brand new transmission. So, the pan can be pressurized. The dealership didn't want to talk about the nature of the failure. However, I know for a fact that a number of 1999 Subarus experienced this same failure. There was a shortage of replacement trannies for a brief time due to this failure.

Is the starter motor BURNING up? Starter motors are very powerfull and draw a ton of amps. They're designed to be used for a few seconds ONLY. Yep, 100000 turns will pretty well burn up a starter motor.

Actually, mismatched tires do NOT cause the duty C soleniod to wear out. Mismatched tires cause the multi-clutch pack in the AT to wear out prematurely.

I can't comment on the pricing. But 2004 is past the external head gasket leak situation, which I believe was from 1999 to 2002. It's also before the switch to bi-position valve timing which occured in 2005. There are absolutely no guarantees, but all things being equal, it should have an excellent chance of being a good engine. Although the 2.5L doesn't have near the same reputation as the uber reliable 2.2L.

You might even have an extremly hard time removing the spark plugs frorm the head. Every 60K is the factory schedule for spark plug replacement on the DOHC 2.5. And it's only 60K because changing the spark plugs on the DOHC 2.5 is such a PITA. When the SOHC 2.5 has released the spark replacment interval dropped to 30K. I'll wish you good luck, but I hope that you don't need it.

Just the thought of a new DOHC 2.5 makes my skin crawl. I still remember the head gasket blowing money pit that was the old DOHC 2.5. So, does this new engine at least have a semi-closed deck, or is it deja vu all over again? Also, will this engine use regular gas? This new engine is going in the 2011 Forester. That means the replacement date on my 06 Forester has been moved up to at least 2014. Past experience with the old DOHC 2.5 has indicated to me that Subaru has absolutely no problem with using their customers as unpaid beta testers. To those who buy the 2011 Forester, I salute you! I would imagine that the Subaru facility that manufacturers diesel engine is running at full capacity keeping European and other markets happy. Due to high petrol prices, diesel is very popular in Europe. That's not the case in the US. Only a small percentage of Subarus sold in the US would be diesel. It's not worth the expense in inventory, advertising, and training for Subaru to market a diesel in the US. Even with much higher gas prices in Europe, the more expensive diesel engine only does a little better than "break even". Google "dual mass flywheels", diesels are not without problems of their own.

Perhaps there is someone on this board with more experience with Threebond 1225. However, I use use RTV frequently in my business. After a period of time it seems to get "gummy". Once it reaches that state it will NOT harden properly. Leaks are a problem, but pieces of RTV are often responsbile for engine failure due to oil starvation. Apparently. small pieces of RTV are great at clogging up oil passages. If the RTV hsn't cured in a couple of hours, it's probably gone bad. Personally, I would not take a risk with my engine. One again, maybe someone has experience specifically with Threebond 1225.

In general: Try to avoid used car dealers. A private party sale from the original owner is usually the best way to go. Don't buy a turbo engine unless you need it. Everything is more critical on turbo engines, even simple oil changes. Do you like spending extra for high octane gas? And you never will want to tow anything with your Forester, will you? A Forester with NA 2.5L has plenty of power. Subaru turbos seem to have a pretty good rep, but they're still not as reliable as the plain vanilla NA 2.5L engine.

It could very well be the oil pump going. Don't drive the car until you diagnose the problem. When you hear "clicking and clanking" it's too damn late, your engine has been damaged. Just a brief lapse in lubrication can cause irreversable piston ring wear. Don't assume it's the oil pressure sensor. It probably isn't.

Don't forget, the oil lamp is triggered by oil PRESSURE not oil volume. If your oil pressure sensor was working properly, your engine may have been starved of oil. I would look into it a bit. Oil pump starting to go? Insufficient lubrication is an engine killer.

Unless the engine has been replaced on your 1999 Legacy, it is a PHASE I DOHC. You might start from there.

I am not 100% sure, but I would say "no". The 1997 Impreza had the 1.8L or 2.2L engine. The 1999 Forester has the 2.5L SOHC engine. The Impreza radiator probably couldn't handle the extra heat. BTW, when the Forester first came out in 1998 Subaru tried to make do with the clutch from the 2.2L engine. The result was tons of unhappy Forester owners with burnout clutches. Subaru doesn't engineer their parts for extra capacity.

I'm originally from NYC, but I relocated to Columbia, SC a long time ago. South Carolina is like some kind of car museum. You almost never see rust on a car, you could rebuild or replace the engines almost forever. There's plenty of cars, and especially pick-ups, from when Kennedy was President. EXCEPTION: Cars from the sea coast in the South. The salt air, high humidity, and high heat can really eat up a car with rust. The Florida Keys are probably the worst.

