Internal HG leak all 4 cyl? No symptoms?

[Mosaic68]

Thats why something doesnt add up (i'm not blaming the poster, just the repair shop).

 

I wouldnt warrenty an engine on just a top end rebuild either.

 

nipper

 

He's warrantying it 'cuz he wants the job. I told him I wanted a CCR b/c of warranty and just piece of mind - he told me he wanted to 'own the job'.

 

If only I had a garage to do the swap, it would be shipped already.

[Mosaic68]

that's a large job (and chunk of money) to throw at an engine that doesn't seem to exhibit head gasket problems. hopefully...whatever it is, gets rectified with the head gasket job, but what i am almost sure of is that the head gaskets are not going to solve your problem. all of this work may, but it's not the head gaskets causing it.

 

a CCR engine would not be much more than $2,900 and the entire thing would be warrantied by a trusted source. the savings and suspicious nature of this engine leads me to think that is a better route. i'm with nipper...bizarre information that is not making sense.

 

they're giving you a warranty on this? that's strange too. makes me wonder if they didn't see a very straight forward and simple solution....i know i wouldn't warranty an engine with such strange behavior without knowing for 100% sure what was going on.

 

just to clarify, it is seating the torque converter properly that is tricky with Subaru automatic tranmissions, not the torque converter seal as you mentioned.

What's not IHG issues?

 

overheated

stumbling on start up for 15s as fluid is pumped from #3

hydrocarbons in reservoir

 

thanks for the tip on the seal install, but even though I fed it back to the forum incorrectly, I read your post directly to the manager.

[idosubaru]

sounds good. many on here have seen more EJ engines and worked on more than most repair shops. diagnosing/helping over the internet without seeing, hearing, touching, or smelling anything is a difficult task and we're much more needy!!! when something doesn't follow the 95% of what we normally see (say head gaskets in this case) we often question the diagnosis or the shop. there are plenty of questionable mechanics out there that make that a relevant point we can't ignore (sadly!). so statistically speaking it is more likely to have a shady repair shop than an EJ25 HG leak on all 4 cylinders, or an EJ25 of your vintage leak internally...not impossible, just more probable. but there are a lot of poor mechanics out there!

 

also, those mechanics may not raise an eyebrow to an EJ25 leaking internally, they shouldn't. from 1996 - 1999 they do leak internally. i doubt they recognize the differences between an 96-99 EJ25 and a 2000-2002 EJ25, but the first phase leaks internally and the second leaks externally...."normally"!!! to us there's a difference, to a regular mechanic that works on many, many different vehicles, they probably lump those EJ25's together.

 

I fed it back to the forum incorrectly, I read your post directly to the manager.

that's what i assumed.

[WAWalker]

I have seen a SOHC 2.5L Subaru engine with internal head gasket leak, after a warranty head gasket replacement. (Leaking coolant into the cylinders)

So it is not out of the question.

If one head gasket was replaced a year ago under warranty, then the chance of poor workmanship at that time is not out of the question.

I've lost track of which gasket was replaced, but if it was the passanger side there could be a relationship there with the #3 misfire.

 

I have never seen a 2.5L SOHC or DOHC head gasket that was compromized enough to cause low compression readings. A pressure gage on the radiator while cranking will give you more of an idication as to any compromize between the cylinder and water jacket, than will cylinder compression numbers. If you have documentation of compression numbers and they are all in spec and even, then you can assume that the cylinders, rings, and valve train are in "good" condition.

 

A pressure test of the cooling system, or a leak down test of each cylinder will reveal a lot more useful information as related to any possible internal coolant leakage into the cylinders. And the leak down test is bar none the best way to nail down even small combustion leaks into the cooling system. (well except maybe a gas analizer to sniff the radiator)

[WAWalker]

Also................As the owner of an indi Subaru repair shop.................$2900 is high, even with the extras. Even if they plan to do a valve job.

If they are willing to give you a 3/30 warranty on the whole engine, maybe it would be worth the money. Otherwise...............I would find out for sure what the warranty is going to cover, if it is just their work, that is a step price for a warranty.