The attention to detail is of a high standard.Definitely one of the best mechanics I,ve seen in action.Would not be out of place in a teaching establishment.
5 parts on your Toyota, 2.5. Head gasket job. Thank you for what you do. I'm sure you help many. It sure was helpful for me. Monday I take the heads to the machine shop and then start the process of putting everything back together. So thanks again. I feel more. Confident now.
Wow this series was a joy to watch, lots of tips I never knew, never too old to learn. I do like a long video but hey whatever is easier for you. Thanks for showing this repair. Take Care Steve 👍👍
South Main Auto Repair Just out of curiosity, if you weren't pausing for video and other clients, phones etc... how long would this take you. You mention you've done dozens of these and it looks like you have a pretty slick system in place and know all your shortcuts.
Thank you so much for taking the time to put this series together! I followed along while I disassembled my 2002 Forester. Although I passed over the rebuilding of the heads because I had purchased heads to put on, everything went smoothly. What viewers need to understand is that you spent the time taping this series but we overlook the time you spent EDITING this series. Anyway, thank you so much. It was a great series and very well done.
I was an auto and industrial machine mechanic many years ago. Now I rely on you tube vids to keep me up to date with as much auto technology as I can absorb. I learned a lot watching these 5 parts. Very enjoyable viewing. Eric is a heck of a good teacher.
What a labor of love you've done here! This is a great series. I'm jealous of your torque wrench! And that line on the belt was WAY off. Never seen one that far off. I try to get Gates for these when I can. I'm doing an 07 EJ253 right now with the dropped guides and a bent valve. It's got that special variable intake valve- animal/thumb trap. It's like gun smithing getting that thing on there. Great work- I'm going to have to refer folks to this series. I think I'll do some pieces on this 07 and send people here for the detail. Good luck on the employee issues.
briansmobile1 Hey Brian good to here from you. Make sure on the '06 up Soobies you have the guides staked in when you get them replaced and I suggest replacing all of them. They have some serious oil consumption issues and tend to migrate out if you don't. Let me guess 1 and 3 exhaust valves? I'd be willing to ship up the torque wrench for you to barrow if you'd like :) Any how there is a little trick to those heads when you are reassembling the cams but it can be done pretty easy with out the "special tool" . At any rate give me a shout any time if you wanna bounce stuff back and forth. Later, --Eric O.
Dont know if anyone gives a shit but if you're bored like me during the covid times then you can watch pretty much all of the new series on instaflixxer. Have been binge watching with my brother recently =)
So I just finished watching all 5. I was going to pull my engine to replace head gaskets but I am now inspired to use your method. Thanks for the encouragement. For us novice mechanics, the detail you provide is great. Thank you!!!
Really good series, Eric. I did a Subaru head job about 8 years ago and I was right there with you every step. Neighbor's car had a million issues, but just wanted the heads done - so frustrating to put crappy worn stuff back on, but it's their dime. Very noble of you to include a few errors on camera - we ALL do the same. Thanks!
Bit of a difference between a neighbour doing a job and a professional shop. Eric would have liability issues to worry about, and even if he won any hypothetical case against him, it he still would have lost time out from his business and associated costs. Frankly I would have to know the neighbour pretty well to help them in that situation. When something goes wrong they are likely to blame you, even if you warned them and it was unrelated to the fix.
I love these long 4 or 5 part videos, they give us viewers the details that we may need. I also like to see what's involved in different makes and models of cars out there, especially the newer vehicles, which from year to year come out with more crazy so called improvements. I love your diagnosis vids as well, especially the testing, and not just part throwing. I was a licensed mechanic until about 01, and got MS, and kinda let everything go, but now I really enjoy vids like this, and can still do small jobs at 46. Thanks for all the time you put into these vids, and actually teaching things that help others, God bless.
Watched all 5. Excellent job. Wish I had your tools. I just acquired an 2.5L Outback and it needs head gaskets. I have coolant in the oil, I cant wait to dig in and see what I find. I don't work on engines very much, Your video gave me a bunch more confidence. I appreciate you taking the time to create these video's. Thanks
Guys like you are selfless rarities, to impart generous experience at the sacrifice of a lot of personal trouble to help others - A BIG THUMBS UP, keep up the good, no great work and videos.
