theotherskip

i think the air vent tends to get clogged and then leak. mine has been doing the same for about 10k miles. but i've cracked the fill plug and checked it every couple thousand or so and haven't seen a noticable drop. a little bit of oil leaking can make a really big mess... as for the recommended sealant, here is what subaru recommends for a bunch of different applications. i used some permatex 599 the first time (ultra gray), and haven't used any on the recent times i have checked it. i think if it is tight enough, it doesn't leak at all. torque spec for a 97 is 32 ft-lbs.

it is totally easy to replace. just a little tight. you will need new valve cover gaskets, bolt seals, and spark plug hole gaskets. brief instructions can be found in the "service procedure - valve rocker assembly" section. just follow the 1st step for removal and the last step for installation. in the 97 manual, it requires 3.6 ft-lbs of torque to retighten the bolts. otherwise it is very straightforward....

things i did when i changed my clutch: clutch disc : $75 pressure plate: $80 throwout bearing: $25 pilot bearing: $8 oil separator cover: $13 (if yours isn't metal - the old ones are plastic) rear main seal (cheap, but i got it in a gasket kit) this is the price for parts only, at www.1stsubaruparts.com. if you got them all from the dealer, it would be close to $300, theirs was closer to $200. i also resurfaced the flywheel for $10, totally worth it. the new clutch is much better than the original, though still not too forgiving. if you oil separator plate is already metal, just have it resealed with rtv sealant. the plastic ones are prone to cracking and it is cheap insurance to replace it while you are in there...

bubbles/gunk in the radiator overflow tank is the biggest sign, though that often doesn't start until the leak is starting to become a problem. for the bubbles to start on mine, it would take about 20 minutes on the highway before it would start. mine only overheated once, then i started researching it, checked for bubbles, and tada - found the head gasket was gone. sucks. don't it?

ccr quoted me $2695 with exchange. they estimated shipping would be approximately $150. i opted to rebuild the existing engine. right now, i think i may have another failure. at 95k. my coolant got real dirty all of a sudden, and seems to be dropping occasionally. i think i am going to be looking at some TDI's next week to decide if i want to keep it or dump it. as for doing the rebuild yourself, i did it for $700, which included a new clutch & associated parts, water pump, and assorted extras. i did it thinking i would only have to do it once. if it turns out that i did blow another gasket and i keep the car, i may consider a junkyard engine, so i will have a spare engine when one craps out. sad to think that i am considering rotating motors on a car that is barely 7 years old and with less than 100k. i think you have been to my site, but this has all of my notes and learnings about doing it myself: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze730qe/Head_gasket_replacement.html hopefully it will give you some insite into what you will be in for if you choose to do it yourself. let me know if i can be of any further help. and don't settle for subaru's denial of the problem...

i have heard a few reports of blocked radiators and heater cores after the conditioner was added... those haven't been covered by the extended warranty.

OUCH... sorry to hear that total...

the crank seal is where the crank extends through the oil pump. there is a separate o-ring where the oil pump meets the block. to change it, you have to remove the oil pump and reseal it to the block. as a dealer - it should be about a buck for a new o-ring. you should also change the crank seal while you are in there - its cheap too. tstat and water pump are good pm if you are planning on keeping the car, but they will probably last you till 150k or so. do check the idlers to see if any are dry... one of mine was at 72k.

i second the 1stsubaruparts.com reference. always been a pleasure to deal with...

the tool isn't necessary if you are removing the cams, as you have to if you are replacing the head gaskets...

collins - that's total bs that subaru fed you. i have 40 96-98 2.5's (phase I's) with head gasket failures on my list. print it out and send a nice letter to subaru if they have heard of any of these people... http://mysite.verizon.net/vze730qe/guestlog.html

the parts don't tend to be the real expensive part of the job...it's the labor that really kills you. since you had already replaced a lot of the parts which you tend to do if you are in there, it seems like a good deal. i never trust dealers - they tend to get you on both ends, jacking the price of parts and then having high shop rates. it is unbelieveable the markup of parts at the dealers. i used www.1stsubaruparts.com and found that one of the local dealers (Armen Subaru in Plymouth Meeting, PA) was actually marking up the list price! 1st subaru was about 33% lower than the list price while armen was about 10% ABOVE list... so you get an extra penalty for using the dealer...

