any advice on replacing a 2008 subaru forester head gasket yourself?

Asked by arandomnumber May 12, 2021 at 11:12 AM about the 2008 Subaru Forester 2.5 X

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 2008 subaru forester with about 170000 miles on it and it is leaking oil
and a little bit of coolant. I was wondering if any of you had luck with any brand
of head gaskets and whether or not to bring the heads in to a machine shop.

3 Answers

F_O_R answered 3 years ago

Have the head checked for warp and cracks. Do a very thorough gasket surface prep job, get new head bolts and use the latest and best multi layer head gasket. Removing the engine is best. Install a new belt while you are at it. Six star head gaskets seem to be popular.

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ernest answered 3 years ago

Seasoned Subie mechanic will do the job in 8 hrs. First timer? 15-20hrs, not including sending heads to good machine shop for testing and flattening if necessary (watch spec!). Torquing NEW bolts is tricky too. Better that you WATCH a pro do it instead!

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F_O_R answered 3 years ago

Do be sure and follow the torque specs for torque to yield bolts to the letter.

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