Great series! You do the job right and I would wager you don't get comebacks. This was a big job and it took multiple videos to show it. I would rather see the whole job than see a 3 minute clip of a 30 minute job. I know that it takes longer to do the job if you are recording it and it takes time and effort to edit and upload. I appreciate your efforts and look forward to more. I'm sure others share my sentiments.
Thanks eldoradony. Sure does take some time. However I am no where near perfect or flawless so comebacks do happen once in a while. I do the best I can for the abilities I am given and try to provide my customers with the best work I can do :)
This was a great series, between you and diagnose Dan, i surely learn alot of new techniques. Thank you for sharing and being so passionate. Best Regards
Here's my opinion.......Nice job doing the videos. Multi-part is cool, it was a big job. I like that you leave in the oops parts, such as having to unbolt and then reattach the ground and the coolant leak. That's the real world for most of us so it shows you're honest in wanting to do a good and thorough job. Keep up the good work and once again thanks.
Instead of saying you screwed up at the end by leaving those throttle body coolant hose off, you could have said, "here's a neat trick to bleed the air out of the system, by leaving the hose off until you see coolant coming out"....lol. Great series, makes me want to go out and buy a boxer engine car. Looks like changing timing belt and water pump is a snap on these engine.
Just watched all five episodes. I'm mentally preparing to do the HG in an 05 Forester and this was absolutely amazing to watch. It helped to also see some specialized tools for certain tasks. Loved the series and loved the Scotty Kilmer quote, loved the reference to Eric The Car Guy and then noticed Briansmobile1 commented! That covers the four online mechanic personalities I trust!! Thanks for the vids man, just so damn cool to see the work being done using the right tools and most importantly the right attitude. Keep em coming!!
How did it go? I have a 2004 Forester X. The timing belt snapped while getting on the freeway. Valves are definitely bent, but the pistons seem to be okay. I'm thinking about buying some rebuilt heads instead of rebuilding them myself.
man, the way you explain everything i dont care if its 10 vids long...you are a motor sergeon all the way..so from now on you are DOC. O...in my books...lol
Hey thanks man for filming these videos. I had inherited a 1998 Subaru forest and of course it had the head gasket problem and I had look up how much it would cost to get it fix and when I saw the price I was like I can’t afford that so I decided to make it a project car. Before this I have never had hand on experience work with engine mechanics other then like changing oil so I real had no idea what I was doing but then I found your videos and they really helped. I tried just leaving the engine in the car but it wasn’t working so I just decided to take it out. I’m not all the way done, right now I’m getting the heads machined. Thanks for everything, note I’m only 15 and first time working on an engine and I have school so I’ve been at it for almost a month now. I will definitely keep watching your videos when I put it back together. Thanks.
Good series. Two words: lip sync. It may be my player or your encoder, but the torquing process was a little hard to watch cause the beeps didn't match the video. You seem to have the tools necessary to do all the special operations, what luxury or maybe necessity. I always wanted to repurpose an old dishwasher with a tank of solvent like heated Simple Green White to "hot tank" parts like valve covers ect..
Subaru charged me almost 2000 to do just the head gaskets at 66000 miles. No head work and no pump thermostat hoses or timing gear. If I were to guess from a dealer this exact job 3000 Edit- oh a local shop for just the gaskets without head work or anything else 800 to 1000
Just watched all five and took notes, (actually I take photos too at some key points with my I-phone helps jog my memory when working on my car). Had to take a minute to comment on a great set of videos Eric, I recently got a 2006 Impreza with a leaking head for cheap - your high level of detail gave me the confidence to take on the work on a flat engine and I dont' think I would have bought the car without these vids to help me with my rebuild since I don't have experience with flat "boxer" engines.Thanks again and keep up all the good work and postings you do, it takes a lot of time to film, edit, post, and reply to comments, I am sure I am not the only one (40,000 views!) who appreciates it.Robert.
most youtubbers tend after a bit of time has passed tend to start altering their style to an ad based format. wherein the while video is a thinly veiled ad. you dont seem to be doing that, even etcg has gone that way. i learned my craft from a guy similar to you, i thank you for the videos and appreciate your "in the trenches" approach, and the fact you go out of your way to consistently improve yourself and get confirmation of diagnosis. cheers
5 years later and Eric O. still has not turned his massive channel into a sponsorship Mecca. 😎👍 Your comment is just as true now as it was half a decade ago. "NAPA, not a sponsor."
