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Not sure if anyone remembers me, I owned a '81 GL 4WD Wagon, and helped coordinate a Meet and Greet a couple decades ago at Red Rocks, Colorado.  The fate of my wagon is truly depressing, my ex father in law had it scrapped for metal because he lost the keys to it, and neglected to tell me. 

So here is my issue.  My wife bought a 2003 Baja EJ25 a couple months ago from a guy who said his uncle just replaced most major parts, timing belt, water pump, and head gaskets.  It ran great for a month until we got the oil changed and new air filter, and then started to overheat badly.  Symptoms point to head gasket leak which can be quite an expensive fix. Requires pulling engine, machining head surfaces, and replacing gasket with turbo version. 

We live in Loveland, Colorado and are tight on money and no place to work on it.  I am putting out a plea for help, or recommendation from you all.  If we can't get it fixed, it's going to end up in a backyard and $3200 down the drain.  It is in great shape except for the engine issue, so I need to resolve this somehow, some way.  Thanks everyone for your time and consideration. 

Jeff/Xenongod/RIP:Diamond in the Roo

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If you can do the work yourself, it won't be too bad, as long as you have an open space to work, even if outside.

Rent or make an engine lift. You will need an engine stand to work comfortably.

You can machine the heads yourself. 

Work on calm days and if necessary work inside a tent.

Challenging, but it can be done, as long as you have space.

FMS here:https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?18087-Subaru-Factory-Service-Manuals-(FSM)-Every-Model-USDM-EU

O.

Edited by ocei77
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I would rule out air in the cooling system since recent work was done on it before assuming headgaskets. Although they are can overheat sometimes, the more common headgasket failures on the 2003's (EJ251) is external coolant leaks. That being said, when the recent headgasket work was done, if the heads were warped and that wasn't checked or if the headbolts weren't torqued properly, leaks can develop, but I'd check the simple things first.

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On 3/28/2020 at 6:43 PM, Rampage said:

What symptoms? Bubbles in the overflow tank or coolant leaking.

Do the radiator fans run?

Yes, bubbles in overflow tank and radiator, and the heater works sporadically.  New Subaru radiator cap, drilled holes in thermostat, and burped cooling system properly.  Both cooling fans work fine.  After driving only a couple of miles, the temperature skyrockets pass the red zone, and coolant steams out of the overflow.  We pull over immediately, shut engine off, and within a couple minutes the temperature is in the normal range.  May try a new thermostat for shits and giggles, couldn't hurt to be sure.  Hope and pray no permanent damage or warping has occurred.  Thanks, Jeff

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5 hours ago, xenongod said:

Yes, bubbles in overflow tank and radiator

Head gaskets. "Do not" try any stop leak.

If the head gaskets were actually replaced before you got the car, then there could have been a problem with the gasket they used or they were not installed properly, or there is another underlying problem like a warped or cracked head. Won't know until you go hunting.

The FSM will have the proper torque sequence for the head bolts.

I would check the head bolts and see if you can determine what they are torqued to. Maybe they missed some of them.

Edited by Rampage
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Sucks to hear about that. Definitely sounds like a botched head gasket job.

If you can't work on it yourself, how much can you spend? There are a lot of options...depending on your budget.

Pay someone to do the work with the risk of finding bigger issues? If there are no major issues then your probably looking at $1500-$1800 for the HG replacement. 

Or maybe buy a JDM engine? (~$2000 delivered) and pay someone to install it? Maybe $3000 total all said and done but know that you have a reliable engine for the next 100k miles. 

Or maybe try to break even and sell the car as is for $1000 (probably less) and buy a beater to get you buy for $1000? 

I live in Colorado (Red Feather!) and haven't had to take my Subarus to anyone yet, but if I did, I'd probably take them to this guy. An independent Subaru specialist....Right in your neighborhood! Maybe he'd give you a free quote and help you make your decision.

And if you need a machine shop, Jeff at US Automotive Machine & Performance, also in Loveland, does great work. He's a serious engine builder. He's machined two sets of heads for me. Which brings up another hidden cost....Both times he told me I needed to replace my exhaust valves, which I did. That adds about $500 to the bill.

Good luck man!

Edited by bodhicheetah
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 3/30/2020 at 2:10 PM, bodhicheetah said:

Sucks to hear about that. Definitely sounds like a botched head gasket job.

If you can't work on it yourself, how much can you spend? There are a lot of options...depending on your budget.

Pay someone to do the work with the risk of finding bigger issues? If there are no major issues then your probably looking at $1500-$1800 for the HG replacement. 

Or maybe buy a JDM engine? (~$2000 delivered) and pay someone to install it? Maybe $3000 total all said and done but know that you have a reliable engine for the next 100k miles. 

Or maybe try to break even and sell the car as is for $1000 (probably less) and buy a beater to get you buy for $1000? 

I live in Colorado (Red Feather!) and haven't had to take my Subarus to anyone yet, but if I did, I'd probably take them to this guy. An independent Subaru specialist....Right in your neighborhood! Maybe he'd give you a free quote and help you make your decision.

And if you need a machine shop, Jeff at US Automotive Machine & Performance, also in Loveland, does great work. He's a serious engine builder. He's machined two sets of heads for me. Which brings up another hidden cost....Both times he told me I needed to replace my exhaust valves, which I did. That adds about $500 to the bill.

Good luck man!

$100 charge from Jeff at Us, but another shop taess the head to Denver, bother about the same price

 

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Used engine from UPAP.  

Can take some time to find one.

Things I look for:

- Hit hard so you know it was going down the road

- Good condition otherwise, lets you know the owner took care of the car

- Oil pan pull the plug and check the condition of the oil that's left and no metal in the pan.

Yes, it's a roll of the dice, but they give you a 30 day return and for <$400 you can have and engine, new T-Belt, gaskets and be on the road in a weekend.

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19 hours ago, xenongod said:

$100 charge from Jeff at Us, but another shop taess the head to Denver, bother about the same price

 

That’s a great rate for someone that’s doing it right and knows subarus and won’t badger you into full valve jobs/rebuilds. 

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  • 1 month later...

$3000 bucks at Subadude in South Loveland got me a used rebuild with new seals, gaskets, timing belt, radiator, pullies, hoses, and miscellaneous doodads.  Anniversary present thanks to Uncle Sam, and taking one for the team, both of us amongst a cesspool of germs working for Amazon and Senior Living.  Want to go junkyard diving now to find some treasures, clips, and light fixtures.  Godspeed, RIP Diamond, Xenongod/Jeff

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18 hours ago, xenongod said:

$3000 bucks at Subadude in South Loveland got me a used rebuild with new seals, gaskets, timing belt, radiator, pullies, hoses, and miscellaneous doodads.  Anniversary present thanks to Uncle Sam, and taking one for the team, both of us amongst a cesspool of germs working for Amazon and Senior Living.  Want to go junkyard diving now to find some treasures, clips, and light fixtures.  Godspeed, RIP Diamond, Xenongod/Jeff

great man, glad you got it back on the road.  

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