My First Hiccup, finally put this to bed after the 3rd try Options

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When we returned from Rt66 '16 I pulled my exhaust system down for a little trimming and noticed water in the left bank muffler! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif) We did drive through a ton of water on that trip. Then when returning from Costco yesterday it acted as if it were starved for fuel when it stumbled during acceleration. The fuel filter was the same one that came on the engine so I ordered another one. When I looked at the filter to check which one I had I noticed the coolant level in the expansion tank/reservoir had dropped. Well, there you are. Head gasket time. Now, I'm wondering if the stumble was due in fact to the head gasket failing? Decisions; should I fix this one which presently has ~ 185K or buy a JDM replacement. After perusing the net I found a few peep's whose JDM experience was less than stellar. Apparently it is a crap shoot as to what you get and the 40-50K avg mileage is (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bs.gif) . So, for about 1K I can pick up another engine and hope I bought a good one or open this one up and hope that is all it needs since it wasn't overheated. What does the the Wasser family think?

EDIT: It's an EZ30D 6cyl

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Kent is that really the best you have?
Obviously im remarking on the Irony that subaru people swap to these motors because its more reliable and so much better yet here we are.
Along with the hard fact that they are problematic motors at the best of times in performance situations.
Best of luck with getting it fixed but after seeing whats inside your timing cover id just get a brand new motor because that thing is dirtier than a alcoholic priest in in a whorehouse.
Though ill never not find the plumbing pipe cooling system funny.

It's all good. I'll take a pic of the inside of one of those copper fittings and let you see for yourself.

Wow! Arnolds tractor oil? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) That thing will run 5 deg. cooler once all the sludge is removed.

Word of caution. My cooling system gauges read safe with the occasional spike in temp when I forgot to switch on my fans in stop and go traffic. Ended up cooking my oil as the oil temps were hotter than my water temps when they spiked. Cooked the viscosity enhancers out of the oil. Caused a drop in oil pressure. Castrol GTX. The bike racers call it Castrol brown. They can cook the oil in half a dozen laps. Turns the inside of your engine brown.

I think Stephen nailed it in his response. I remember the Pennzoil Sludge as well. Oil temps ran a little high because all the fasteners around the oilpump were abnormally tight. You can see the external oil cooler they used to aid with oil temps. It's the piece that the oil filter screws onto. Notice that it is caked in sludge. That can't help. I got it tore down last nite and am cleaning parts and the garage now. I'll post pic's later but the head gaskets "kind of" looked OK to my uninformed ass. And they are the layer steel type. Maybe this is why they usually don't suffer these type failures. Got to get back in the garage but I'll post pic's later and you can see what I'm taliking about Rick.

Wow! Arnolds tractor oil? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) That thing will run 5 deg. cooler once all the sludge is removed.

Word of caution. My cooling system gauges read safe with the occasional spike in temp when I forgot to switch on my fans in stop and go traffic. Ended up cooking my oil as the oil temps were hotter than my water temps when they spiked. Cooked the viscosity enhancers out of the oil. Caused a drop in oil pressure. Castrol GTX. The bike racers call it Castrol brown. They can cook the oil in half a dozen laps. Turns the inside of your engine brown.

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Holy crap....I thought you powder coated that black at first Kent.

Yea, just as Stephen alluded to below and remember it pushed the heaviest station wagon Subaru made for ~180K.

Sheesh Kent I better finish mine up if you're gonna move this fast.

All that mess is probably your oil pump leaking a TINY bit at the seal, or an O-Ring, something like that. It's just Subaru RTV (use grey RTV) sealing it to the block. Doesn't last forever. The oil has nowhere to go since the timing chain cover is sealed. Just gets flung around by the chains and then baked, especially since the pump is kinda high up.

Wow the shop manual does a great job of describing break down/build up with color pics and stuff!

You are ahead of me. Mine isn't close to running again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) Those Subaru factory manuals are pure pleasure are they not?

Poly mounts to the -4 mounting point are easy. I have a set made up, that I don't need anymore if you want them.

Or you just use these and build your own.

A couple pieces of steel your done, also work for the rear trans mounts.

I didn't know where to but those when I made mine so I just used the stock Suby mounts. My main concern was that I would forget where I bought any non-Oem part. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) Have you set a 1st run date yet Stephen??? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chowtime.gif)

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I didn't know where to but those when I made mine so I just used the stock Suby mounts. My main concern was that I would forget where I bought any non-Oem part. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) Have you set a 1st run date yet Stephen??? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chowtime.gif)

I long way off.

Come heel or high water it will be on or before April 12th, 2017. I would love to be driving the car by then, but first fire off might not be a bad goal.