I know this has been asked before.

 

What's the better Head Gasket?  Why?

Edited May 11, 20178 yr by 06SubLegTx

All I know is I've replaced both.

All I know is I've replaced both.

Can you tell which lasted longer?  How many miles did you put on each different set?

what about the other important aspects of this job:

1. resurfacing the heads

2. resurfacing the block

 

Open questions like this are usually limited in scope. The best qualified people don't usually respond. So you'll get anecdotal low grade replies.

 

Ideally you get info from GD, GLoyale, Crawlerdan and people that have replaced significant numbers. Ivansimports as well. But they'd have to quit their jobs to reply to every common question so they don't respond much here.

 

Ideally you do some significant searching and post links or specific questions.

 

It would be nice to curate a thread comprising all of the high capacity folks comments on the subject.

 

I've owned 40 Subarus, worked on many more and have no clue how many headgaskets I've replaced - and still my experience regarding your question is anecdotal and not technically worth a lick. By reading replies you'll just get a bunch of statistically meaningless opinions and experiences like mine.

 

If you search, I know some of those guys have reported before what they use and have seen. It's worth finding what they've said. Use google search and find their usernames from USMB.

 

I'm comfortable using Subaru or Fel Pro based on the comments of really experienced people who have come to their own conclusions.

 

I'm pretty sure crawlerdan has used Fel Pro for years hundreds of times without issues over many years. He's got a statistically significant look at long term success and enormous same size a thread like this will never touch.

Subaru - 06+ 2.5 turbo gasket. Part number ending in 770. 

 

GD

Subaru - 06+ 2.5 turbo gasket. Part number ending in 770. 

 

GD

Thoughts on Six Star?

Never heard of 6 star.

For these engines. I would go by what GD wrote. I have not had to do one of these newer engines yet. I have done a few older ones, and used Fel pro, which is the only brand I have seen recommended other than oem.

Not in the 10's or hundreds of these, but I have done at least a dozen or more of EJ25's, and I agree with Grossgary.

 

I have used both Subaru gaskets and Felpro, and none have come back.

 

Preparation is the key to a successful job. Each time I get the heads resurfaced, and scrub down the mating block surface with a 3M Scotchbrite pad, or 2 or 3 using kerosene as a solvent. I scrub until the block surface is completely clean of any old gasket or  debris.

 

Next is to follow the proper torque sequence and specs for the engine.

 

I have yet to replace head bolts, but you will probably get various answers on this also.

Six Star are just rebranded Cometic gaskets with a premium price. Nothing special about them. We occasionally use Cometics when we need a custom thickness (which is very seldom). No real complaints but honestly the 770 gaskets are as good or better than anything the aftermarket has to offer and they are cheap and readily available at any dealer. Pretty much always in stock. Made by Nippon Rienz. 

 

GD

Edited May 17, 20178 yr by GeneralDisorder

I'm in the middle of a 2.5L to 2.0L swap and the 2.0L JDM engine uses a 482 (superseded by 483) head gasket.  Main difference from the 770 gasket is the cooling cutouts on the 770 are smaller.  I don't know the significance of that change so decided to use the 11044AA483 from the Subaru Dealer (get cost + 10% as son is employee).

There is no significance to the cooling passage alignment. The factory uses gaskets that partially or completely block passages all the time. I have NEVER seen an issue due to gasket/head cooling passage mismatch. If it's for an EJ engine, has the right bore diameter, and the thickness you are looking for then you are OK to run it.

 

GD

Edited May 25, 20178 yr by GeneralDisorder

Thanks for the input GD, as I didn't know the significance of the cooling passage size, I stuck with what was in there.  the 483 gasket is also an MLS one like the 770

Edited May 27, 20178 yr by Mike104

On 5/14/2017 at 7:47 AM, idosubaru said:

what about the other important aspects of this job:

1. resurfacing the heads

2. resurfacing the block

 

Open questions like this are usually limited in scope. The best qualified people don't usually respond. So you'll get anecdotal low grade replies.

 

Ideally you get info from GD, GLoyale, Crawlerdan and people that have replaced significant numbers. Ivansimports as well. But they'd have to quit their jobs to reply to every common question so they don't respond much here.

 

Ideally you do some significant searching and post links or specific questions.

 

It would be nice to curate a thread comprising all of the high capacity folks comments on the subject.

 

I've owned 40 Subarus, worked on many more and have no clue how many headgaskets I've replaced - and still my experience regarding your question is anecdotal and not technically worth a lick. By reading replies you'll just get a bunch of statistically meaningless opinions and experiences like mine.

 

If you search, I know some of those guys have reported before what they use and have seen. It's worth finding what they've said. Use google search and find their usernames from USMB.

 

I'm comfortable using Subaru or Fel Pro based on the comments of really experienced people who have come to their own conclusions.

 

I'm pretty sure crawlerdan has used Fel Pro for years hundreds of times without issues over many years. He's got a statistically significant look at long term success and enormous same size a thread like this will never touch.

ive used literally hundreds of felpro mls. love them. only had two failures. one- im at fault. ill take the blame. second- anti lag, 25 psi, etc- that was not felpros fault.

ive also had great success with cometic- but be cautious of the vendor you purchase from. six states Ive used here and there at customers requests. neither good nor bad opinions of the product

Any difference from the 770 & the 642?

Never mind, just read some older posts and for N/A it's kind of the same....

Edited February 14, 20197 yr by iriejedi

I've used fel pro on the last 15 and they have all gone well.  Don't like the cam seals in the kit so I always get Subaru ones for that though.

Fail-Pro has never been my choice. Besides I get 642's and 770's for like $29 so why bother? The OEM Subaru turbo gasket has never failed us. 

GD

GD, LOL.  

2 hours ago, GeneralDisorder said:

Fail-Pro has never been my choice. Besides I get 642's and 770's for like $29 so why bother? The OEM Subaru turbo gasket has never failed us. 

GD

LOL, GD I should buy them from you at that price! Best I've found is about $78 for the pair.

Here's the really fun part. The supplier that sells them to me at that price is the supplier than owns the six-star brand. They have all that six-star stuff manufactured and re-branded for their private label wholesale line. Head gaskets, oil filters, etc. 

GD