1 Lucky Texan Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 oh yeah, it may not save money - dunno. But, you're not just buying a (likely) leak-free engine, you may be buying one with much lower mileage too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 17 hours ago, Fuji said: Thanks for your kind words- The Saturn had side curtain air bags and luckily my wife was not hurt more severely but the accident did result in her having to have plates in her neck and to this day she has to take medication for the nerve pain. Sorry again. Glad it wasn't worse and may you continue with your attitude about it which seems about the best possible given those circumstances. Take a case of oil and check frequently. It'll drip onto the ground or blow back where the most it can touch is the exhaust manifold heat shield. They are routinely coated with thick, burnt on oil like an old charcoal grill from frequent oil exposure. I see it all the time. Not to encourage flippancy but these issues are very forgiving. This is probably a rare case where a lower plastic shroud is ideal - it would likely prevent a lot of blow back while driving. If you still have it or can get one - put it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 17 hours ago, 1 Lucky Texan said: would a JDM engine swap be worthwhile here? It's not a bad idea to ask how much they'd charge to install another engine. Engine and install would run $2k-$3k, considerably more than repair. I'm a little hesitant to spend a lot more to replace a known engine with an unknown. and at least he'd get a new water pump and seals out of the repair. 7 hours ago, 1 Lucky Texan said: oh yeah, it may not save money - dunno. But, you're not just buying a (likely) leak-free engine, you may be buying one with much lower mileage too. If OP is serious about driving another 150k, JDM begins to look more attractive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 4 hours ago, idosubaru said: Sorry again. Glad it wasn't worse and may you continue with your attitude about it which seems about the best possible given those circumstances. Take a case of oil and check frequently. It'll drip onto the ground or blow back where the most it can touch is the exhaust m.anifold heat shield. They are routinely coated with thick, burnt on oil like an old charcoal grill from frequent oil exposure. I see it all the time. Not to encourage flippancy but these issues are very forgiving. This is probably a rare case where a lower plastic shroud is ideal - it would likely prevent a lot of blow back while driving. If you still have it or can get one - put it on. picked up the vehicle today and so far I don't see any leaking and it was pouring out before- I don't know if other issues will flair up, we will see but the vehicle seems to be running fine besides the leak. So smooth that sometimes at idle I think the car is not running. all I can do is keep my fingers crossed and the $375 price tag I can live with. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 4 hours ago, idosubaru said: It's not a bad idea to ask how much they'd charge to install another engine. Engine and install would run $2k-$3k, considerably more than repair. I'm a little hesitant to spend a lot more to replace a known engine with an unknown. and at least he'd get a new water pump and seals out of the repair. If OP is serious about driving another 150k, JDM begins to look more attractive. A rebuilt engine would definitely be advantageous if it comes to that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 42 minutes ago, Fuji said: picked up the vehicle today and so far I don't see any leaking and it was pouring out before- I don't know if other issues will flair up, we will see but the vehicle seems to be running fine besides the leak. So smooth that sometimes at idle I think the car is not running. all I can do is keep my fingers crossed and the $375 price tag I can live with. Cheers that’s awesome ! Given how bad it was it sounds like that may have done the trick! I’ve done it, thats a horrendous job. Squeeze a 17 ft continuous bead of sealant that can’t be compromised when sliding that awkwardly huge cover in a tight space to line up the 60 bolts that hold the cover on. Good price for the headache. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 16 hours ago, idosubaru said: Cheers that’s awesome ! Given how bad it was it sounds like that may have done the trick! I’ve done it, thats a horrendous job. Squeeze a 17 ft continuous bead of sealant that can’t be compromised when sliding that awkwardly huge cover in a tight space to line up the 60 bolts that hold the cover on. Good price for the headache. Driving through 8 inches of snow and it feels fine- no oil leak that I can see. Yeah, I think they did a good job on it and hopefully it will not leak oil from else where at least for a while. I think I will tackle a transmission fluid and filter change once the snow goes away, that will be the next thing!! