What to do with dying outback?

[Fairtax4me]

It's the DOHC 2.5 engine right?

Those have shims that have to be changed to adjust the clearance. You might be able to swap shims with the valves on cylinder 2.

 

If its still making compression well enough to run at idle the valve may just have some carbon buildup that may wear off if the lash clearance is adjusted. It may be worth a shot if you can crawl under there and swap them around yourself.

[sario]

Your location says "PNW" so your somewhere in the pacific northwest.  I'm guessing Oregon or Washington (I'm in Idaho).

 

Per Automd.com doing both  head gaskets on that car is a 13.7 hour job.  

 

Your going to need a gasket set (full set) and a valve job done.  

 

The valve job shouldn't be more than $300 for both heads + parts if the valves aren't damaged.  This would include new valve stem seals installed at the same time and camshaft seals (since your going to have a machine shop have it apart anyways).

 

You find a mechanic @ $50/hr (yes there are good ones out there at that rate) and your looking at $685 or less for labor (a good mechanic is usually no higher than book time, and they charge less if they can do it faster).

 

All total, doing it right and resealing the entire engine should be able to be done for around $1,300 I would suspect but you never said what you were quoted.

 

Here's the thing.  You sell it and get say $1,000.  You put that down on a new to you used car and start making even $100/month payments on a 4 or 5 year loan.................

 

Yep, you got a newer car and now you have $4,800+ in a loan on the car.

 

Spend $1,300 and drive the car for 3 more years for less than that $100/month car payment.

I'm in Eugene Oregon.   If anyone can recommend a shop that might be able to come close to that price please let me know.  One quote i got for redoing the heads, timing belt, water pump was $6,000.  That was without resealing the engine. The shop that did the leak down test, which specializes in Subarus, just commented they didn't believe 20 year old car was worth the amount it would cost to fix.  I never asked for a price.

[lstevens76]

Well it's a $3,000 car from KBB. The bug question is the machine shop.

 

Here is what I see at an expensive shop:

 

$350 for OEM gasket set.

 

$1,370 in labor ($100/hr)

 

$495/head so $1000 for two completely rebuilt heads (if there isn't a machine that low there then ship them to Boise, I'D Import Engine Supply)

 

Worst case scenario shouldn't be much over $2,600.

 

Realistically you should be able to get it done for half that.

[sario]

.......

 

Here is what I see at an expensive shop:

 

$350 for OEM gasket set.

 

$1,370 in labor ($100/hr)

 

$495/head so $1000 for two completely rebuilt heads (if there isn't a machine that low there then ship them to Boise, I'D Import Engine Supply)

 

Worst case scenario shouldn't be much over $2,600.

 

Realistically you should be able to get it done for half that.

OK I'll call for a couple more quotes.

[WoodsWagon]

The EJ22 option makes sense for quick fix. You can get a good running 1995-1998 automatic transmission EJ22 from a junkyard and directly swap it in place of the EJ25. Less power, but easier to find in good shape. Swapping the engine out is less work, and less skilled work, than doing the valve job right, so it should be significantly cheaper total option,