Just wanted to thank you for spending the time and energy making such a great series! I was able to replace the head gaskets on my 06 Baja last weekend and your videos were a huge help!
Hey Jake Andrus. I have, only once though on an '06 Forester EJ253 with variable cam with only 77k on it. I did a head job because it dropped an exhaust guide and was skipping and had no compression. Put it all back together and the opposite head that dropped the guide started eating oil... a LOT of oil. 2qts every 1k miles. For whatever reason it was pulling it past the intake guides. Long story short I diagnosed it, pulled it apart (again) replaced all guides in that head and the car has been perfect sense. Dunno why it did it immediately following a head job, maybe just a coincidence? Other than that no I have never had a problem and I have done lots of head jobs.
Cool, a guy at our shop did a head gasket on a 02 Honda civic and now its going through oil like crazy. The guy is blaming us of course. The damn car has 180k miles!
I just watched the whole thing and I'm impressed. Came from the Soob shop today for the Takata airbag fix and they told me it needed the head gaskets. Tried to sell me on a short block for a mere 5 grand. No thanks, just needs the head gaskets I said, and after watching this, I believe I could do it myself with a few new tools. Always like an excuse, er, reason to buy a new tool or three. I appreciate all the hard work you put in, the fact that you just get to work and don't have a bunch of horsing around, profanity or loud music playing. Well done.
Awesome series of vids. This was the best breakdown of the process I've seen on UA-cam. Love the fact you didn't edit any of the steps down. Doing a timing belt kit and driver side head on my 03 Forester this weekend. This answered a lot of questions!
I like your videos to be long plus the fact that when u make a mistake you fess up to it and I get a kick out of it, it always makes me laugh because it shows your just as human as we all are. Your a very special breed of a mech-a-neck because your honest and you seem to be very fair to your customers and I like that. I am a yankee from Connecticut but I retired to Florida. I also will be sending you some license plates from Ct and Florida soon cause I know you collect em for your shop. Lov your show and wish you well. never stop what makes you happy..
Eric I watched all 5 of these videos and found them to be excellent especially considering that you was called away like 50 times during the process. I have watched your other videos to and I find you a very honest person I would definitely have you as my mechanic to the jobs that I can't do. Thank you for sharing this head gasket replacement I know there is a lot of work going into editing these videos! You get a thumbs up from me! Regards Steve.
This video series is how video series should be done. It's excellent. Not much to improve upon other than posting torque spec title overlays as you go. If you have the spec sheet as you edit it's not much more work, video is more professional, and gives the viewer something more to look at. Camera work is superb. Think about adding a gorillapod if you don't have one already. I have a tripod and a gorilla pod. Think I'll shoot a short video that shows how I use my gorillapod. Will open up new possible shots for you. For example when taking out a wheel bearing snap ring you could have the camera inside the wheel well (not in your way) so we can see you use the impact hammer on the ring. I'm sure you'll find it very useful to increase your production value.
The weight and size can present issues. Thanks for bringing that up. I wouldn't have thought about that because I'm so used to using a cellphone style video recorder (Kodak Playsport ZX5).
Great video series....kilmer would of had all this info crammed into a 5 minute video LOL...even the other "eric" thats big on youtube wouldnt of had this good of a video series
Great job on all your videos. I just replaced a motor in a 2000 Hyundai tiburon and followed your tips and tricks form various videos. Took me a 15 hours but in the end she roared to life. I had to be a little creative. I mounted an atv winch from walmart to the main supports on my deck and dropped her in place. Hey thanks again for the quality content.
Hey man I can jump out of a garbage can and show you how to change an engine using a spork , straw and a napkin if you like... oh in under a minute and a half too...
Great video Bro.. I was going to pull the motor but after watching this I will try your method first.. Very informative, comfortable narrative void of any expletives ... enjoyed meeting your daughter momentarily.. thank your very much for submitting this video...
