Hakim Craddock

awesome! Thanks.

Thanks! so i should be able to get this job done with just a basic shallow and deep socket set with a few extensions and of course a 12point 14 mm socket for the head bolts. Will i need new exhaust manifold gaskets and or intake manifold gaskets?

I would like to get the heads resurfaced but i am not sure i will be able to get that done on a sunday or saturday night. Car is my daily driver so i am trying to get this done in one day.. So the felpro gasket set is MLS? i would like to get ride of the external HG leaks as well.

03 forester 2.5 non turbo automatic 175k miles doesn't look like the heads were ever off.. So today my car started running hot at idle, i pop the hood and the rad fans are on but no coolant (hot coolant) is circulating through the radiator (its not low) so i give it gas and the coolant starts flowing (i know this because the air coming off the fans is hot instead of cold as before) and the temperature starts to go down.. So i look to my right and there is bubbles coming out the reservoir consistently, pull the over flow hose out to make sure its not coolant getting past the cap and no it was not coolant.... Sooo long story short, it looks like i have to do the head gaskets on my car after all (when i got it there was a cheap t-stat in there and it would over heat on the highway, that has been solved with an xact stat from stant)... I have a full set of tools at work (mechanic) and a basic set at home. I know these cars are simple to pull apart, but i would like to do this job starting saturday after work and finish it Sunday on my day off. So what tools will i need? anything that stands out? i have heard that the turbo 2.5 gaskets are the way to go. Can anyone provide me with Subaru part numbers? will the following t-belt kit be okay to use http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2762534&cc=1411041 I have used gates t-belt kits at work on other vehicles and they always seem to be great quality. i plan on leaving the motor in the car as i dont have an engine hoist at home.

are you sure its trans fluid and not just red antifreeze? i did some work on a lexus yesterday and it had red antifreeze..whats in the reservoir?

not sure this will help you... But i just recently changed out the stock speakers and head unit that were in my 03 forester for a set of 6.5" sony xplod 4 way speakers (front door) that i picked up at walmart for $30 dollars, and schoche 5.25" 3 way speakers (rear doors) and the sound quality improvement was dramatic! First thing i did was change the headunit to a double din pioneer that i picked up from best buy for $150.. that made a decent improvement in sound quality (but i was just looking for bluetooth connect ability) however i was still getting distortion at higher levels... So i changed all the speakers and that did the trick!! I can crank it almost all the way up and not get any distortion.. Dont spend a fortune on speakers any name brand aftermarket speaker is going to give a great improvement over the stock paper speakers. Head unit doesnt matter a whole lot. most newer head units are pretty good already... However aftermarket units allow you to tweak the sounds via EQ a little better. I would start with aftermarket speakers if your stock radio already offers all the features you need.

if you don't want to fix the problem (time, money or both). i know of a way to get you to pass for HC's... You can PM me if interested.. Not really ethical but it usually does the trick I don't want to post it out in the open either.

i have read somewhere that rotella t shell diesel oil helps quiet down the piston slap... My 03 forester sounds similar (173k miles) but not quite as loud, and it comepletely goes away ounce it is fully warmed up. I dont know what oil is in there now because i just got the car and it has another 2k left b4 an oil change is needed.. But i think i am going to try a 10-40 synthetic oil in there unless someone in here advises against it.

So today i finally got some free time and the weather was not too cold.. picked up an xactstat 48457 from pepboys, pulled the t stat housing off and YES YES YES it had one of those little cheap thermostats in there (in the back of my mind i was also hoping that the previous owner did not replace it because they were trying to fix an overheating problem) So i swapped it out, filled the system via the upper rad hose first, then the radiator... went for a 20 mile drive on the same highway where it would normally over heat within 10 minutes and it was perfect!! I can attest to the Fact that the right t stat in Subarus can make all the difference..

i can attest to the fact that the wrong tstat in a subaru will cause ovrheating.. 03 forester that i just purchased, would overheat on the highway on any type of hill small, medium or large! Heat would be erratic (go from very hot to normal to warm to hot etc)... i was convinced that i had a blown head gasket so today i finally got some free time, hunted down one of these thermostats at pepboys, pulled the old one out and sure enough it was the small tstat shown on the left in the picture above (a big smile came to my face, then i realized that it might have been changed because they were trying to solve an overheating problem...sigh), so i swapped it out for the 48457 t stat. drove 20+ miles on the highway up various size hills that just earlier in the day made the forester overheat, NOW my temperature was steady and no signs of overheating... I think/hope its safe to say that my problems have been solved by this t stat. ohh and BTW my headgaskets are leaking but its a minor external oil leak, and i can live with that! The xactstat that i got from pepboys said made in Germany.

i have this chemical that we used to use when i worked for ford and ford had that HUGE problem with 3.8l headgaskets on the taurus and the lincoln continentals... the chemical will change from blue to yellow if i detects exhaust gases... i will give that a try when i get a chance (very busy at work lately and i hate working on cars in the cold)... But if it does turn out to be the headgasket i am going to replace it with the 2.5 tubo head gaskets or the 6 star headgaskets as suggested... Anyone know what the part numbers are? or should i just go to subaru and tell them that i have a 03 forester turbo and get the head gaskets for that.. i only want to do this job ounce, well get atleast 60k miles out of it worry free.

going to run some tests today.. i am hoping that its just an aftermarket thermostat that was used.. typically the minute you get a headgasket leak you loose heat... i didnt loose heat until the temp went very close to the red zone... There is a new upper rad hose so it's possible the system could be underfilled as well.. keeping my fingers crossed.

damn thing needs head gaskets!!!!!!!! was driving it all day today and no problems, then suddenly later in the day the temperature gauge started to rise a bit, but it went back down... then on my way home it went really high (almost in the red) and i lost heat (sure fire way to know its a head gasket).... So it looks like i got a not so good deal and am now in the market for a good head gasket kit... any recommendations? can the HG be done with engine in the vehicle?

awsome! Thank you.

Good to know about the piston slap!! Thank you.. When i said the engines looks like can be removed without a lift, i meant without a 2 post lift to gain easy access to underneath the vehicle.. I would not attempt to remove the engine without an engine hoist. However i did just pick up a 2003 forester for 2500.00 in very good condition (for NJ anyway) with 171k on the clock.. starts up cold with a VERY faint piston slap noise that goes away within a minute or so. No torque bind issues, no oil stains on the ground where it was parked, however it does need a left front axle or axle boot (boot is ripped but not clicking yet).. Anyone change the axle boots on these before? I have done a few on older ford taurus where its just a matter of whacking the joint off putting the new boot on, stuffing it with the grease and whacking it back on.