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted February 24, 2022 Share Posted February 24, 2022 Glad to hear you solved the problem. Lucas has a good reputation, the idea I think is that it causes gaskets to swell up to limit leaks somewhat; I've used their tranny product in the past with some good results. Restore is also a good product. Many of the other additives may be just a waste of money or worse. Slick 50 comes to mind. I tried Tuffoil once; a friend recommended "ER", energy release, expensive stuff. Also tried the Platinum gas saver, it seemed to defy physics that having platinum and rhenium vapors bubbling into the combustion would lead to better combustion. Amazon reviews is always an interesting educational experience, I usually check the most critical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Posted February 26, 2022 Author Share Posted February 26, 2022 On 2/24/2022 at 2:19 PM, ThosL said: Glad to hear you solved the problem. Lucas has a good reputation, the idea I think is that it causes gaskets to swell up to limit leaks somewhat; I've used their tranny product in the past with some good results. Restore is also a good product. Many of the other additives may be just a waste of money or worse. Slick 50 comes to mind. I tried Tuffoil once; a friend recommended "ER", energy release, expensive stuff. Also tried the Platinum gas saver, it seemed to defy physics that having platinum and rhenium vapors bubbling into the combustion would lead to better combustion. Amazon reviews is always an interesting educational experience, I usually check the most critical. yeah and I thought of a seal conditioner like AT-205 Atp Re-Seal because while the reseal on the timing belt cover has worked exceedingly well, the mechanic told me the seals were leaking as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 2 hours ago, Fuji said: yeah and I thought of a seal conditioner like AT-205 Atp Re-Seal because while the reseal on the timing belt cover has worked exceedingly well, the mechanic told me the seals were leaking as well “The seals” - which ones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 On 2/26/2022 at 12:12 AM, idosubaru said: “The seals” - which ones? They told me seals needed to be replaced- and also said the oil pump might be leaking. The car seemed to not leak at first but I drove 71 miles to see my grandkids and noticed coming back that it dumped some oil again. I have been checking since the fix literally everywhere I go and it seemed fine-- so I am pretty bummed that it is leaking once again. I can't tell if it is from the same area but it seems to be. I realize that it could just appear to leak from there and be somewhere else. I don't really know how to proceed. While I trust the mechanic and think they acted in good faith I now wonder if I should of brought it to a Subaru dealer. I am back to driving the car and checking the oil level constantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 4 hours ago, Fuji said: They told me seals needed to be replaced- and also said the oil pump might be leaking. The car seemed to not leak at first but I drove 71 miles to see my grandkids and noticed coming back that it dumped some oil again. I have been checking since the fix literally everywhere I go and it seemed fine-- so I am pretty bummed that it is leaking once again. I can't tell if it is from the same area but it seems to be. I realize that it could just appear to leak from there and be somewhere else. I don't really know how to proceed. While I trust the mechanic and think they acted in good faith I now wonder if I should of brought it to a Subaru dealer. I am back to driving the car and checking the oil level constantly. Take it back to them. Give them a chance to follow through and see what they say. Have you looked at it yet to see if it's in the same area or you'd just basing this off of drops you see on the ground? They either: 1. made mistake - which is possible if it "didn't seem to leak at first", in which case they fixed the leak but introduced a new one somewhere else. This would be about the most difficult Subaru sealing job there is - so it wouldn't be a wild surprise for a mistake. or 2. resealed the front cover, which wasn't the cause of the leak in the first place. In which case the rear cover needs resealed. This sounds plausible since you say it seems roughly the same as before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 19 hours ago, idosubaru said: Take it back to them. Give them a chance to follow through and see what they say. Have you looked at it yet to see if it's in the same area or you'd just basing this off of drops you see on the ground? They either: 1. made mistake - which is possible if it "didn't seem to leak at first", in which case they fixed the leak but introduced a new one somewhere else. This would be about the most difficult Subaru sealing job there is - so it wouldn't be a wild surprise for a mistake. or 2. resealed the front cover, which wasn't the cause of the leak in the first place. In which case the rear cover needs resealed. This sounds plausible since you say it seems roughly the same as before. They did mention the rear seal and other seals and the oil pump and a list of things and I told them to just seal it up