Valve/Rocker cover gaskets replacement help! and other questions

[faunjoustino]

---- 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.5L H4 AWD Automatic ----

Hey all!! This is a car that sat for 2 years outside in Montana and its my camper project.

To be clear I haven't started this car in 2 years. I'm taking every preventative measure that I know of before I start this thing so I don't cause any extra damage. I was the last person to drive it 2 years ago and it was overheating a bit (or the gauge was saying it was), bubbles coming up through the overflow tank, we only drove it about 2-3 miles pulling off every few hundred feet to let it cool down and pour water in the radiator since its all we had. without having turned it on yet the head gaskets appear to be in tact and they were changed to MLS about 3 years ago, so I certainly hope I haven't blown anything from that small drive. Nothing crazy happened that I could tell, no loss of power or anything abnormal while I was driving it all seemed normal other than bubbles coming up through the overflow reservoir.

Anyway my goal is to not damage anything else when I turn it on. When I changed the oil it was not milky and showed no signs of coolant mixing with the oil, it looked like normal oil and I don't quite know if I can say that that means I didn't blow a gasket so if anyone could tell me what else I should be worried about and from a visual inspection, the Valve/Rocker cover gaskets seemed to be dripping oil or maybe it dripped from somewhere else I'm not sure but again I'm taking every precaution I can other than super expensive overly involved repairs like a water pump, timing belt and head gaskets.

other than advice for my general goal of getting this thing running without extra issues or at least turn it on and have it running well enough that I can identify bigger issues that require me taking it into the pros, I need help with the replacement of these valve/rocker cover gaskets.

I am changing these valve/rocker cover gaskets, grommets and bushings out along with the spark plugs since ill be down there anyway.

The owner service manual says I should put "fluid packing sealant" on the corners of the semi circular part of the covers and a couple other places. I have no clue what an appropriate amount of sealant is, and I'm not confident enough that the diagram from the service manual shows all of the right spots.

So if someone could help me out and maybe provide a thread, video or personal advice on how to do this properly.

Other precautions I'm taking before turning the key for the first time in 2 years (please help me add to the list or let me know what steps to do something properly:

1. Oil change and oil filter change
2. Drain old fuel from gas tank
3. Drain old coolant and add new, as well as bleed system of air with radiator funnel kit.
4. OEM thermostat replacement
5. Replace spark plugs.
6. Fogging oil sprayed in cylinders while spark plugs are out.

Tell me what I'm missing and feel free to ask me to clarify anything I left out

[lmdew]

If you had bubbles in the overflow tank, most likely the HG are leaking.

While it's nice to do all this other maintenance, it's most likely a waste of time and money.

Make sure the fluids are all clean and topped off and start it up.  Make sure the HG are not gone.  If so a 2.2 swap is a good option IMHO.

[faunjoustino]

2 hours ago, lmdew said:

If you had bubbles in the overflow tank, most likely the HG are leaking.

While it's nice to do all this other maintenance, it's most likely a waste of time and money.

Make sure the fluids are all clean and topped off and start it up.  Make sure the HG are not gone.  If so a 2.2 swap is a good option IMHO.

I really hope not, ive checked as much as i can and the gaskets seem to be in tact.

and what if im remembering incorrectly and it was the coolant just being so hot its boiling, I know that's probably not much better.

but we will just have to see this weekend 

Edited January 6, 2022 by faunjoustino
forgot to add

[heartless]

just as an fyi... Subarus do not tend to mix oil and coolant giving the milkshake appearance...
they typically leak either externally - ie: leaks visible on the outside
or through to the combustion chamber - which results in the bubbles you are seeing in the overflow... exhaust gasses getting into the cooling system.

just because the head gaskets were changed does not preclude a new failure. A lot depends on which gasket was used, whether or not the mating surfaces were properly prepared* and if the head bolts were properly torqued.

*making sure the heads are totally flat is a big part of a headgasket job. if there is any warping at all, it WILL fail again - just a question of when.

[GeneralDisorder]

2 years is nothing. I wouldn't do any of that - just start it. Get it hot THEN do the oil change (before putting the engine under a load). 

Don't worry about the fuel. Run it under light load down to the gas station and put in some premium. Don't try to pull any trailers up 5,000 ft grades before you run that low octane gas out of it. But don't bother draining it. It will fire. Change the fuel filter with a FACTORY Subaru filter AFTER you get new fuel cycled through the old filter. 

Is the coolant green? Betcha it is. Run it. 