I gotta say Eric, this is great stuff! Real reality TV. I'm not a professional tech; I work on my own cars and friends and family's cars (worse than doing it professionally...no good dead goes unpunished). Love the tips and tricks like the hose pick. I've f'ed with stuck on hoses and damaged them with pliers. Keep on makin vids and I will watch them. Thanks.
Hey thanks *****. Oh man how did you get suckered into family and friends mechanic? I know from experience that is not a high paying job haha. Glad you can take away a lil from each video.
Excellent!!! As good as it gets. I do think pulling the engine would have been easier than the way that you did it. Other than that it was great. Keep up the good work. Cute kid!!
Loved this series! Long videos are fine with me. Learned a lot! I always wondered how to clean out the overflow and expansion tanks, the chain rocks! Those torque wrenches are so hot.
Great Job!! I watched all 5. I'm not even doing a head gasket job right now. I've owned a total of 4 Subarus. We still have 3. I've done head gaskets on the 99 4cyl and the 01 6cyl 3.0. I know it takes time to do these videos but they are appreciated for sure. Thank you.
Excellent series, nothing but good things to say. Long series is perfect, cause I get to see the whole job thru. It is awesome that you go above and beyond . Looking forward to more great videos.. Thank you Eric...
South Main Auto Repair how common is the head gasket failures on the ez30 6 cylinder motors ? what are the signs the gasket is failing. atm i think i smell coolant. but i see that my oil cooler is leaking oil. i just picked up the oil cooler gasket.
I have watched all 5 back to back. Very thorough. You can also see a massive difference in your self confidence and ability to interact with the camera. A brilliant channel I bet Mrs O is proud of everything you have done over the years and everything you have become.
enjoyed watching all five parts. like the way you filmed it. don't own subaru or plan on working on one but still nice to see the CORRECT way it is done.
Made it through all 5 videos, no problem. I am totally impressed with the quality of your work. I wouldn't hesitate tossing you my keys and let you do what is needed on my car. I am what you call a suspicious customer. Until I developed some health issues I did all my own work with few exceptions. Take care of that arthritis. I tried to tough my way through for 25 years. Shouldn't have. I think your editing is great. You use a decent camera instead of a cell phone. I use Corel Video Studio Pro for my stuff, but am more into photography.
Awesome job on your videos bud, I work with Subaru's, Mitsubishi's, Nissan's, Toyota's and some VW, Audi and BMW for a living. Mainly in the performance field of things. But I also do routine and regular scheduled maintenance. I think you do an awesome job with explanations and showing the different types of tools you use for each of your jobs. I really liked those MAC cam gear pliers you have, gonna have to get myself a set of those. All in all great job, especially for someone who isn't factory trained and or certified. You did things very closely to the way I would have. Keep up the great work. Chad
Hey Chad thanks for that. Yeah you can never have to many tools ya know ha. If there is any advise or tips you can throw out there feel free to lay them down. I am always in the mood for learning. You don't work on Honda's too? I love my Honda's, Toyota's and Subaru's. They are my 3 fav to work on and it is what I get in my shop a lot because we live in a pretty small town and a lot of local shops don't like "them there jap cars" haha
Mainly I work with the cars with factory forced induction, work on a ton of Subaru WRX and WRX STi, Forester XT's Mitsubishi Evolution's and Ralliart's. I'll get the occasional Domestic in, like a Cobalt SS or Dodge Neon SRT 4. But my main specialty is performance upgrades for Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan and VW/Audi. The shop I'm at works with everything from general repair of these cars, all the way to swapping in performance cams, bigger turbochargers, larger fuel injectors and fuel pumps to complete ECU recalibration for said parts on a chassis dyno. I honestly enjoy wrenching on the vehicles with hard parts, more than I do EFI calibration. So it's always fun for me to see your videos. And if I have any tips I'll be sure to pass them along to you no problem, but your already doing a great job to begin with Eric. If you ever have a vehicle that is modified, or maybe a performance vehicle such as a WRX or equivalent come into your shop and your stumped on something, don't hesitate to drop me a line, us techs gotta stick together, help each other out and learn from one another! I learn a bunch of stuff from you when it comes to trucks and SUV stuff, and I thank you for that. Regards, Chad
Hey Chad I will def keep that in mind! Sounds like a real fun place to work. Lets see I work on really old stuff that is usually really rusty and smells bad on the inside haha. Not as appealing is it? Be cool to see your shop someday. We don't have anything like that around here. Pretty small town. Most shops around here are still sad because the carburetor and points days are gone. Don't even talk to them about GDI or forced injection haha.
