Hey guys, so i've been searching my rump roast off trying to figure out what all parts are completely necessary for the job. I'm a pretty experienced weekend mechanic. I just bought a 1999 Legacy Outback two weeks ago, knowing it needed the timing belt done (120k and it wasn't done). So last weekend I tackled that. Purchased the kit, a water pump, and new thermostat; Completed it with no snags and actually really enjoyed the design of the car compared to past car's i've had to do work on.
Unfortunately this weekend I was going climbing in the mountains, and after about 40mi of constant grade i noticed my temp gauge nearing the top and pulled over immediately. After much research I've found i have all the usual symptoms so here i am...joining the club i suppose . Also unfortunate, upon doing my research i found the info on the sludge in the coolant reservoir, when i did the timing belt i noticed this in there but thought perhaps it was just stop leak added incorrectly. So i'm thinking i bought it with a blown HG.
Anyway, A few questions. The cosworth head gasket, Is it worth the cost? I'm looking for reliability, not really performance(though i wont complain if some is to be had), so will that HG vs the OEM 610 give me MORE longevity or is the OEM doing really well? And Does the 1.1mm work/have advantages/disadvantages vs the 1.5mm?
Also I'm having trouble locating the Part #'s for some parts on most of the sites i've found. I can find the parts just fine, but i would like the assurance of Cross Referencing with the OEM part#'s i've found some of on here and other forums before i spend the money. I would love to compile a complete list with all the parts to make it easier for everyone and make a writeup on how the job goes.
I have also seen it seems to be a good time to do the valve clearance, as the heads will be totally broken down anyway. My question is i've read that it can be done in the car without the $275 tool AND that it cant. So does anyone have experience with doing it? This will pretty much decide whether or not I'm pulling the motor.
Thanks in advance guy's. I know this topic is beaten to the ground, but its almost as if there is sooo much information it makes it more confusing to find the necessary parts.
-Bennett