head gaskets

I have a 2000 Outback which I purchased in 9/1999. I have had to replace 4 headgaskets, 3 on the left side and 1 on the right. Anyone else with the same problem. Thanks

Reply to
elm
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Reply to
Edward Hayes

What is it with the newly designed gaskets? I read something about them being 4 layer??? Any info on how these gaskets differ?

-Brian Owner 97 OB that needs head gaskets

BTW - A great site for head gasket repair:

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Sounds like the NEW designed gaskets were not used and the dealer? used

Reply to
LC Brian

Reply to
LC Brian

To nit pick, there's more clamping force, since the bolt torque is the same but spread over a smaller area. The problem is that there is simply not enough meat to handle the force.

Reply to
Jim Stewart

Good point. That makes sense.

I'm just so tweaked about this problem. I see this as just such an inherent design flaw. For SOA to offer coolant additives as a preventatiive measure for their head gasket problem seems to prove the point.

I know I can only bitch about this for so long before I just have to shut up and do something about it. My wife and I just felt so good and had such good long-term expectations when we first bought this car, to find this out is such a let down.

I just want to ask basic questions like, Ok, if I fix this, how do I know it's not going to come back? Is the new gasket design that good or should I just know it will go anytime? Is the H-6 any better in this regard or do I just dump Subarus all together?

Thanks for letting me rant.

Reply to
LC Brian

A few years ago I bought a Dodge Lancer which had their 2.2 litre turbocharged engine. The turbocharger really brought the car to life compared to performance with the previous K car engine.

At about 43k miles the head gasket blew and the cylinder head was cracked- and it cost almost as much to repair as the car was worth. The mechanic told me that the head gaskets of this engine always were a problem but that he saw many more failures after Dodge added a turbocharger. Too bad I didn't know that before buying the car. Presumably this increase in faiure rate resulted from an increased combustion pressure.

Bearing in mind the problems reported in this thread, has the head gasket design been improved for the '05 models? I'm considering a new car and like the higher power of the turbocharged engine together with the five speed automatic transmission, but the higher power and taller gearing IMO will result in higher combustion pressures. After my experience with the Lancer I feel unsure about what this is likely to do to head gasket life.

Can anyone reassure me? Eddie? Rick?

Reply to
D L YOUNG

The additive will only fix the "weeping" problem. I doubt that it will stop an out-and-out head gasket blowout if your number is up. My opinion only and your milage may vary.

Rightfully so. I have a '99 with the 2.5 DOHC engine. No problems so far, but I'm concerned as well.

I'd go with the new head gasket and hang in there. There's a good chance that Subaru now understands the problem and the gasket will fix it. The rest of the car is good for another few years so might as well stick it out.

Reply to
Jim Stewart

Reply to
Edward Hayes

I think you are spot-on, eddie. As my needs changed, I've had three different subies since '90. A sedan, wagon and a Forester. I buy Subies for two reasons, full-time 4WD drive and reliability. If my Forester develops wheel bearing, head gasket or other major flaw when out of warranty, I could learn to live with ordinary

4wheel drive. When I change makes, as I've done numerous time in the past 50 years, the change is permanent.

BoB

Reply to
BoB

On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 15:49:24 -0500, BoB scribbled:

That doesn't make sense. You said your change is permanent, but you've made a few changes. Doesn't sound permanent to me.

Reply to
Fuel

Not to clear on that, was I?

A '62 Pontiac engine had a thin wall casting which heated the coolant to a point that made using the air conditioner impossible, when you really needed it. A 1/3 larger radiator etc, was a waste of money as nothing helped.

A new '67 Dodge Charger front-end wore out completely at 10k. Shocks, ball-joints, the whole 9 yards.

A new '78 Ford Granada had power steering that would turn the wheels by itself when parked on a slick surface. I would return to the car to find the steering wheel all the way in one direction. A real surprise, if un-noticed, when you started to back out and found yourself quickly up against the vehicle next to you, although I had left the wheels aligned straight ahead. Some mysterious vacuum build-up apparently.

So what I meant was, when a company puts out junk, I never buy from them again. Those listed above wiped out the Big 3 and I started trying foreign built vehicles.

I'm totally satisfied with my three subaru's so far. I'm hoping this gasket thing is properly handled by Subaru eventually. Otherwise, IF I develop the problem while I still own it, I may be off to try some other make. I'm also going to determine if I have roller bearings during my next visit to the dealer. I'm kinda hard-ass on this subject but it's my money so the decision on how to react is my responsibility. Also I don't place this in the 'junk' category but it IS something a good engineer should have considered when they tried to squeeze more performance out of the same engine.

BoB

Reply to
BoB

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