Best source for (pricey) H6 hoses?

[jonathan909]

Wotta glutton for punishment.  I (still) don't (quite) have the H6 '01 OBW we bought last summer on the road, and already I'm buying another one.  This time the body is in better shape, but it's a bit of a kit car since the PO embarked on a HG replacement but abandoned the attempt once he realized his facilities (i.e. back yard, no hoist, winter) weren't up to the job.  So for the moment I'm just reassembling it so I can properly evaluate it rather than/prior to tearing it down.  This should have the added advantage of being able to move it around under its own steam, highly preferable to trying to push/pull it in the snow...

But what I'm discovering is that the EZ30 cooks a lot more hoses than do the EJ22/25.  I have crunchy fragments of PCV, blow-by, and air assist hoses (four in total, I think) that need to be replaced, and the local dealer is quoting $127 CAD for them - way outa line for me.

Where will I find reasonably-priced replacements?

[idosubaru]

Online Subaru dealers. 

Pull the oil filter and cut it open and see if there’s any debris in it. 

[jonathan909]

10 minutes ago, idosubaru said:

Online Subaru dealers. 

Can you recommend any in particular?

10 minutes ago, idosubaru said:

Pull the oil filter and cut it open and see if there’s any debris in it. 

That's the plan, as I don't know if or how badly this thing was overheated.  Will probably strain the oil when drained too.

 

[idosubaru]

They’re all about the same.  They have different price and shipping structures so it’s not necessarily accurate to say “one is cheaper”. 

subarupartsforyou

subarugenuineparts

subarupartswarehouse

libertySubaru 

have been around and common for years but now there’s a bunch more too.  
 

Check for melted plastic sensors like knock sensor, etc. If there’s any oil in it you could have it sent to black stone or UPA company for testing as well.  

 if anything is melted or has warped surfaces then I’d assume it’s trash from severe overheating.  I’ve seen engines like that knock right after install.  I get it, hoping for a cheap engine, but it can be an enormous waste of time and money too.  

JDMs for those can be had for $600, not a bad deal.  

[jonathan909]

Thanks.  Conversely, if there are any to be avoided due to bad experiences, they'd be nice to hear about as well.

Overheating:  Yes, that's my greatest concern about this thing.  Don't need to do the head gaskets and then suffer an immediate bottom-end failure, as happened with my first ('99 OBW EJ25D).

Also (and this is slightly OT), is it possible to pull the heads on this thing without lifting the engine?  I've done it with both that '99 OBW and this past fall with my girls' '01 Forester (EJ25S).  It wasn't the most pleasant thing I've ever done, but it can be done.  I suspect that with the EZ30D it's simply impossible.

[Numbchux]

Possible? Maybe.

But with the addition of timing chain components, I think it would make the project significantly harder (and therefore more likely to have problems).

 

 

You won't find an aftermarket source for formed hoses for that stuff. Spend some time with the catalogs (partsouq.com has VIN specific OEM parts diagrams) and make a parts list and order them online. I've ordered from the Toyota equivalent of www.Subarupartsdeal.com, I love that their website will tell you that a parts is discontinued right away instead of play games, so I go out of my way to support that. But I imagine you'd be better off finding something in Canada.

Edited February 11, 2020 by Numbchux

[jonathan909]

1 hour ago, Numbchux said:

But I imagine you'd be better off finding something in Canada.

Bzzzzt!  I'm sorry, you will not be going on to the bonus round!  But we have some lovely prizes for you take home!  Buffy, show him what he gets...

We've been through ths conversation previously - I think it came up last spring in the context of timing components.   I haven't yet found any canuck sources outside of the dealers, and the difference between local dealer pricing and US discount sellers - even after exchange and shipping are factored in - isn't counted in percentage, but in factors.  In this case, I'll be surprised if, after shopping around, I can't find these hoses at half what I'd pay here, if not less.

[Numbchux]

57 minutes ago, jonathan909 said:

Bzzzzt!  I'm sorry, you will not be going on to the bonus round!  But we have some lovely prizes for you take home!  Buffy, show him what he gets...

We've been through ths conversation previously - I think it came up last spring in the context of timing components.   I haven't yet found any canuck sources outside of the dealers, and the difference between local dealer pricing and US discount sellers - even after exchange and shipping are factored in - isn't counted in percentage, but in factors.  In this case, I'll be surprised if, after shopping around, I can't find these hoses at half what I'd pay here, if not less.

Being that I live relatively close to the border, I'm familiar with the fact that parts are generally cheaper here. I regularly deal with customers from Canada, BUT, from the dealerships that I have worked, shipping stuff into Canada is a contract violation. But there's a general store right at the border that we ship to all the time.

So yea, I gave my recommendation for a retailer. Maybe they can ship to you...

[idosubaru]

I wouldn’t recommend it.  Im sure the engine could be raised and twisted enough for the heads and bolts to clear the frame rails. It’s just a matter of how much.

I haven’t attempted it so maybe I shouldn’t say.  But I’ve done EJs/EAs and 6 cylinder subarus (ERs) HGs in the car and the 4 cylinders aren’t that bad considering the scope of the task to begin with. I wouldnt do an EZ like that.  Potentially rusty timing chain cover bolts and raising and twisting an EZ with less clearances and larger parts than an EJ seems overkill for avoiding pulling the engine. Itll basically require pulling it or doing all the similar labor to do so anyway if it’s attempted insitu.

[jonathan909]

2 hours ago, Numbchux said:

Being that I live relatively close to the border, I'm familiar with the fact that parts are generally cheaper here. I regularly deal with customers from Canada, BUT, from the dealerships that I have worked, shipping stuff into Canada is a contract violation. But there's a general store right at the border that we ship to all the time.

So yea, I gave my recommendation for a retailer. Maybe they can ship to you...

Sure, that limitation sometimes exists.  Also, lots of sellers (ebay, in particular) won't ship to Canadia at all, and for the ones that will the shipping cost is usually prohibitively expensive.  So for all of those cases, I have a friend who lives just a few miles north of the Montana border (Milk River) and has a mail drop just on the US side.  It's not always the right answer (particularly if I'm really in a hurry for something), but it usually works.  So for most cases I'm covered.