i track mileage every tank. there was a noticable increase from when i increased the tire pressure from the factory 29f/28r to 32 all around. i was running in the 23's, and am now up to around 25. lifetime for the car (60k-95k) is 23.6. all time high is 27.6, and that was after increasing the tire pressure. my current driving is about 90% highway, 10% city, 90 mile daily commute usually running 75-80, manual transmission. i have noticed that the car has more slip in turns on wet roads, but nothing that isn't controllable. i don't think i would go any higher, though. i currently have the michelins xw4's on the car, which i have liked, but i think they tend to suck the gas a bit. i'll have to remember what you switched to when i replace them. side note: my brother and sister-in-law recently bought a toyota sienna and have been really satisfied with it - good layout, a lot of useable room, and drives well, for a minivan at least...

i put a bunch of info on my site. you can read it here: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze730qe/Head_gasket_replacement.html also use the search. you will find many threads. there is a wealth of info on this board...

i created a guestbook on my site a while ago to keep track of the failures. you can print it and include it with corresponedance with subaru. at least they can't pull the "we haven't heard of any problems what that engine" line that they pulled on my... http://mysite.verizon.net/vze730qe/guestlog.html

put it in 5th. if you put it in 1st, it is the easiest for the engine to turn the wheels. you want to make it the hardest for the engine to turn the wheels... i had to use a 24" 1/2 drive breaker bar with a 24" section of black iron pipe over the handle. take it slow and it will go.

you can access the rear main and oil seperator plate by leaving the car in the engine and sliding it forward. it is a bit tight, and i've never done it, but it certainly is possible. i don't think any special tools are required to remove the half shafts. someone else should be able to back that up.

i've seen that guy's article about not being able to totally purge the coolant system, but i don't buy it. mine failed at the bottom of the piston: heads picture gasket picture at a place where an air pocket couldn't have developed. additionally, he has mounted the engine in an airplane, and there is no way of telling what angles it is mounted with respect to the mounting in an auto. overall, i think it is poor gasket design combined with a small sealing area. i'm also assuming he bought a salvaged engine, and there is no telling if it already had a blown head gasket, which may lead him to misdiagnose the problem to be air trapped in the cooling system. and his multiple runs where he overheated it could have been what warped the heads, not air in the system. i just know that i don't think i would trust keeping myself in the air with a 2.5 providing the power!

it can really go at any time, from 13k to 187k (any beyond) have a look: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze730qe/guestlog.html

the only cool thing about having my head gaskets go was getting to tear into the engine, which was really fascinating. but i don't think i would risk screwing anything up on an engine that is fully intact. it is a lot of work (probably 25 hours at a minimum for the average amateur), and any number of things can go wrong. many people can nurse it along when it does go by keeping the coolant topped off. i got by for about a month while i got parts together and figured out what i wanted to do.

i think a lot of the people who had successive failures had them on the old style gasket. the new design seems to be doing quite well...

he wanted to know how much additional...

check that your fans are working, and that there is not a buildup of crud in the radiator. otherwise, i would just replace the thermostat and cap - it shouldn't run more than $20, and isn't really worth the trouble of running without one for a while. also make sure that the cooling system is fully purged. air in the system will give a lot of wierd problems.

rear main seal costs like $6 iirc, so i don't think it would be more than $20 installed IF they are pulling the flywheel, which they need to to get to the oil separator plate. you could probably get away with resurfacing the flywheel. that's what i did on mine with 72k miles, and have been pleased with the results. as for the price, i can't give you a firm answer, because i did mine myself, but it doesn't sound like you are getting hosed. are you getting a new pressure plate? you should also have the pilot & throwout bearings replaced (cheap insurance). parts will run about $200 (not incl. a new flywheel). it is a lot of work due the AWD...

you could have it o-ringed. http://wac.addr.com/auto/obs/headgasket/headgasket.html he talks about it about midway down the page...