Well the ironic thing about your small town your in is this, I was born about a half an hour away from your shop in Corning NY. So I'm pretty sure if I gave my mother a call and asked her about what it was like in small town NY, I'd hear some stories haha. And as far as rust belt work, I feel ya there too, lived in Pittsburgh most of my life specially during my dealership days, before heading south.
With the head gaskets leaking on the 2.5i around 100,000kms , would consider that a design flaw? I have 2 imprezas that both needed full engine rebuilds around 120K to fix leaking head gasket.
Eric you’re a freaking master... love the long videos. I’m learning a lot from you so I appreciate you. Anyway just out of curiosity, how many billable hours are on a job like this one. Keep on the good job, you are my favorite mechanic 👍🏼
Awesome , I'm doing my 03outback head gaskets I have it apart now with motor still in the car I'm now waiting to save up money for resurfacing and all gaskets and hoping I remember how to put it back together
Wish you lived in Virginia. I do most of my own automotive work, but sometimes you just don't have the time, or even it's a job that you really don't want to do.. It's hard to find some1 you trust to work on your vehicles. BTW, watch 1-5, Great job. I know how time consuming it is to work a job and explain everything as you go along. Thanks man, Keep Up the Great Work!
Thank you for the most excellent video series and very timely. My son's 2006 Legacy with the 25i engine is leaking oil from the pass side head. I was initially a little nervous about doing the repair but you've detailed out every detail and covered potential pitfalls. Because it's a 2006 I do plan to pull both heads and take em to a trusted NAPA machine shop. Also, another opportunity to acquire new tools!
South Main Auto Repair Thanks for the follow up. I have been researching out the variable valve timing. Do you really need a Subaru ST to remove the intake valve assembly? I haven't removed the head so I am not certain why a special tool is required. Any further guidance you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Tom
Nope no special tool required. Just release the spring tension on the "spring stopper" and then pull the intake rockers off. I have a screwdriver with a slot cut in the tip of it to help do that. You will see once you get the head off.
South Main Auto Repair Thanks for the quick reply and explanation. If you don't mind I'd like to ask a completely unrelated issue. Right now I have the car in the garage changing out the lower control arms. I purchased a set of Mevotech arms from RockAuto and I can not get the ball joint to slide into the bottom of the strut tower. I measured the diameter of the old and new ball joints. The new ball joint is about 0.012" larger. Have you heard of this issue before? Thanks, Tom
Tom Shirk I just answered my own question. I checked several other online parts sites and the ones I purchased were listed and not fitting a 2006 Legacy.
I find that I enjoy these big job multi video setups, really gets into the nitty gritty and helps you to really understand what you are doing. Looking forward to the next one! Keep it up, love the channel!!
I am grateful you did this video for the fact I picked up an 02 forester and I’m going to do a rebuild and I have now watched this video and some others about a million times I’m hoping it goes good thank you
Glad you did not edit the mistake. It shows that even a season pro makes mistakes but can fix the problem before the car leaves the shop. Then it would be a BIG mistake. 🤑
When you have a "high attention to detail," it takes time to do the job correctly! GREAT VIDEO SERIES! Only people viewing this will recognize that. With customers, it's "HOW MUCH?"
Fantastic detailed video and account of a fairly big job.I watched all 5 and i look forward to watching more of your videos.Keep up the good work mate.
I watched the whole series. Very informative and helpful. One thing you could add would be the fastener sizes as you're going. 10mm, 14mm etc. I think the customer is crazy to do a whole top end job and not replace the timing belt tensioner and idler pulley.
Thank you very much for the effort to tape this Eric. I don't even have a Subaru and it was very enjoyable to watch! Happy Holidays to you and your family!!
Its great to see one expert acknowledging the skill of another. also, that neither is a smart alec. I salute both of you and look forward to more brilliant videos.
