BBYE V8

I guess I should consider it if I ever do need it. But this is not my engine, I was talking about an engine (whole car actually) that I was considering buying; I've already told the sellers I was no longer interested in the car. I'm going to narrow my search to the 2.0 and 2.2 liter engines. I've been looking on ebay, but most are way too far away to go look at. $4700 w/77K sounds like a good deal.

Hmmm, I don't know. I'm all for engine cleaners that get rid of the sludge, but I'm skeptical about it sealing oil seals that are already leaking.

Thanks for all the advice and info. I really liked the car; rode great, nicely appointed interior, 5 speed still shifted smoothly, sunroof, CD changer... all around great car except for the oil. After a little more searching I think I'll stay away from the 2.5 liter. While I would prefer the performance of the 2.5, but we really need this car to be as maintenance free as we can afford. I can deal with the seals myself since the car would only be down for a few hours, but if I were unlucky enough to have the head gasket go while I own it... well, that's another story. All the Subarus rank high in Consumer's Reports for reliability, so this has not scared me away from the breed. So, anybody know of a low mileage Subaru wagon for under $10K with 5 speed and ABS? Thanks again folks, I do appreciate the advice.

I'm new here, and new to Subarus so take it easy on me if I'm asking some stupid questions. I'm looking at a '98 Legacy GT wagon with 64K miles on it. Everything looks fine except for a ton of oil on the bottom of the engine. It's dripping off the oil filter, the exhaust manifold, a lower radiator hose and pretty much everthing you can see from under the car. I've searched a little and found these things have a tendency to leak from the cam seals, crank seals, valve cover and oil pump. Is that pretty much accurate? Any other common oil leaks? More importantly: once these seals are all replaced and RTVed, do they start to leak again in another 60K miles? Is there a "one stop" place to find tech articles on how to replace these seals (or repair Subarus in general)? Engines: I've read where there are two "phases" of engines, what's the difference? I've also started to get the idea that the 2.0 liter engine is a bit more reliable than the 2.5 liter due to head gasket failure. Is that accurate? Are there other problems with the 2.5 liter? Bottom line is after doing a little search I'm thinking I should pass on this Legacy and stick to one of the 2.0 liter powered wagons, but I'm not sure I'm getting an accurate image of the 2.5. I'd love to hear any and all opinions and experiences. Thanks!