Head gasket woes. What to do?
#1
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Head gasket woes. What to do?
Sometimes I could swear that cars are sentient and more so actually petulant little gits!
The same day I collected a van for a camper conversion my '01 bugeye WRX decides to pop a HG. Interestingly it happened at 100,000 miles precisely!
Friend of mine is an ex subaru mechanic and now head mechanic at a local garage (near Lutterworth, Leicestershire). They've quoted £1600.
I'd estimate the car is only worth £2k.
What do you recon... Try steel seal? / Find a new engine? / Sell it for £500?
I've really grown to love the WRX. Its been great fun, esp when the roads a bit wet n slippy!
The same day I collected a van for a camper conversion my '01 bugeye WRX decides to pop a HG. Interestingly it happened at 100,000 miles precisely!
Friend of mine is an ex subaru mechanic and now head mechanic at a local garage (near Lutterworth, Leicestershire). They've quoted £1600.
I'd estimate the car is only worth £2k.
What do you recon... Try steel seal? / Find a new engine? / Sell it for £500?
I've really grown to love the WRX. Its been great fun, esp when the roads a bit wet n slippy!
#2
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Given the age and milage i would suggest it need a full rebuild, bottom end included so expect alot more than £1600.
As far as if you should have it done, whats the shell like? arches ok? etc if they are ok and you wanna keep the car have it done, if not then just break it and sell the parts, you'll get more for it that way
As far as if you should have it done, whats the shell like? arches ok? etc if they are ok and you wanna keep the car have it done, if not then just break it and sell the parts, you'll get more for it that way
#4
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Are pole position a breakers? Have you got a link or phone number?
On the brightside, at least my van will allow me to collect large things, such as new engines!
I have also been toying with the idea of dropping in an 2.0 STI or maybe a 2.5.
Would that be harder than it sounds?
I'm a fairly competent spanner spinner, but never swapped a whole engine.
Would my 5speed 'box marry up to STI engines ok?
On the brightside, at least my van will allow me to collect large things, such as new engines!
I have also been toying with the idea of dropping in an 2.0 STI or maybe a 2.5.
Would that be harder than it sounds?
I'm a fairly competent spanner spinner, but never swapped a whole engine.
Would my 5speed 'box marry up to STI engines ok?
#8
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Is the £1600 including a bottom end refresh?
Personally I would just pull the engine out and fit new head gaskets,cost you about £300 to do yourself including hoist&stand.
Might be a gamble on how long it lasts but I had some fun doing mine,not a massively hard job tbh,not saying mine will last forever but I've done about 5k miles and it's still going strong
Personally I would just pull the engine out and fit new head gaskets,cost you about £300 to do yourself including hoist&stand.
Might be a gamble on how long it lasts but I had some fun doing mine,not a massively hard job tbh,not saying mine will last forever but I've done about 5k miles and it's still going strong
#9
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1x HG, waterpump, belts, pulleys & tensioners, coolant, oil, oil filter, 12 hours labour. No mention of bottom end work.
I'm just about to go on holiday for a week so got plenty of time to mull this over.
I've emailed pole position to see what they say.
Plus I'm fortunately able to borrow a very good friends new focus RS here and there while he's away for business during the week.
So not much incentive to rush! ha ha
#16
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Most subaru specialists charge 800-1000quid to do the headgaskets. just phone
pole position and ask for ian or sha 01902605037 to give you a quote to fix it or buy a used sti engine to drop straight into ur car. They very busy so phone call is best way to get a quick response
pole position and ask for ian or sha 01902605037 to give you a quote to fix it or buy a used sti engine to drop straight into ur car. They very busy so phone call is best way to get a quick response
#17
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The bearings fail after hg failure for various reasons. one is oil contamination, you might be running a suspension of oil and water, plus ethylene glycol, which is NOT good for bearings.
Mine lasted 6 months. But I'm not an aggressive driver. The first time I had a little play....bang.
and I was in northern France with no foreign get you home, as wifey said we didn't need it, LOL
Although I never LOL'd at the time. €700 to get me to Calais, the RAC took over at Dover. Being towed on and off the ferry by one of those things that moves lorry trailers, attached by a chain, was fun...not.
Mine lasted 6 months. But I'm not an aggressive driver. The first time I had a little play....bang.
and I was in northern France with no foreign get you home, as wifey said we didn't need it, LOL
Although I never LOL'd at the time. €700 to get me to Calais, the RAC took over at Dover. Being towed on and off the ferry by one of those things that moves lorry trailers, attached by a chain, was fun...not.
#18
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The bearings fail after hg failure for various reasons. one is oil contamination, you might be running a suspension of oil and water, plus ethylene glycol, which is NOT good for bearings.
Mine lasted 6 months. But I'm not an aggressive driver. The first time I had a little play....bang.
and I was in northern France with no foreign get you home, as wifey said we didn't need it, LOL
Although I never LOL'd at the time. €700 to get me to Calais, the RAC took over at Dover. Being towed on and off the ferry by one of those things that moves lorry trailers, attached by a chain, was fun...not.
Mine lasted 6 months. But I'm not an aggressive driver. The first time I had a little play....bang.
and I was in northern France with no foreign get you home, as wifey said we didn't need it, LOL
Although I never LOL'd at the time. €700 to get me to Calais, the RAC took over at Dover. Being towed on and off the ferry by one of those things that moves lorry trailers, attached by a chain, was fun...not.
I'm running a shortblock which was kindly donated,it had suffered HG failure and been in storage for a couple of years,I'm running 350+bhp and don't drive like miss daisy.
Been going strong,sounds sweet and pulls like a train for 9 months and I just bolted my heads on,used cheap head gaskets and didn't even skim the block or heads