You have my interest and that was a good job well done!! you do your work like I do and yes I have seen so really bad videos done on repairs. Yes, at 63 years old I still do my own work when I can and help some my friends out as well.
Appreciate that Matthew R . You know for some reason a lot of people have been saying that. Is there really that many "bad" mechanics out there? Any how, thanks for the sub :)
South Main Auto Repair I think there are probably plenty of good mechanics, probably even the majority but we rarely see the inside scoop. You see a big bill but don't maybe realize the amount of work or the number of details involved in something like this. ( Not to mention the fortune in amortized tools, overhead expenses, expendables like the three cans of brake clean you probably burned through...) And I'm sure many clients aren't tech literate, so mechanics probably try not to overwhelm with details. So you usually get a polite version of "It was broken, and I fixed "everything" that needed fixing." But for those of us backyard wrenchers we'd love to know that "our guy" took the time to do all these steps. I just had a used motor swapped in in my 2002 Forester and had them do the head gaskets and clutch while there were at it but I have no idea if he checked the valve gaps while he was at it or how thoroughly he cleaned those water jackets. I wouldn't have even thought to ask those questions until I saw this series. Plus, yes, for us backyard wrenchers, you gave some great tips. Like those wire hose clamps.... I'm never wrestling with one of those again! I never reused them but I never thought to just cut them off. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of your videos! Thanks!
Hey ***** I appreciate your input :) and response. When I deal with my customers who aren't to "techy" I like to show them things on there car. Most of them get it when you can show them and I think that helps a lot in the understanding of the repair. Of course some of them just know it's broke, want it fixed and don't care lol but that usually comes after a long relationship and trust is established. Thanks for watching and enjoy the series and YES CUT OFF those pesky clamps :)
Just watched all 5. Great job on going in depth. I have an 01 Forrester in excellent condition for the year. I believe it's going to need the head gaskets replaced soon. It has 115,000 miles. pretty low for the age of the vehicle. This job looks large, and I'm still not sure if I want to pay someone to do it, or do it myself. with this video it looks very doable though. You do a very nice job explaining everything.
The attention to detail is of a high standard.Definitely one of the best mechanics I,ve seen in action.Would not be out of place in a teaching establishment.
Nahh I forgot the coolant lines ion the end you kidding me!?
I also watched all 5. I know it's a lot of work filming these overhauls but you do them right. Nice job.
+Robert Davis Thanks!
5 parts on your Toyota, 2.5. Head gasket job. Thank you for what you do. I'm sure you help many. It sure was helpful for me.
Monday I take the heads to the machine shop and then start the process of putting everything back together. So thanks again. I feel more.
Confident now.
best auto repair channel on youtube hands down.
Watch was work is also pretty good
6 years later still the best.
Wow this series was a joy to watch, lots of tips I never knew, never too old to learn. I do like a long video but hey whatever is easier for you. Thanks for showing this repair. Take Care Steve 👍👍
Hey thanks Steve Rob. Yeah it was fun but just a lot of editing. Took as long as the job lol.
South Main Auto Repair Just out of curiosity, if you weren't pausing for video and other clients, phones etc... how long would this take you. You mention you've done dozens of these and it looks like you have a pretty slick system in place and know all your shortcuts.
Start to finish depending on how dirty they are I would estimate about 10 to 11 hours. A lot of things can dictate that time though...
Thank you so much for taking the time to put this series together! I followed along while I disassembled my 2002 Forester. Although I passed over the rebuilding of the heads because I had purchased heads to put on, everything went smoothly. What viewers need to understand is that you spent the time taping this series but we overlook the time you spent EDITING this series. Anyway, thank you so much. It was a great series and very well done.
I was an auto and industrial machine mechanic many years ago. Now I rely on you tube vids to keep me up to date with as much auto technology as I can absorb. I learned a lot watching these 5 parts. Very enjoyable viewing. Eric is a heck of a good teacher.
dan andy Glad you enjoyed them :)
Great Job!! This is now my favorite UA-cam channel. Please keep them coming.