2.5L DOHC engine, very possibly a siezed cam shaft. THe DOHC is known to have undersized oil passages in the heads. A small piece of RTV or other debris can clog them and starve the camshaft of oil. This problem often occurs after the engine has been worked on, and a piece of RTV clogs the oil passage.

The H6 has a timing CHAIN, not a belt. Replacing the timing chain is not inexpensive. It would be unusual to have to replace the timing chain under 100,000 miles. Have the engine inspected. Excessive rattling noises is one sign of a worn timing chain. It might just be the chain giudes. Failing to regularly change the engine oil is the most common cause of premature timing chain wear.

Make sure you know what constitutes slander, libel, and deflammation of character under Arkansas law. You don't want this guy slapping you with a lawsuit. If you can't prove it in a court of law, you'd be better off not saying it in public. I'm sorry, I believe that this guy may have taken advantage of you. But chose your fights carefully. Never start a war unless you are sure that you will win. In some respects, legal action is pretty close to going to war.

You paid substantially less than retail, $10,500, for this car. The dealer could probably make the "as is" purchase agreement stick. Also, to be successfull in court you have to prove that the dealer knew that the head gaskets were bad and WITHHELD that information from you. That's a pretty tall order. It's not enough to prove the head gasket are bad, to prevail you have to prove: 1. The dealer knew that the head gaskets were bad, and 2. He hid that information from you. If you had a witness when the dealer said that he "used the car as a daily driver", you might have chance at a case. That statment might be taken as attesting to the fitness of the vehicle. If the head gaskets are the only problem with this car, you're still not badly off. A dealership will likely charge $1,200-1,400 for the repair. If you have a buudy who's good at wrenching you might get away with a couple of hundred in parts. ALERT ALERT ALERT:eek: You know that the timing belt was due for replacement at 105,000 miles, right? You must be absolutely positive that the timing belt was replaced, or have it done REAL SOON. A failed timing belt could trash your whole engine, and make your head gasket problems seem like small potatoes.

Again, how much did you pay for this car? What is model, model year, and mileage? I am asking for a reason. Did you pay a full "retail" price for this car? Or, did you get pay significantly less than full retail, and accept an "as is" purchase agreement as part of the deal? You don't have a lot of consumer rights in Arkansas. The dealer is ignoring you, because he probably can. If you paid full retail price and the dealer "pressured you" or "mislead you" into signing an "as is" purchase agreement, you might have a case. The judge MIGHT take pity on a young, inexperienced guy who paid full retail for a used car and was "mislead" into signing an inappropriate "as is" purchase agreement. Other than that, you probably don't have much of a case. If you don't want disclose the details surrounding the purchase, I'm sure someone else on the board will be happy to help you. BTW, I sued a repair shop over a rebuilt engine in a SC Small Claims (Magistrate's) Court and won. Victory is sweet. Good luck.

I am truly impressed. Both you, and your friend, really know how to maintain a car. Although a little luck is needed, as well.

Wolfhound, check out the used car dealer AND his repair shop with the BBB and the state attorney general before you go any further. Your car is going to be towed 90 miles and out of state. That could make things a lot tougher if anything goes wrong with the repair. Once again, if you don't trust the dealer, why would trust his repair shop? Who's paying for 3 hours of towing? Who's paying for the repair? What happens if a repair shop in Tennessee puts a mechanic's lien on your car? You better know just how deep this cow pattty goes before you step in it.

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger, Wolfhound. There have been TONS of posts on this board where people have bought used Subarus, particularly with the 2.5L DOHC engine, and then found out they had blown head gaskets a day or two later. It is far from a rare occurance. More than one person found out they had blown gaskets on the car they just bought from a used car dealer on the way home. So, they have the car towed home, but the tow truck driver tows the car by the front or rear wheels. Now, the poor schlub has a car with blown head gaskets AND a destroyed automatic transmission. Like I say, this has happened more than once. Anyway, if the only thing wrong with your car is blown head gaskets, it's not a huge deal. I've made my share of mistakes, and I'm still here to tell the tale. I hope that the used car dealer helps you out. But used car dealers are not usually renouned for having hearts of gold.

I remember a fair number of posts where owners unintentionally destroyed their MAFs by cleaning them. Another group of owners destroyed their MAFs by overoiling their cloth "permanent" air filters. Bottom line, the MAF can be delicate and doesn't like being screwed with. I am posting this so that you don't drive yourself crazy trying to fix a MAF that may be beyond help. Once you've checked everything, go to a junkyard and get a replacement. Once you get a replacement, leave it alone. It it ain't broke, don't fix it, especially with MAFs.