because that list was about $2800 so if I return it I think that conversation will happen. It doesn't pour out like before but does seem to dump oil when it is parked. Before it seemed to dump oil while driving or running. Does that make any sense? I need to drive it around so am back to kind of checking it anytime it is sitting on level ground for at least 10 or 15 minutes. I have a question for you that I can't find on line. It seems like when I check the oil and it is hot even seeing it on the end of the dipstick is probably ok, and indicates that the level when cold and the oil settles is between the hatch marks. Does this seem right to you? The reason I ask is that sometimes if the oils seems to be barely on the stick I panic and put oil in but once it settles down I have actually put a bit too much. I know that too much oil is bad as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 4 hours ago, Fuji said: They did mention the rear seal and other seals and the oil pump and a list of things and I told them to just seal it up because that list was about $2800 so if I return it I think that conversation will happen. It doesn't pour out like before but does seem to dump oil when it is parked. Before it seemed to dump oil while driving or running. Does that make any sense? I need to drive it around so am back to kind of checking it anytime it is sitting on level ground for at least 10 or 15 minutes. I have a question for you that I can't find on line. It seems like when I check the oil and it is hot even seeing it on the end of the dipstick is probably ok, and indicates that the level when cold and the oil settles is between the hatch marks. Does this seem right to you? The reason I ask is that sometimes if the oils seems to be barely on the stick I panic and put oil in but once it settles down I have actually put a bit too much. I know that too much oil is bad as well. Best to check when cold. Throw 5 quarts of oil all over your kitchen walls. How long would it take for all 5 quarts to get to the floor? It would take some time, it’s not water. The heat of the engine aids settling but it still takes time. It might help to pull the dipstick, wipe it off, then reinsert it and check level. 1/2 quart too much isn’t a big deal. If it’s leaking anyway it’ll be back down to normal in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Posted March 2, 2022 Author Share Posted March 2, 2022 18 hours ago, idosubaru said: Best to check when cold. Throw 5 quarts of oil all over your kitchen walls. How long would it take for all 5 quarts to get to the floor? It would take some time, it’s not water. The heat of the engine aids settling but it still takes time. It might help to pull the dipstick, wipe it off, then reinsert it and check level. 1/2 quart too much isn’t a big deal. If it’s leaking anyway it’ll be back down to normal in time. Hey, at least it is leaking considerably less! I actually am thinking about purchasing an even older Subaru- but need to do a lot of research. I need something solid but with better mileage. I hear good things about 2005 Foresters with the 2.5 4 liter engines. Again, a lot of research to do but the price is doable for a semi-retired old guy like me. I would only purchase an older car that is Carfaxed, never been in a wreck and shows service records especially showing the timing belt replace at around 125K. They are out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 I am on my 5th "older" Subaru in about 22 yrs... and the FIRST thing that gets done with them when I purchase is a full timing job.. regardless of history. you may have proof the belt was done, but, were the pulleys replaced? how about the water pump? seals? those are often not touched, and on the 2.5s the cogged idler pulley is usually the one to go first from bearing failure. when that happens, you end up with major damage costing a couple thousand to fix. the only way to know it is done, and done right, is to do it yourself - either you personally, or a good shop you trust. dont rely on anything else. my list spans from a 1989 GL wagon (that i paid $150 for and drove for 8 yrs, thanks to this forum) to my current, a 2004 Forester... all were purchased used, and mostly with no real maintenance history. All had somewhere between 155k and 214k on the odometer. A bit of preventive maintenance to start out with prevents a whole lot of headaches down the line. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Posted March 4, 2022 Author Share Posted March 4, 2022 13 hours ago, heartless said: I am on my 5th "older" Subaru in about 22 yrs... and the FIRST thing that gets done with them when I purchase is a full timing job.. regardless of history. you may have proof the belt was done, but, were the pulleys replaced? how about the water pump? seals? those are often not touched, and on the 2.5s the cogged idler pulley is usually the one to go first from bearing failure. when that happens, you end up with major damage costing a couple thousand to fix. the only way to know it is done, and done right, is to do it yourself - either you personally, or a good shop you trust. dont rely on anything else. my list spans from a 1989 GL wagon (that i paid $150 for and drove for 8 yrs, thanks to this forum) to my current, a 2004 Forester... all were purchased used, and mostly with no real maintenance history. All had somewhere between 155k and 214k on the odometer. A bit of preventive maintenance to start out with prevents a whole lot of headaches down the line. Did the 2004, 2005 Foresters have any head gasket issues? