Interesting info from New Englander who sells Subarus....
 

I caught this guy on Craigslist and thought his info might spark some interest here. Seems there a few Subie fans...

http://boston.craigslist.org/car/82033260.html


Here's a snippet:
"AVOID AT ANY COST Subaru's flawed "Phase One" 2.5L motor as unfortunately used in all 1996-1999 Legacy OB/GT/LSi, Forester and early Impreza 2.5 RS models. Late 90s OBs, especially, may appear attractive to the pocketbook initially, but there's always a $1-3k repair bill lurking when the engine's twin head gaskets' slow percolation leaks slew to form Mt. Vesuvius underhood while galavanting down the highway! Often enough drivers can't stop immediately, so the heads and/or block may crack, too. Yech! I don't take chances here...and neither should you! Surprising that the Feds never forced a recall...probably would've bankrupted Fuji Heavy Industries."

This guy even answers questions. Ernie Meunier, TheSubaruGuru - 781 483-3922



BTW, is there a way to search for an item in more than one local area at a time on Craigslist? If so please share instructions.

Shew -- dodged the bullet.

-Z-man. (1995 Subaru Legacy owner -- 2.2liter motor!)

Bump for morning Subie fans......

Oh please, not that guy again. He's a used car salesman with a very big ego. A unique combination, I'm sure.

Some discussion: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=773675

That said, the early 2.5s were the weakest of the 2.5s. Not unreliable though, except in comparison to the 2.2s which don't EVER wear out.

the first gen 2.5 motors are widely acknowledged as having head gasket issues. This appears to have been fixed with the 2nd gen motor.

Is replacing the gaskets enough or are there deeper issues. I have a 95 2.2 so not really worried but simply curious.

Replacing the head gasket seems to solve the problem. It's no more complicated than working on our cars, except that the engine has to come out the top of the bay. Set aside one solid weekend for the task. Pelicans, with our generally larger-than-average tool collection and better-than-average skill with random mechanical devices, are about the last people who ought to worry about this problem ....