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Most of the time it is just a sensor but it can be anything in the system. I suspect the new owner will be working on the car to tidy things up anyway. Most of us get a car and spend the next several weeks if not years restoring it.

The problem is all the stuff you have to remove. You have to tear the engine down nearly to a bare block to remove the heads. Most folks remove the engine first for clearance. While you are in there many seals are usually replaced and the timing belt is off so you may as well change that. This stuff all adds up but when you are done you have an engine ready to go for a while.

Michelle, It sounds good to me as I would rather buy that car with leaking gaskets and have them replaced. An honest owner like yourself means the person will not get a surprise, and with new gaskets that car will be good for years.

My understanding is that they cause oil bunring when they stick open or the spring gets weak and it opens too soon. This is supposed to suck oil from the crankcase into the manifold on decelleration. On the ones with no spring sometimes the ball and seat gets worn and causes the same thing.

I agree there is no quick fix if the PCV is ok. Sometimes switching to synthetic oil can cut smoke for a while, but is not a real fix. I understand it just smokes less.

Michelle, the black goo does not work for your car. Odds on the Subaru place will know enough about it to realize that your car is a phase 1 engine.

except the 99 Outback should have a phase 1 and the goop will not work. It only works with a phase 2.

If only one side of the head gaskets leak some folks only replace one. what counts is if they are leaking. Remember the phase 2 has a failure mode that is not very scarey if you keep water in it and can often be repaired with a can of stuff Subaru often gives you. I think Subaru did the phase 1 to 2 switch in the 98 production of 99s because my 99 was made in 98. If the the 97 is a 2.5 it would scare me a bit unless I set aside head gasket money. I know some were 2.2s and that is a great engine. I bought the 99 Forester to avoid the phase 1 engine on adavce from thsi board and I'm glad I did. The phase 2 is much easier to service, ask some of the phase 1 owners how they like installing plugs or adjusting the valves.

It should be a phase 2. I also have a 99 Forester L and it has been pretty good.

I have my BMW today so I can't look but I think the production date is on the door. On these later cars Subaru has been fairly good about warranty work on gaskets. Cold climates have the most trouble with this so you and I in No CA don't have all that much burden. Still an extended warranty would be nice. These days even Toyotas and Hondas have had gasket problems.

I'm running the 03 version gasket now and it sure cured my weeping. It does seem like it took a long time to get the gaskets right.

I had a head gasket leak on my 99 Forester that is pretty much the same engine. It was a tiny weep that I would not have noticed if I had not been looking. The coolant would go down maybe a pint between oil changes. The folks who had the car before probaly had it for a long time and never knew, but they watched the fluids. If you don't open the hood you can cause problems as you leak until the fluid level becomes critical. I understand the head gaskets were changed to the later type sometime in late 03 production but I have no idea when. I wonder what the production dates for the ywo cars RW mentions are?

Frag, Thanks for putting it so much better than I can!

Actually I have used that trick on the last couple that folks have brought over we had trouble getting off. I have a tire place several blocks from my house so it has not been a problem. I am sure you sould not drive any significant distance like that. The ones that have caused trouble have been from a rust state (Maine) and when we got it back the axle is still pretty stuck in there. It takes another wheel bearing risking couple pops with a sledge hammer to get seperation. When you bring it up it does occur to me that another thing has once been mentioned about air tools and Subaru bearings. It seems like I have read somewhere that impact tools could damage the bearings by the impact.

Heck you shouldn't be done yet. That looks pretty professional as it should. Kind of reminds me of the Mexico outfit I had on my 122S Volvo wagon years ago. Lots of spare parts and tires and all the light and horns I could afford.

Boy that's a relief. I thought it was all that partying in the 60s.

Those early Legacies sure did seem peppy off the line. I always assumed that it was due to the light weight. The 2.5s have more torque when you climb a hill I think.

The post 03 2.5 engine has few head gasket failures and if they do it is just an external that Subaru makes a goop for. A few folks have needed replacement gaskets but not very many. I have a 99 BMW M Roadster so I know about the cooling issues. For some reason Subaru knows how to make good waterpumps and I have 128,000 on my 99 forester with no radiator problems. At 105,000 when you need a cambelt you may want to put a water pump on as they seem to last about 120,000. That's a pretty good car with most of the bugs out. If it were me I'd get an extended warranty as you never really know what the former owner did to it. Some folks here are against it (warranty), but I sure got my money out of the extended warranty on my BMW fixing little things that would have added up.

It is good when we have a win!

OK nip, is the problem me or you? I know I'm a bit numb but I don't see a link.

It is expensive but the nice thing is that you should not have to worry about failure after that. I'm glad I got my head gaskets replaced a few years ago as the peace of mind makes it worth it.

do yourself a favor if you have a truck place nearby. Just stop in and have them loosen the nuts with a 3/4 impact and hand tighten them back up to get home. That just may make the job easier for you.

Glad you found it! $200 seems fairly reasonable to me.

Now clam down Manarius. As a former shop manager I have to stand up for Richie here. At 18 or so you are in a big hurry as we were at your age. A careful job should not be rushed and safety is an important factor in the equasion. Frankly all jobs don't go well especially if you get some rust involved. In a shop a mechanic will get some jobs that go very quickly and then the one you eat. I bet the first one I have to do will take me four hours and the next one a couple hours. Leaning on the car while you drink your coffee and thinking about it is important.

http://www.autoelf.com/shop/carbodybestsubaru/index.html This is a result of one try at Google. I'm pretty sure there are places that make new ones.