Hi,
I just back from my 130,000 oil change and the Subaru shop is saying I have a very small oil leak on the drivers side head gasket. Price to fix is $2900 which includes a timing belt replacement. Is it that hard to do by needing to remove the engine to change a head gasket?

Jim

 

It can be done in the car, video of it somewhere, just a pain. Might verify its head gaskets and not valve cover gaskets and check your pcv to make sure it is working.

 

Thanks, I'll go back and recheck the maintenance sheet from Subaru.

 

not hard. i pulled my 03 RS engine at 255,000 miles due to a blown head gasket. pulled engine and tore down entire block. doing a complete rebuild. granted you dont have to do a full overhaul, but these engines are not hard at all to pull. and YES, tehre are videos, DIYs as how to R+R HGs without pulling. not my prefered method, but if you move evrything aside, its doable. GL!

 

Thanks, I went back to re-read what Subaru wrote down;
" Recommend replacing the head gasket with the timing package, $2900. Slight oil leaking from gasket on drivers side."

Now I don't have the means or tools to do any of this work myself, so I'll have to find a shop or bite the bullet and have subaru do the work. There's no oil dripping so I should be ok for a while. My RS has been a good car and never failed me and I'm keeping it.

Jim

 

TBH, tehre are only a handful of specialty tools needed to replace HGs. and yes, RSs are wonderful cars. i went 255,000 on my original HG!

 

This RS 2.5 has been a fathfull car, while not the Blue 02 WRX wagon I started out with it's a keeper. I may have to bite the bullet and have the dealer replace the gasket since I'm no mechanic and have no place to work on the car.