Caboobaroo

And it looks like next week is going to be CRAZY busy for us.... Me alone am doing this Forester, another Forester that needs a new engine (customer ran it dry of oil 3 years after we put an engine in it), another set of headgaskets and a whole lotta work on an SVX... Better bring my dancin shoes on Monday:D

I have anything we would need at the shop. Only time I've had a stud break on me has been from a car that spent most its life in Michigan. Now I need to know before we go any further, is it an EA82 3-door or an EA81 hatch? Post a pic so I can determine that I have the correct parts. I also have some awesome rust penetrant here at the shop too. If it works out, I have access to a lift and have mucho amounts of tools as I work for an independent Subaru shop in Kirkland.

Upgrade to vented calipers and rotors from a '83 and newer EA81 car. More stopping performance and easier to source parts. Calipers are different as the vented rotors are thicker but IIRC, they bolt onto the original knuckles.

Thanks Zap for changing the date! I will for sure be there in my XT6:brow:

I also forgot to add that we do offer free loaner cars and our turn around time is about 2 days.

I work for All Wheel Drive Auto and do these headgaskets all the time as I'm one of the techs. The valve guides don't usually drop but I have seen it every once in awhile and sometimes they can be fixed but other times the head has to be replaced. A leakdown test will show you if a cylinder has a leak obviously but if a valve guide has dropped to the point of holding the valve open, then the leakdown test will show 100% leakdown. Now did they go in with a scope and see if the guide had dropped? Yes, pulling the engine makes the job MUCH easier then trying to do it in the car. Don't know about you but I'd rather have more room outside of the car then be restricted to working on it inside the car. The Six Star heagaskets are a multilayer steel headgasket which holds up much better then the OEM single layer coated gaskets. The coating is what fails on the gaskets to cause them to leak. They are actually one of the best headgaskets to use on these engines. I've only seen them fail twice because of major overheating due to operator error (blown radiator and customer keeps driving).

I have a complete EA82T exhaust and the catback will bolt up to your car if its an EA82 3-door.

When I lived in Wyoming, I stopped by the local dealer to get some gaskets for an EA82T. I was in my first black RX and when I came out to leave, there was an older gentleman walking around it. Long story short, he sold that same car brand new and could even remember the people he had sold it to....

I wish I could be there but I got a specialty Subaru training course that day in Renton Second year I can't go

My 1989 XT6 and Turbone's 1989 RX at WCSS11 My 1987 GL coupe which was also previously known as my RX STi

Uhhhh no, I've currently got a '07 Forester sitting on my rack right now thats leaking both oil and coolant. They typically start leaking sooner then the '00-'04 EJ251s.

Yes but the H6s have other issues as well, like leaking valvecover gaskets, leaking timing chain covers, timing chain noises, timing chain tensioner problems, serpentine belt tensioner problems, among other things. Subaru fixed their headgasket design when they came out with the FB engine in 2010 in the Forester and 2011 in everything else IIRC.

I work on Subarus for a living and yes they do have headgasket issues.Its because Subaru uses a single layer steel coated headgasket and the coating fails over time. I recently did a set on an '07 Impreza 2.5i that had 52k miles on it. The reason why its easy to tell when the headgasket starts to leak oil and then coolant on a Subaru is because the gaskets are vertical so they drip right off the heads, whereas other vehicles with different engine designs will drip onto the exhaust to be burned off or be hidden away for awhile until its too late. Have the headgaskets redone with a multilayer steel headgasket (or MLS gasket) instead of the OEM single layer headgaskets. They typically hold up better then the single layer gaskets especially under more load and heat. Then you should be good to go for awhile longer. I have customers come in with over 300k miles on their '00-'04 Outback.

Since its an '06 it does have the AVCS system in it which makes the rocker assembly a bit more complicated to remove and install if you decide to do the headgaskets yourself. I've seen headgaskets get to the point where coolant is literally dripping from the bottom of the head. The other thing is it seems that the '05 and newer EJ253 (I think that's the right engine code) will blow a headgasket quicker then the EJ251. Both of which blow externally unless its been heated up to the point of warping the heads, then they can blow internally. Seen a couple like that as well. The first generation EJ25Ds blow internally so there's different ways to figure out if its blown. If yours is leaking both oil and coolant, then get it serviced. There will be a gray liquid on the bottom of the heads in between the exhaust ports and the oil pan. If its just oil, then you'll be fine for now but once the coolant starts to leak, I would highly advise you to get it replaced. Too many customers of mine have let it go too long and end up blowing an engine or costing them more money in repairs where if they did it around the time it starts to leak a bit of coolant, it would have been cheaper.

