? about the 2.5L head gasket problems

[jazzmandolin]

Ok, so I am trying to be very well educated as I try and find myself the perfect sub. for many years to come. SO what years and what exactly is the problem with the 2.5L motors. Did pretty much all of them have the problem or did some not? Looking a one that had 170,000 miles and current owner says he does not know if the head gaskets have ever been done but that after 30,000 mile is two year he has had no overheating and no problems with the car at all? So what should one look for in the 2.5 motor. I really will probably wait till i find the purfect ej22 but wanted to be more educated on the 2.5? Thanks so much

[davebugs]

Seems like between 120k and 180k they let go.

 

Best thing it to do the HG's timing belt, reseal, etc and be done with it all.

 

Search around here. Lots and lots of discussion.

 

You could try and look at the gaskets and try and tell if they have been replaced.

 

If you didn't already know (something else that'll be turned up by search) these HG's fail in a unique way. After a drive (I use 45 minutes) if they leak suddenly the temp will spike and it'll blow the coolant out of the overflow bottle. If you jsut made 5 mile trips you could run a car for years and be clueless.

 

No white smoke and will pass a compression test (since they are done cold) but can still have bad HG's.

[jazzmandolin]

Thanks for the reply and more reason to keep looking for the perfect ej22. The big monster repairs still scare me as I have never even done a timing belt. Just starters, alternators, radiators and thermostats. Thinks I need to break the ice and do a motor pull, new clutch and total seal on my 1992 loyale. Anyway thanks again for all you guys excellent input. Peace out

[johnceggleston]

ej25s 96 - 99 are prone to internal head gasket leaks. some as earlier as 60k, most in the 100 - 200k and a few later than that. i have swapped out two ej25s, one at 142k and one at 148k. i drove one ej25 from 98k to 139k and it's gaskets had been done before i got it. and i have one waiting with 152k. so you get the idea. but there are plenty of them for sale with bad gaskets now with 200k+ miles.

 

the 00 - 03? ej25s have external head gasket leaks, less often, i think. this is slightly better. you can see the leak and since it doesn't cause overheating until the coolant level gets low you can continue to drive it as long as you keep the coolant topped up. (internal leaks can cause overheating by displacing coolant in a single drive cycle when sever, or by causing a ''vapor / air lock'' which keeps the coolant from flowing properly.)

 

the only way to be sure about a car with an ej25 when buying is to have the HGs done or have a warranty which includes head gaskets. usually when the gaskets are replaced correctly they do not re-occur.

 

there is lots of info here to read about them. start with the link below and then search on from there if you are interested.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=104353&highlight=badheadgaskets

Edited December 11, 2010 by johnceggleston

[GeneralDisorder]

On EJ25D's ('96 to '99 except '99 2.5RS and Forester which are EJ253's): You can inspect the edges of the head gasket to determine if they have been replaced with the upgraded gaskets. The first update was a 3-layer MLS gasket, while the most recent update is a 4-layer MLS gasket. Either of these are much better than the originals - the 4 layer being almost bullet-proof. I've never heard of one blowing out.

 

On the EJ251/3 the problem is a poor sealant design on the head gasket's coolant and oil ports leading to external leakage - typically it's the left cylinder head that has the most problems. You cannot determine if these have been replaced but a careful inspection will usually show if the gasket is leaking. Look at the underside of the heads toward the back corner - oil and coolant at that point means they are weeping.

 

In any case neither engine is of poor design or particularly bad from a reliability standpoint if the head gaskets are replaced. The EJ251/3 is a great engine IMO (especially the early 253 from '99 which makes 8 more HP than the 251 from '00 and up). I replace the head gaskets in these all the time - takes a couple days to pull the engine, tear it down, resurface the heads, and put it back - but the cost isn't very high in terms of parts. ~$500 with the complete timing set, belts, hoses, etc.

 

GD

[idosubaru]

EJ25's have headgasket issues (two different issues as GD mentioned through the various phases) from their inception in 1996 through somewhere to 2003 or later, 2003 being the "supposed" year, but there are reports of issues beyond that (including members here).

 

mileage is meaningless on this, it is not a wear item. some failed at 20,000 miles and some never failed. a friend has one at 260,000 on the originals. i've bought some that failed at 30,000. mileage means nothing in this case. they're just old enough now that very few have that kind of low mileage.

 

i'd feel better about a 2000+ (or 99 forester/Impreza RS) as that EJ25 is less prone to failure, has some preventative measures (the cooling additive), and won't leave you stranded if they start to fail - they just gradually start to seap when they leak and it's rather benign actually.

 

a great option is to find one already repaired (hopefully with documentation that subaru gaskets were used), or find one with a blown motor for $500 and have it repaired for $1,000-$4,000 and have yourself in a really good vehicle for reasonable price.

 

it's not hard to find them with gaskets already replaced or a blown one. i've bought a bunch and can find a couple any given week.