Head gasket issues, I'm screwed.

So, I was about to get the car tuned. I had an appointment, and then 3 days before, there was an oil spot in the driveway. I got underneath and to my novice eyes it looked like it was coming off the oil pan. I gave a call to my brother-in-law who claims to have some talent with Subarus, and he told me to change the oil pan gasket. So, I fork over the dough oil pan comes off new gasket on. For almost a week I thought the issue was solved. No oil on the driveway. Then while driving up hill, I noticed the engine starting to overheat. Ah no... That's definitely a head gasket issue... I did the research and then my brother in law confirmed it with a "leak test". ]

 

B-I-L told me that he could do the entire operation (new thermostat, water pump & belt, both head gaskets) for $1200. I took him up on that because it seemed like a good deal and he had done a good job fixing the car before. 1 month later I get the car back. It was still over heating up hill.

 

He said he bought a Stant thermostat not an OEM and put it in, so he replaced the thermostat. Two days after that, my car starts overheating again. I took it back and he said that the Felpro gaskets he put in might be faulty. So he tore it down again, and put new gaskets in. He had it for almost another full month.

 

One week after picking it up it still overheats and now there is a noticeable plum of smoke coming from the passenger side cylinder head cover after long drives. I have come to the conclusion that I made a mistake taking it to my B-I-L. I've got two kids and I'm still making payments on the car. I made the cheaper choice because I didn't really want to leave the car with a mechanic for a few months till I can pay, but I think I'm out of options.

 

Is there any possibility that my B-I-L isn't a total **** up and maybe there is a problem that he didn't test for? I'm taking it to the dealer today, but I am preparing myself for being bent over a barrel. Let me know if I'm not totally screwed on this, or if you know a mechanic who can do it right for less. Thanks bros!

where are you located?

 

Did your bil make sure that the head / block surfaces are flat?

+1

I'm in Denver. He did check the heads, not sure on the block. The guy at the dealership said he was skeptical about the head gasket being the issue. He said he, "hasn't seen too many turbo head gasket issues."

 

Can that be right? I called Suba Pro's when I found the first oil leak and he said he was positive, w/o even looking at the car, the head gaskets needed to be done.

 

It doesn't over heat in traffic, although i have noticed it runs hotter than normal - about half way up the gauge to about two notches over. When you go up hill though, the gauge steadily creeps up to the red. I haven't ever let it get to the Red, but I'm sure it would do it if I wasn't scared to death of warping my engine parts.

 

Thanks for the help!

Are you sure the radiator is not plugged? Assuming he did indeed check the block and heads for straightness, and he torqued the bolts down right, I highly doubt the gasket are the issue.

My next thought was radiator, but I haven't seen any gunk in the overflow. I have checked the temp of the hoses on top and bottom. They seem up to temp. No word from the dealer. Hope to hear some good news though.

Says he checked the heads, but did he deck the heads? That's not an optional part of HG replacement. .

^^Tris is right, visually checking the heads for cracks is one thing, but the surface of the head that mates to the block must be checked for flatness, and it needs to be flat, not warped in order for the head gasket to seal properly against the block. And if it is warped, it needs to be "decked" by a machine shop to make it flat again.

Yeah, sorry. I guess I should have said he checked them for flatness. Dealership still hasn't gotten to it. Killing me! How much does getting a head "decked" cost anyway? Ballpark?

 

 

I really hope that they tell me it is just something simple like a radiator block because that would make family relationships a little easier. If you ever have the chance to take your vehicle to a family member, I'd advise against it. There's too much tension when it doesn't work out.

I can't stress this enough : heads must be decked every time. It's not optional!

 

OP, see my rebuild thread for how much heads should cost; decking alone is anywhere from $40-65 per.

^^Thanks for that. I asked and he said he had them decked the second go round. So, Subaru finally got to it. They replaced the radiator. I drove it up hill a few times and it seems fine, although it wasn't overheating in really cold weather before. I will keep an eye on it, but they reiterated that they really don't see too many turbo head gasket issues. If it is fixed, there still seems to be an oil leak. I'll keep you posted.

^^Thanks for that. I asked and he said he had them decked the second go round. So, Subaru finally got to it. They replaced the radiator. I drove it up hill a few times and it seems fine, although it wasn't overheating in really cold weather before. I will keep an eye on it, but they reiterated that they really don't see too many turbo head gasket issues. If it is fixed, there still seems to be an oil leak. I'll keep you posted.

 

When I was dealing with mine, dealer said the same thing -- very rare for the turbos to blow HGs.

 

Where's the leak coming from?

One of my heads had a crack from the chamber into the water jacket. It wasn't visible until it was skimmed.

If it isn't resolved, shoot me a pm, and I can get you hooked up with some great people!