What a labor of love you've done here! This is a great series. I'm jealous of your torque wrench! And that line on the belt was WAY off. Never seen one that far off. I try to get Gates for these when I can. I'm doing an 07 EJ253 right now with the dropped guides and a bent valve. It's got that special variable intake valve- animal/thumb trap. It's like gun smithing getting that thing on there. Great work- I'm going to have to refer folks to this series. I think I'll do some pieces on this 07 and send people here for the detail. Good luck on the employee issues.
briansmobile1 Hey Brian good to here from you. Make sure on the '06 up Soobies you have the guides staked in when you get them replaced and I suggest replacing all of them. They have some serious oil consumption issues and tend to migrate out if you don't. Let me guess 1 and 3 exhaust valves? I'd be willing to ship up the torque wrench for you to barrow if you'd like :) Any how there is a little trick to those heads when you are reassembling the cams but it can be done pretty easy with out the "special tool" . At any rate give me a shout any time if you wanna bounce stuff back and forth. Later,
--Eric O.
@@SouthMainAuto p.
Dont know if anyone gives a shit but if you're bored like me during the covid times then you can watch pretty much all of the new series on instaflixxer. Have been binge watching with my brother recently =)
@Finnley London Yea, I have been watching on instaflixxer for since december myself :)
Brian’smobile was the first automotive channel I started watching on UA-cam!
Excellent video series! I love Subaru's, and I've yet to see a head gasket video this comprehensive. Nice work!
ryansauto93 Thanks :)
So I just finished watching all 5. I was going to pull my engine to replace head gaskets but I am now inspired to use your method. Thanks for the encouragement. For us novice mechanics, the detail you provide is great. Thank you!!!
Really good series, Eric. I did a Subaru head job about 8 years ago and I was right there with you every step. Neighbor's car had a million issues, but just wanted the heads done - so frustrating to put crappy worn stuff back on, but it's their dime. Very noble of you to include a few errors on camera - we ALL do the same.
Thanks!
Lol thanks Corky C We're only human right?
Bit of a difference between a neighbour doing a job and a professional shop.
Eric would have liability issues to worry about, and even if he won any hypothetical case against him, it he still would have lost time out from his business and associated costs.
Frankly I would have to know the neighbour pretty well to help them in that situation. When something goes wrong they are likely to blame you, even if you warned them and it was unrelated to the fix.
@@Cheepchipsable No good deed goes unpunished
I love these long 4 or 5 part videos, they give us viewers the details that we may need. I also like to see what's involved in different makes and models of cars out there, especially the newer vehicles, which from year to year come out with more crazy so called improvements. I love your diagnosis vids as well, especially the testing, and not just part throwing. I was a licensed mechanic until about 01, and got MS, and kinda let everything go, but now I really enjoy vids like this, and can still do small jobs at 46. Thanks for all the time you put into these vids, and actually teaching things that help others, God bless.
Watched all 5. Excellent job. Wish I had your tools. I just acquired an 2.5L Outback and it needs head gaskets. I have coolant in the oil, I cant wait to dig in and see what I find. I don't work on engines very much, Your video gave me a bunch more confidence. I appreciate you taking the time to create these video's. Thanks
Excellent job! This is the best SUBARU video I've seen.
***** Thank you :)
Guys like you are selfless rarities, to impart generous experience at the sacrifice of a lot of personal trouble to help others - A BIG THUMBS UP, keep up the good, no great work and videos.
Great series! You do the job right and I would wager you don't get comebacks. This was a big job and it took multiple videos to show it. I would rather see the whole job than see a 3 minute clip of a 30 minute job. I know that it takes longer to do the job if you are recording it and it takes time and effort to edit and upload. I appreciate your efforts and look forward to more. I'm sure others share my sentiments.
Thanks eldoradony. Sure does take some time. However I am no where near perfect or flawless so comebacks do happen once in a while. I do the best I can for the abilities I am given and try to provide my customers with the best work I can do :)
This was a great series, between you and diagnose Dan, i surely learn alot of new techniques. Thank you for sharing and being so passionate. Best Regards
Great Video, thank you. I totally endorse the long, thorough video.
bro this 5 part series is a hidden gem on your channel. I just wanted to say your my inspiration.
Here's my opinion.......Nice job doing the videos. Multi-part is cool, it was a big job. I like that you leave in the oops parts, such as having to unbolt and then reattach the ground and the coolant leak. That's the real world for most of us so it shows you're honest in wanting to do a good and thorough job. Keep up the good work and once again thanks.