If you like you can unplug the crankshaft position sensor and crank the engine till the oil pressure idiot light goes out. Reconnect and start it. Optional IMO. Will be fine either way I recon. 

You are putting way too much thought into this. Run it. 

Bubbles in the overflow that never stop are a sure sign of impending or current Head Gasket failure. Basically inevitable on that engine. The 25D has gaskets that are too thick. The best solution is 251 pistons and 642 turbo head gaskets - along with proper prep and installation of course. 

GD

Edited January 7, 2022 by GeneralDisorder

[faunjoustino]

41 minutes ago, GeneralDisorder said:

2 years is nothing. I wouldn't do any of that - just start it. Get it hot THEN do the oil change (before putting the engine under a load). 

Don't worry about the fuel. Run it under light load down to the gas station and put in some premium. Don't try to pull any trailers up 5,000 ft grades before you run that low octane gas out of it. But don't bother draining it. It will fire. Change the fuel filter with a FACTORY Subaru filter AFTER you get new fuel cycled through the old filter. 

Is the coolant green? Betcha it is. Run it. 

If you like you can unplug the crankshaft position sensor and crank the engine till the oil pressure idiot light goes out. Reconnect and start it. Optional IMO. Will be fine either way I recon. 

You are putting way too much thought into this. Run it. 

Bubbles in the overflow that never stop are a sure sign of impending or current Head Gasket failure. Basically inevitable on that engine. The 25D has gaskets that are too thick. The best solution is 251 pistons and 642 turbo head gaskets - along with proper prep and installation of course. 

GD

I'm doing all this 

1. because this was my dads car before he passed away and I don't have very many of his things and this is a big thing.

2. its going to be my daily driver once its up and running.

3. Im quite sure when we put water in the radiator we diluted it far too much to trust running it 

 

Ive already drained the gas and changed the oil and filter. 

now im doing new OEM coolant and new thermostat and radiator cap

and finally spark plugs and valve covers and because they are leaking or at least I think they are and again I need this car to work and i want to elminate these smaller potential issues and get to the bottom of the problem and fix it.

[el_freddo]

What you need to know @faunjoustino:

- GD owns and runs his own Subaru specialist workshop. His advice is worth gold in our community. 

- while it was your dad’s vehicle and you’re precious of it, what you plan to do to get it up and running could be an exercise in wasting money - only because you can’t definitively explain why it was overheating. 

Personally I would’ve done as GD said as a matter of course for me. Getting it started on the old fluids won’t hurt it so long as there’s oil and coolant/water where it should be. 

Once it’s running then work out where any issues are - coolant leaks, split hoses or if it is the dreaded head gasket, which being the DOHC EJ25D seems highly likely. 

Once you know it runs and what needs what, that’s when you start spending your hard earned to keep it running sweet and to daily drive it. This is when you change the oil and the coolant etc. 

I hope this puts a few things into perspective. We understand it’s sentimental to you, but this doesn’t mean you have to waste money on it for no good reason. Trying to catch all of your new coolant when you need to pull and tear down the engine due to HG replacement is not fun. Many of us have been there and done that! 

Cheers 

Bennie

[faunjoustino]

9 hours ago, el_freddo said:

What you need to know @faunjoustino:

- GD owns and runs his own Subaru specialist workshop. His advice is worth gold in our community. 

- while it was your dad’s vehicle and you’re precious of it, what you plan to do to get it up and running could be an exercise in wasting money - only because you can’t definitively explain why it was overheating. 

Personally I would’ve done as GD said as a matter of course for me. Getting it started on the old fluids won’t hurt it so long as there’s oil and coolant/water where it should be. 

Once it’s running then work out where any issues are - coolant leaks, split hoses or if it is the dreaded head gasket, which being the DOHC EJ25D seems highly likely. 

Once you know it runs and what needs what, that’s when you start spending your hard earned to keep it running sweet and to daily drive it. This is when you change the oil and the coolant etc. 

I hope this puts a few things into perspective. We understand it’s sentimental to you, but this doesn’t mean you have to waste money on it for no good reason. Trying to catch all of your new coolant when you need to pull and tear down the engine due to HG replacement is not fun. Many of us have been there and done that! 

Cheers 

Bennie

thanks a ton and yes GD's advice is always awesome. 
 

I have unfortunately already the oil and coolant and will be turning the key tomorrow. so we will have to see how that goes from here.

 

lets cross our fingers

 

[el_freddo]

I’m sure we all are for you mate! 

All the best with the initial start and the run from there on. 

Cheers 

Bennie