head gaskets

[elm]

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

 

[Edward Hayes]

Sounds like the NEW designed gaskets were not used and the dealer? used
their old stock. eddie

 

[LC Brian]

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:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze730qe/

 

[LC Brian]

Here's the best closeup of gaskets I've seen.
http://wac.addr.com/auto/obs/headgasket/headgasket.html
Seems like when they bored out 2.2 to make the 2.5 the walls got quite
a bit thinner and there is less gasket material between the fire ring
and the cooling channel, less clamping force, less reliability. Man,
these are just waiting to fail. Looks like the only thing Subaru was
able to do was to improve the gaskets, but to me this is really just
greed. They were cutting corners and compromised the quality which I
had read made Subarus so good. They can't afford a general recall and
I can't afford $3000 to fix mine. I shouldn't have to think this hard
about how a car works.

 

[Jim Stewart]

Here's the best closeup of gaskets I've seen.
http://wac.addr.com/auto/obs/headgasket/headgasket.html
Seems like when they bored out 2.2 to make the 2.5 the walls got quite
a bit thinner and there is less gasket material between the fire ring
and the cooling channel, less clamping force, less reliability. Man,

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.

 

[LC Brian]

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.

 

[D L YOUNG]

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?

 

[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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

 

[Edward Hayes]

When 1995 jeeps had an air conditing evaporator problem they automatically
extended the warranty from 36,000 miles to 70 or 80,000 miles. This is the
way Jeep kept me as a customer. Now I have a 2000 Forester with 62,000
trouble free miles and am waiting for a head gasket or rear wheel bearing to
let go. Subaru should extend the head gasket warranty to 100,000 miles and
the rear wheel bearing issue to 125,000 miles. Good wheel bearing design
usual go to 1-200,000 miles without problems. Subaru better address these
problems now or they will start losing their enthusiast base in addition to
the general public. eddie

 

[BoB]

When 1995 jeeps had an air conditing evaporator problem they automatically
extended the warranty from 36,000 miles to 70 or 80,000 miles. This is the
way Jeep kept me as a customer. Now I have a 2000 Forester with 62,000
trouble free miles and am waiting for a head gasket or rear wheel bearing to
let go. Subaru should extend the head gasket warranty to 100,000 miles and
the rear wheel bearing issue to 125,000 miles. Good wheel bearing design
usual go to 1-200,000 miles without problems. Subaru better address these
problems now or they will start losing their enthusiast base in addition to
the general public. eddie

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

 

[Fuel]

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.

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

 

[BoB]

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

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