HG Problem, or Pair-A-Noids? Your Thoughts

[four-fleet-feet]

Just left Avondale Subaru (Avondale, Arizona) where they did Dragon's trans flush. Yech, was that a must-do. Fluid was red on the stick, but even with the drain-n-fill done only a week ago Saturday it was black and gunky at pan level. I thought she ran fine but the new fluid shows I was just used to my old truck's foibles. Smooth as butter now...

 

Anyway, their mechanic (who I talked to for at least 10 minutes, not just the service manager) stated I had two problems: a slight leak at the back of the oil pump (and didn't aircraft-engineer LOVE hearing that...) and... two headgasket leaks, one at each side of the engine.

 

WTF? I just drove her down from Seattle. No overheating. No loss of coolant. No loss of oil (didn't need to add a single drop over 1545 miles). No oil in coolant, no coolant in the oil. No engine complaints. One driveway teeny drop of what I now can state is PS fluid, small enough that a dime would cover it and give back 7 cents' change, directly under the reservoir. Will fix that when I get home. I'll believe the oil pump leak when we get back into her and eyeball it ourselves. I have no drips or signs it's leaking again.

 

I mentioned the oil filter mishap (wasn't on all the way when I started her up and about 2 quarts' worth bathed Dragon's previously-spotless underside right after we'd finished the timing belt service). Mechanic wasn't so sure that had caused the oil marks he'd seen on the headgaskets.

 

I'm totally getting fed up with this. Puyallup Subaru stated I had a headgasket problem before we did the timing belt service. Next time I went in (after we were done with the timing belt, valve covers, main/crank/oil pump seals and water pump) they said she was tight and good to go (I even specifically asked them to check the HG). Bruce Titus Subaru in Tacoma said she was tight and good when they did a recall service on her front axle about March 10th.

 

Now I'm getting the old HG crap again. In a 2.2, what are the actual signs of a headgasket problem? (I know what a 2.5 does.) I really am tired of hearing I have a problem I don't think I have. I could be wrong. If you know the signs I should be looking for, I'd like to hear them.

 

Otherwise, I think Avondale and Puyallup Subaru are just being Noids...

 

Thanks in advance, a totally befuddled four-fleet-feet

[nipper]

OK lets take this back to basics.

 

Power wash the underside of the engine with a de greaser. Unless they do this they can't really say its a bad a head gasket. Some HG's will ooze a little oil, and its not a big deal. I drove a car for 5 years with a weaping HG.

 

I think you are in the same boat i was once. I had a wet HG on my fathers BuicK for 6 years. Everyone said it needed replacing, but it wasnt over heating, wasnt loosing oil, so no need to replace it.

 

So just poltily say "i will look into that" and move on.

 

 

nipper

[gbhrps]

At about 23 000 km on my last OBW (an 02) the dealership found very small coolant leaks in both heads. The car had had no symptoms whatsoever of overheating, blowby, bubbling in the radiator, etc. What had caught my attention was the occasional smell of coolant when I got out of the car after a run, but never any coolant was found on the ground. The dealership put the car on a hoist, found the two small leaks, and we arranged for the headgaskets to be changed at a later date, which was done under warranty. I put another 200 000 km on the car with no more problems.

[screwbaru2]

You should make sure the dealership knows its a 2.2. Could think its a 2.5. If it works don't fix it.

[nipper]

You should make sure the dealership knows its a 2.2. Could think its a 2.5. If it works don't fix it.

 

If they don't know the differnce to begin with its time to find a new dealership.

 

 

nipper

[aircraft engineer]

not to mention that I CHECKED it thoroughly, too. I didn't SEE no evidence of no STEENKIN' (LEAKIN') HG. (but the "old" oil from where the cam seal had been leaking for who knows how long and BAKED onto the exhaust was evident)

 

I'm none too happy about the possibility of the leak at the oil pump, though. I used pematex anaerobic all around the sealing face of the pump. Anything is possible, but after that run, it's pretty difficult with no oil usage.

 

BTW - looks like I have one myself now. 2.2 phase 1. Needs a drivers front axle and a minor amount of TLC. I know where there are 2 JY vehicles (maybe 3) so I can find parts

 

BTW - pair o' NIMNOES is a better assessment.