BHG, 97 Subaru, PT 3...

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Hachiroku ハチロク - 08 Dec 2007 02:29 GMT

Hmmmm...anyone have any easy way to change the head gaskets on a '97 Suby
Legacy wagon?

The car is in decent shape and passed inspection; I don't think the BHG
did very much damage...yet.

Is there some way to change the HG's easily on this car? It has a 2.2L
SOHC 16V engine. I am getting estimeats of $900-1200, but I have heard it
may be possible to replace the gaskets w/o removing the engine.

One web site showed the engine being pulled from the top out the hood, but
a friend of mine says it's easier to drop the sub frame, lift the car and
then move the engine.

Another 'mechanic' says to put someof that Head Gasket Stop Leak into it
and drive it, since it was <$200, and maybe get 3-7,000 miles out of it.
All in all, it seems like too nice a car to do that...

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Jeff - 08 Dec 2007 02:43 GMT

> Hmmmm...anyone have any easy way to change the head gaskets on a '97 Suby
> Legacy wagon?
>
> The car is in decent shape and passed inspection; I don't think the BHG
> did very much damage...yet.

BHG? That's not a common acronym. I think he means blown head gasket.

What does this have to do with Toyota?

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Hachiroku ハチロク - 11 Dec 2007 02:21 GMT

>> Hmmmm...anyone have any easy way to change the head gaskets on a '97
>> Suby Legacy wagon?
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> What does this have to do with Toyota?

Nothing. I was hoping someone knowledgable would respond...

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Hachiroku ハチロク - 11 Dec 2007 02:22 GMT

> BHG? That's not a common acronym. I think he means blown head gasket.

Don't own a Supra or an Eclipse, do you?

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johngdole@hotmail.com - 08 Dec 2007 04:44 GMT

On most cars the head gasket can be changed without removing the
engine. In fact, you can even change crank bearings on a Civic with
the engine in place! But with the Subaru boxer engine things may be a
bit cramped in there.

Don't use HG sealant. Use Fel-Pro Multi-Layer Steel (MLS) head gasket.
Best in class sealing. About $34 each side from rockauto.com. Also add
new head bolts, valve cover and exhaust pipe gaskets.

Autozone's pictures on the 96 suggest it can indeed be done in the car
(Fig 11-15). So clean and true the deck and use Fel-Pro MLS.

http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1c/5c/40/0900823d801c5c40/repai
rInfoPages.htm

> Hmmmm...anyone have any easy way to change the head gaskets on a '97 Suby
> Legacy wagon?
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> and drive it, since it was <$200, and maybe get 3-7,000 miles out of it.
> All in all, it seems like too nice a car to do that...

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Catherine Jefferson - 08 Dec 2007 05:58 GMT

> Hmmmm...anyone have any easy way to change the head gaskets on a '97 Suby
> Legacy wagon?
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Is there some way to change the HG's easily on this car? It has a 2.2L
> SOHC 16V engine.

Are you sure you need to change them? This engine is not the one with
the reported head gasket problems. It's the 2.5L engines, especially
the DOHC ones used in 1997-1999, that had head gasket problems.

Signature

Catherine (Hampton) Jefferson <ariel@spambouncer.org>
The SpamBouncer * <http://www.spambouncer.org/>
Personal Home Page * <http://www.devsite.org/>

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StephenW - 11 Dec 2007 05:47 GMT

They can be done in-car, but thats best done on a rack from the bottom with
several "tips". Even as a tech, If I were to do a h/g or a clutch at home, I
would pull the eng. (from the top) Once out the heads are a breeze. Also
change out the baffle plate behind the flywheel, if it isn't already metal,
rear main seal.
drop me a line if you plan to do the heads, I will get more specific

Signature

Steve
ASE Master Tech
L1 Diag
Currently residing at a Subaru Shop
4.5 years doing tires and alighnments

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Hachiroku ハチロク - 11 Dec 2007 23:56 GMT

>> Another 'mechanic' says to put someof that Head Gasket Stop Leak into it
>> and drive it, since it was <$200, and maybe get 3-7,000 miles out of it.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> already metal, rear main seal.
> drop me a line if you plan to do the heads, I will get more specific

Thanks, man. I think I'm 'back burner'ing this car until spring. I also
discovered the AWD is not connected, even though the trans is the correct
model for the car! (tz102##CAA or something similar. I remember the TZ102
and the CAA. It matched what was on the VIN plate under the hood).

I'm OK with a wrench, I do brakes and stuff. A HG will be an adventure.
Another Suby tech suggested the same thing you did, the rear seals, front
seals, water pump, etc, since he was going to pull the engine out anyway...

I also have an '89 GL coupe with working AWD that will be my new priority.
After all the ice this week, I think I'll get that one going first!

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StephenW - 12 Dec 2007 06:41 GMT

This is a condensed version of pulling heads in car on a rack.

drain coolant
cooling fans off Timing belt assy off, radiator stays.
Bolts holding intake manifold off, lift manifold up and put wood blocks in
to hold up.
Exhaust manifold removed from head, bungeed up, o2 sensor un plugged, bags
over manifold. remove valve covers and AC support from drivers side.
2 eng mount nuts removed, using a large prybar lift the eng up and out of
the frame to the left or right. Whatever side you send it to do the opposite
head. The drivers side has considerable less room for removal, but is
doable, the passenger side is much easer
unbolt the head bolts and remove; clean reinstall that side and valve cover,
"shift" the engine to the opposite side and do it.
There are a few small bolts I left out but anyway...

The sub eng pull is real easy.
The wire harness has plugs,
only about 6 bolts connect it together (eng-trans)
Once you get the eng out, the heads bolts are now easy to get to.
Everything is so simple on the eng, its almost fun to work on.

Steve

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Hachiroku ハチロク - 13 Dec 2007 03:54 GMT

> This is a condensed version of pulling heads in car on a rack.
>
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>
> Steve

Then why do people want $8-1200 to replace the head gaskets?!?!

It *LOOKS* easy enough, but they want $$$$ to do it! (Have to look and see
where the boat's kept...)

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Clifford Heath - 13 Dec 2007 06:56 GMT

> Then why do people want $8-1200 to replace the head gaskets?!?!
>
> It *LOOKS* easy enough, but they want $$$$ to do it! (Have to look and see
> where the boat's kept...)

Because easy <> quick. It takes time. A lot more than $1200 worth of it, IME.

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StephenW - 13 Dec 2007 07:23 GMT

>> This is a condensed version of pulling heads in car on a rack.
>>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> It *LOOKS* easy enough, but they want $$$$ to do it! (Have to look and see
> where the boat's kept...)

There are a lot of Tricks that are not in the books, and when you ask a shop
to do a job for you are going to get a quote "the book rate" any shortcuts
learned are to the shops advantage. At my last shop it cost $1500 a day to
unlock the doors for service, with insurance, electricity and supplies.
A cement contractor was asking me the same question the other day at my
parents house; and i explained to him, "you quote 1800 dollars for this job
and 4 days labor, but because of some "special tools" you have and some
skills you get it done in 1/2 the time. Do you start quoting less for every
job now? Do you give the customer (my parents) a refund?"

I have a problem with the rates a shop can charge, yet it pays my bills. I
learned how to work on cars because I couldent afford to pay anyone. If the
cost seems excessive, and you have the basic skills, do it yourself and beat
the system.

Then theres the lady who did her own oil change today, took off the trans
filter and drain plug. At least she didn't drive it.

Steve

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