Replacing Head Gaskets

[Merz]

Ive decided to attempt to replace my head gasket. Ive searched the forum and really couldnt find much helpful information on this subject. I have a shop with a hoist, so i will probably pull the engine to make things easier. My questions are:

Do i need to order anything besides new head gaskets?

Should i buy a service manual? Which one? Are the cd-rom manuals for sale on ebay any good??

Any advice from someone who has done this before would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

[Merz]

Also, what else should i replace while i have the engine out. Im already planning on the rear seal, thermostat, and intake manifold gasket. what else?

[Hocrest]

I did mine a few months ago with some help from a friend that has been a professional mechanic for many years.

- Pulling the engine is definitely the way to go, it may be possible to bo them on the car, but it only takes an hour to get the engine out.
- Get a set of the FSM's, or borrow from a friend like I did. I'm not sure about the CD on Ebay, but the one I saw had generic information, not specific to the SVX. There is a detailed order and procedure for removing the cams and removing the heads, then reinstalling everything. My mechanic buddy who has done many other Subaru head jobs was amazed at the complex procedure for the SVX.
-Other things that need to be removed, so they should be replaced with new if it's been a while;

• Timing belt
• Cam seals
• Cam dummy seals
• waterpump and gasket
• Coolant bypass hoses x3 (two right by the water pump and another on top of the engine under the intake)
• valve cover gaskets and grommets
• all of the vacuum hoses under the intake

[Merz]

I just did a block test and it is for sure the headgasket.
I looked for the vaccuum hoses and coolant bypass hoses on subaruparts.com and i couldnt find them. Does anyone know the part numbers??

I recently replaced the front seals and valve cover gaskets. They should still be fine.

Anyone else used the repair manual cd-roms from ebay??

[94SubieSVX]

I forget who it is, but someone on here has the SVX CD in their signature. The whole thing for four forty freeee

[Hocrest]

Originally Posted by Merz

I just did a block test and it is for sure the headgasket.
I looked for the vaccuum hoses and coolant bypass hoses on subaruparts.com and i couldnt find them. Does anyone know the part numbers??

For the vacuum hoses I took a piece to the local parts shop and bought about 5 feet. I'll try to find the numbers for the coolant bypass hoses.

Originally Posted by 94SubieSVX

I forget who it is, but someone on here has the SVX CD in their signature. The whole thing for four forty freeee

JaySVX has some in his signature, they are the generic ones that give the bolt tightening procedure along with a picture of a V-8(?)

[Hocrest]

Originally Posted by Hocrest

I'll try to find the numbers for the coolant bypass hoses.

#11 is 807611101
#12 is 807611111
#15 is 807615131

[Merz]

Thanks alot!

I looked at the repair manual in jaysvx signature. It is mostly generic information, but the very top link titled "Engine Repair Procedures" is specific to the svx and seems to have all the information needed. Here is a link to it if anyone wants to download it: http://serial.cc/pdfs/33L_6CYL___VIN_3.pdf

[sd2649]

Wow, I would love to see some pics of the wire harnesses, fuel line, vaccuum lines and what not are nedded to take the engine out of the car. If it only takes an hour I may be able to get alot of stuff done that I just haven't found time to do otherwise. I'm guessing you used a cherry picker, pulled the tranny out too??? Mine's a FWD so I can expect one more set of U-joints to have to undo! surely the front drive shafts are a hour long tasks in themselves, right?

[Hocrest]

Originally Posted by sd2649

Wow, I would love to see some pics of the wire harnesses, fuel line, vaccuum lines and what not are nedded to take the engine out of the car. If it only takes an hour I may be able to get alot of stuff done that I just haven't found time to do otherwise. I'm guessing you used a cherry picker, pulled the tranny out too??? Mine's a FWD so I can expect one more set of U-joints to have to undo! surely the front drive shafts are a hour long tasks in themselves, right?

Here's the basics for the engine removal.
Working counter clockwise from the front;
-Drain coolant disconnect ATF cooler lines, and remove radiator and fans together
-Properly drain the AC comp and undo those lines from the compressor
-undo the 3 fuel lines
-undo the vacuum line going to the brake booster
-get the two coolant lines going to/from the heater core
-remove air intake
-disconnect fuel lines and remove throttle body
-remove the bolt at the engine side of the dogbone
-remove the 4 bolts holding the flex plate to the torque converter
-undo the 2 wiring harness plugs
-disconnect the power steering lines between the engine and the rack
-remove the fuel vapor canister and bracket from the right inner fender

Under the car;
-unbolt the metal ATF cooler lines from the bottom of the engine
-disconnect the Y pipes from the exhaust manifolds
-remove the two nuts holding the engine to the crossmember

Use a jack under the differential to lift the transmission and engine about 3/4"

Secure the engine to the hoist

There are 4 attachment points between the engine and trans. 2 studs/nuts at the bottom, the top starter bolt and another bolt on the other side at the top. First remove the bottom nuts, then secure the engine to the hoist and remove the two top bolts.

That's about it, I probably missed a few things...

[SVXMAN2001]

Dave, great quick write up also add to disconnect the PS lines from the rack, i learned the hard way when pulling the engine!

[SVXMAN2001]

also there is a how - to for the vacuum line replacement, in the how-to documents section.

[Merz]

Thanks guys. I got the engine out now. I followed your write up and it took about 5 hours. Would have been faster, but i didnt know what or where some of the things were. Will probably take half as long next time.

Im going to remove the intake manifold, timing belt, ac and ps, and valve covers today. I bought some degreaser and a roll of paper towels so i can clean everything as i remove it. Im also going to clean the engine bay before i reinstall the engine.

I will work on removing the cams and heads tomorrow. i read through the instructions and it seems complicated. I may be posting questions if i have problems.

I was going to take pictures and maybe write a how-to, but something is wrong with my camera and it wont turn on.

[davew833]

I did my head gaskets with the engine in-car almost two years ago. I didn't have a hoist at the time and didn't want to rent/buy one. I would recommend at least having the heads cold-tanked, checked for cracks, and surfaced at a machine shop while you have them off. Use care in the reinstallation of the head bolts and the torquing procedure. I can't think of anything else that's real difficult.

[Merz]

Im not sure if we have a machine shop here that does that kind of work. I know there used to be one but it burned down. I will call around though. Id hate to put it all back together and blow another gasket because i didnt get it resurfaced.

Im done working for the day. I went ahead and removed the cams. Only problem i had was that on one of the intake cams, i forgot to put in the bolt that secures the sub-gear to the driven gear. I think i need to put the cam in a vice and use some sort of wrench to line them up and insert the bolt.

All i have left is to take off the heads and put in the new gaskets. I noticed i need a wierd type of socket for the head bolts.
Anyone know what it is called, or what size it is or where i can get it?????

thanks