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Posted March 4, 2022 Author Share Posted March 4, 2022 On 3/1/2022 at 2:12 PM, idosubaru said: Best to check when cold. Throw 5 quarts of oil all over your kitchen walls. How long would it take for all 5 quarts to get to the floor? It would take some time, it’s not water. The heat of the engine aids settling but it still takes time. It might help to pull the dipstick, wipe it off, then reinsert it and check level. 1/2 quart too much isn’t a big deal. If it’s leaking anyway it’ll be back down to normal in time. I literally cannot catch a break. The Tribeca nearly overheated today. I pulled over and the radiator was literally basically empty, what was weird is that the radiator cap was not hot. I got a towel and removed it, had water in the back and started filling it up. It seemed to be leaking were the bottom drain valve is. I let it cool and hobbled home not allowing it to get hot. Doesn't seem to be leaking from any hoses. Seems to literally pour from that same spot, water running along the bottom frame or leaking from around the drain valve. I just think it is weird that this happened about 10 days after my mechanic removed it to do the timing chain reseal. I cannot tell but wonder if they put it back in without the grommets it is suppose to rest upon. I cannot tell if that is the case. The timing just seems weird. I don't have a pump to pressurize the radiator and check to see where it is leaking from but can order one on amazon for about $65 bucks but it is leaking badly. Luckily, I can replace the radiator if I need to- not a hard job. Been a difficult month for sure, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 could just be coincidence. As soobs age, the seal between the core and the plastic tanks can leak..... but, a pressure testing kit 'loaned' from a parts store may help to pin-down exactly where the leak is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 10 hours ago, Fuji said: Did the 2004, 2005 Foresters have any head gasket issues? my 2004 has the same engine as the 2002 did - EJ251, so yeah, there is that possibility.. we have an 05 parts car on hand and it has the EJ253 - but i believe that the head gasket issues remains there as well... I personally have not had a problem with it, but the 2002 i had was done at around 185K - i got it with 214K on the clock others more knowledgeable than i could say more about it, but i dont think the issue was truly resolved until around 2008-09-ish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Posted March 4, 2022 Author Share Posted March 4, 2022 10 hours ago, 1 Lucky Texan said: could just be coincidence. As soobs age, the seal between the core and the plastic tanks can leak..... but, a pressure testing kit 'loaned' from a parts store may help to pin-down exactly where the leak is. Yes, last night I researched the radiators via amazon and found one that garnered good reviews- only $166 and considering (like you said) the age of the car and the fact that this is not that difficult a job, I think it is time to just install a new one plus some new hoses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 18 hours ago, Fuji said: Did the 2004, 2005 Foresters have any head gasket issues? Yes. Original gaskets start leaking oil externally. But at this age and probably already being replaced they can leak coolant and ocassioally over heat too. 18 hours ago, Fuji said: I literally cannot catch a break. The Tribeca nearly overheated today. I pulled over and the radiator was literally basically empty, what was weird is that the radiator cap was not hot. I got a towel and removed it, had water in the back and started filling it up. It seemed to be leaking were the bottom drain valve is. Radiators crack they loose like half or more of their material density over 5-10 years or something like that. It's not a surprised it failed or that it may have failed due to the job being done. There's a coolant hose that runs across the front bottom of the engine, make sure it's not that. If the radiator wasn't burped they can also overheat from having air in them. And the overheating and over pressurize the overflow tank which spews coolant everywhere and looks like a leak, but it is not. **It sounds like you filled it up and it just started coming out so that does seem to confirm a leak but I thought you should know these do overheat when they get air into them. Fill nose up and top off after running/cooling. The air bubles don't allow it to suck coolant in the from the overflow tank so that's not an ample solution to air. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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