No. There is a coolant passage that runs through the bottom of the head and down the center of the exhaust port. Its the ridge that separates each cylinder's exhaust port until it meets the exhaust header. If that's the case, you will need to either have the crack welded up by a machinist or source up another head or heads depending if one or both are cracked. The cracks between the valves however is usually all right unless they've opened up pretty wide .

Another thing to do is put a bit of anti seize on the input shaft of the transmission to help aid is making it easier to slide into the clutch disc. I also use a bit of wheel bearing grease on the alignment dowel pins as well. Make sure to lube up where the throwout bearing rides on the snout, where it contacts the clutch fork and the pivot ball that the fork rides on. If not, you can end up with a bit of squeaking from the clutch fork. I recently did a clutch in an '07 Impreza and even though I lubed everything up, it came back 3 weeks later with the cutch fork squeaking a bit so I had to yard the trans back out of it and re lubricate everything. If it makes it easier, while you're trying to align the transmission, have the end of the driveline in the transmission and put it into gear. This way you can spin the input shaft of the transmission to aid in lining up the splines. I use just the slip yoke from a broken driveline.

Sounds like the heads are cracked into the exhaust ports. Very typical on an EA82T, especially one of the earlier ones that have the first generation turbo heads on it. Even though its not leaving spots on your driveway when its parked doesn't mean its not leaking it while you drive, like onto the exhaust where it might get burned off.

I don't think the dealer sells it separately but I could be wrong. You could always go to the junkyard and get a knuckle with the tone ring, have the hub pressed out, swap the tone ring onto yours and press the hub into a new bearing. As far as the repair, you'll never be able to fix the ring itself and have the ABS light stay off. You'll need a new ABS tone ring.

The P0420 code is not a sensor code it is a catalyst deficiency code. If you're trying to do it cheap, well I don't think sensors are going to help but you can try. I believe the cats are failing once again and need to be replaced.

Anymore they're kid of generic even from the dealer. The bends are close but not going to be a direct match to the originals. Still, never had an issue. The PN I use at work is 807607332

I recently had a bad knock sensor right out of the box that was brand new. Same deal, car came in with a P0325, replaced knock sensor with a new one and the check engine light came back with the same code. Replaced it with another one and it was good to go.

There's a guy in Portland by the name of reddevil that has numerous boosted EJ22Es, has blown many of them and has figured out how to keep them from blowing. You mentioned an EJ22T so I figured thats what you were planning on putting in and was just giving you some advice on the harness for it. Not sure on turboing the EJ25 but it can be done I bet.

Guess I will put up some pics of a few that I've owned... My first Subaru. 1983 GL hatchback. EA81 with a Carter-Weber, FWD 5-speed. Traded for a 1979 4wd wagon. The 1979 4wd gen 1 stage 2 wagon. Ended up getting stripped. My 1978 Brat, RWD, lowered. Traded a 1987 FWD 5-speed Justy for it that needed lots of work My first 1989 black RX. Did a lot of mods to this before I stripped it (blew 3 EA82Ts) and everything but the engine went into my 1987 GL coupe My 1987 GL coupe. Started life out as a FWD 3AT and when I got it, it had a blown EA82 SPFI in it. Swapped in all the suspension and subframes from the first black RX, along with the RX transmission, stage 2 clutch and rear LSD. Currently being stripped so the shell can be hauled off for scrap. My 1989 XT6 FT4WD 5-speed. I bought this from the original owners, sold it to Turbone, then bought it back. Has taken best XT/XT6 at WCSS10, WCSS11 and WCSS12. Couldn't make it to WCSS13 as I was doing a major engine overhaul on it. Freshly resealed ER27, new timing belt covers, new timing belts and components, new waterpump, new clutch, resurfaced flywheel, rebooted both front axles, 3.90VLSD and much more. Currently parked in the garage:D This pic is from WCSS11 next to Turbone's RX. And now the newest Subaru that I've added to the stable. #39, 1989 black RX. This car is receiving everything from my silver GL (EJ22T, Impreza 5-speed, complete 5-lug conversion, 3.90VLSD and much more). Interior is currently missing but its getting the interior from my GL (blue) along with my STi seats and some black interior bits that I've picked up. This will be coming into my garage soon for winter so I can get it back on the road before next year:brow:

Is the ATF entering the front diff or was it filled back up with ATF after whatever service had been done previously? I just recently did a trans that was swapping fluids. Wasn't as difficult as I was expecting:D

OEM cats? If not, replace them once again with OEM and the sensors as well. I've seen this issue on more Outbacks and Legacys then I can think of. Aftermarket cats can fail as early as 10k miles.