Hey - this is my first post in here. I *should* post in the new members thread (if there is one) but I have something kind of urgent. I bought this '98 Legacy Outback Wagon a few weeks ago in the cities. I bought it because it seemed like such a good deal. The seller told me he had just had all belts replaced, the head gaskets replaced and even the head shaved 5,000 miles ago. I test-drove it and everything was kosher. I was bummed it didn't have A/C but it was the right price. Finally was able to drive it back home (to La Crosse, WI) the weekend before last. I stopped for gas, and noticed that smoke was coming from the engine bay. Checked it out, and oil was dripping onto the exhaust. I made it back home, checking the oil level frequently, and every time I slowed or stopped, could smell burning oil, and maybe even coolant. I took it to the dealer since they are so close to my house, and they told me that the head gasket job was very poorly done. Head studs were bolted into the wrong places, and many were stripped out (probably from trying to put them in the wrong places), so it would need the head gasket job redone. Of course, being a dealer, they wanted $2,000 for this job. I say that is insanely ridiculous. I spent only a little more than that on the car itself. My question: does anyone have a hookup on a good, reliable, and relatively cheap mechanic in the La Crosse area??? I would love to try to do this job myself as I've worked on cars in the past, but I really don't have the time or desire to do something this large and intense on a car this old. My goal when I bought this was just to buy something reliable outright so I wouldn't have to make payments for a while. Any help is appreciated!!! Thanks.
They may have done the head gasket job incorrectly, however all the head bolts are the same on a DOHC, obviously they did an OK job seeing as the car is running and not overheating. My bet is that they didnt do the valve cover gaskets properly or installed the cam seals wrong. DOHC head gaskets dont leak externally.
Thanks - so what does that mean in terms of repair costs? I'm hoping for good news here. Also...if anyone has names of good local mechanics other than Dahl (the dealer), I would love to know! I'd like to say I'm willing to do this myself, but at the moment I'm not sure that's an option...
If you are thinking about taking this on yourself the cost to do both my head gaskets on my 2000 2.5 (ej251 SOHC) was around $300 in parts. All replacement parts were OEM Subaru minus the antifreeze. Head gaskets. Exhaust manifold gaskets. Intake manifold gaskets. Valve cover gaskets (spark plug rings, cover gaskets and new gaskets for all bolts). Antifreeze.
Thanks - I think it's a DOHC engine and I've never done engine work nearly this intense. I'm too worried about damaging engine internals and/or not getting timing right, so I'll have to fork out the cash for labor.
