[thechairmanh2k]

hey guys/gals

im in a bad spot. i *think* i have a broken cam on the passenger side. the mechanic i had the car towed to surmised that based on that pulley being frozen and the clunking noise i heard when i had to pullover on the PA turnpike. its an 01 NA Foz with 84*** miles on it. mechanic quoted me between $5-8k for a teardown/rebuild and/or new or used engine installed. he doesnt know the extent of damage without taking it apart. any ideas or possible options i may have? i dont want to get a new car, ive only had the Foz for just a year and cant afford a car payment. thanks in advance for your help and advice.

 

[flstffxe]

Cams are the last thing to get oil, it isn't common for them to seize but it also isn't unheard of. It is usually the result of oil starvation, whether low oil, internal leak, aeration of the oil....

There are a couple of options common in this situation.

A.) Pay to tear it down. See what you have and find the root cause. The short block(block, crankshaft, rods, pistons) may still be good and usable. But you have to do a tear down and inspection to know.

This can save you money IF the short block is in good shape and the mechanic didn't miss anything. If it is not then it is money wasted in the cost of the tear down. If the mechanic missed some thing it is money wasted in the tear down and later destruction of the rebuild.

If the short block is good, than sourcing new or rebuilt heads and taking care of the problem is all that is needed.

B.) Skip the tear down and source a replacement used engine. Look on Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market . Literally any generation of SOHC EJ25 can be made to work but each variant has it's own peculiarities. '99-'04 will be the most straight forward, make sure it has a EGR valve if yours does. Use your intake harness and wiring on the replacement long block(short block + heads, cams, valve covers).

This would be a good time to replace the head gaskets(known to fail) and the timing belt items.

C.) A reman long block with a warranty from a place like Remanufactured Subaru Engines or Subaru Engines -- SSI Subie Specialists SSI Subie Specialists

Subaru also offers a remanufactured short block for about $1,800 IIRC. That is a option if you can source a set of heads.

Again replacement heads will have to be set up/tapped for a EGR if yours has one.

It is also recommended to have some one who is familiar with subarus doing the work. It can save time and money in the long run.

 

[lockmedic]

An 01 shouldn't have EGR. 99-02 Forester or 00-02 Legacy/Outback engine should be a direct drop-in, bolt-up, although you might have to change the LH cam sprocket and crank sprocket and possibly intake. Somewhere in 01/02 they changed the idle air controls and also the timing gears. I haven't paid a lot of attention to exactly when, but neither of those bits are tough to change.

If it were me and the rest of the engine checked out, I'd just throw on a used head on the side that's affected. They're easy enough to find and valves are adjustable with a wrench (no bucket & shim like the old EJ25D or the newer turbo mills).

Pretty sure it's not worth putting 5-8k into an 01 Fozzie even with 84k miles on the clock. I'd say find a different mechanic. . . or a different car. Whichever is easier.

 

[ryanlarue]

Pretty sure it's not worth putting 5-8k into an 01 Fozzie even with 84k miles on the clock. I'd say find a different mechanic. . . or a different car. Whichever is easier.

The mechanic is smoking something. $5k-$8k !?I bet a Subaru dealer would be way cheaper than that.

 

[Inspector]

Yea, John Kennedy Subaru would be cheaper than that quote. Also check out Phoenix Performance for a good independent.

If the engine died and you heard clunking, that's a really bad sign. Could be a number of things and wont know until you tear into it.

 

[50pascals]

Based on your description of the failure, the engine definetly has internal damage.

The cheapest option will be to source a used engine. A decent used to drop in your car can be had for about $900. Total Installed should be $2400 - $2700.

The parts and machining to rebuild a subie will be $1200 minimum. Then there is labor on top.

Based on the quoted price alone, I would find a different shop.

If you decide the car is not worth investing that kind of money in it, then selling it used on CL in it's current condition would fetch you about $1100 - $1500.

 

[schan1269]

We aren't even at $6000 doing...

Re-man Advance engine
New AC compressor
New center exhaust pipe(flat muffler is split)
Tailgate outer handle
Wiper motor/trans grommit(wipers have slop)

Find another shop.

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[thechairmanh2k]

hey everyone

so after 2 weeks ive finally got a decent mechanic lined up to install the new to me engine im going to get. i did some searching and found some good reputable junkyards that do remanufactered engines with warranties at decent prices. now i have another question - do i have to get another 2001 engine or is it possible to install a somewhat newer one? is there a limit of say up to 2004 that will swap directly into an 2001? ive seen alot of engine swaps on the forum but thats usually for performance with alot of other work being done. if i can get something newer and therefore more reliable (hopefully) id do it. thanks again for all of your advice/help.

 

[thechairmanh2k]

bump for a hopeful subie owner