THANK YOU . You just saved me 2000 bucks . Very thorough . Respect Brother .
All 5 🖒, know i'm behind , really helps me while going through a really rough time myself .... , THANK YOU .
Instead of saying you screwed up at the end by leaving those throttle body coolant hose off, you could have said, "here's a neat trick to bleed the air out of the system, by leaving the hose off until you see coolant coming out"....lol. Great series, makes me want to go out and buy a boxer engine car. Looks like changing timing belt and water pump is a snap on these engine.
WOW, I'm very impressed, you remembered where everything went. GOOD JOB
+Gary Johnson lol it is what I do...
Nice videos man. I watched all series. You got tons of fancy tools there dont you ?. The pulley tension gauge was weird !!!. Really outstanding vids.
Just watched all five episodes. I'm mentally preparing to do the HG in an 05 Forester and this was absolutely amazing to watch. It helped to also see some specialized tools for certain tasks. Loved the series and loved the Scotty Kilmer quote, loved the reference to Eric The Car Guy and then noticed Briansmobile1 commented! That covers the four online mechanic personalities I trust!!
Thanks for the vids man, just so damn cool to see the work being done using the right tools and most importantly the right attitude. Keep em coming!!
How did it go? I have a 2004 Forester X. The timing belt snapped while getting on the freeway. Valves are definitely bent, but the pistons seem to be okay. I'm thinking about buying some rebuilt heads instead of rebuilding them myself.
man, the way you explain everything i dont care if its 10 vids long...you are a motor sergeon all the way..so from now on you are DOC. O...in my books...lol
Hey thanks man for filming these videos. I had inherited a 1998 Subaru forest and of course it had the head gasket problem and I had look up how much it would cost to get it fix and when I saw the price I was like I can’t afford that so I decided to make it a project car. Before this I have never had hand on experience work with engine mechanics other then like changing oil so I real had no idea what I was doing but then I found your videos and they really helped. I tried just leaving the engine in the car but it wasn’t working so I just decided to take it out. I’m not all the way done, right now I’m getting the heads machined. Thanks for everything, note I’m only 15 and first time working on an engine and I have school so I’ve been at it for almost a month now. I will definitely keep watching your videos when I put it back together. Thanks.
You get your Forester car back on the road?
Good series. Two words: lip sync. It may be my player or your encoder, but the torquing process was a little hard to watch cause the beeps didn't match the video. You seem to have the tools necessary to do all the special operations, what luxury or maybe necessity. I always wanted to repurpose an old dishwasher with a tank of solvent like heated Simple Green White to "hot tank" parts like valve covers ect..
BChrisL That would be interesting, if you do you should make a video. I checked this on a couple platforms and the sync was right on?
how much would this job cost? would like to do it myself but wonder how much a shop would do it for? head gasket timing belt water pump $?
Subaru charged me almost 2000 to do just the head gaskets at 66000 miles. No head work and no pump thermostat hoses or timing gear. If I were to guess from a dealer this exact job 3000
Edit- oh a local shop for just the gaskets without head work or anything else 800 to 1000
Just watched all five and took notes, (actually I take photos too at some key points with my I-phone helps jog my memory when working on my car). Had to take a minute to comment on a great set of videos Eric, I recently got a 2006 Impreza with a leaking head for cheap - your high level of detail gave me the confidence to take on the work on a flat engine and I dont' think I would have bought the car without these vids to help me with my rebuild since I don't have experience with flat "boxer" engines.Thanks again and keep up all the good work and postings you do, it takes a lot of time to film, edit, post, and reply to comments, I am sure I am not the only one (40,000 views!) who appreciates it.Robert.
Nice work on this series. Very detailed and just like everyone else mistakes can be made and corrected. Thanks a lot for posting these videos!
+Gene Goon YW!
most youtubbers tend after a bit of time has passed tend to start altering their style to an ad based format. wherein the while video is a thinly veiled ad. you dont seem to be doing that, even etcg has gone that way. i learned my craft from a guy similar to you, i thank you for the videos and appreciate your "in the trenches" approach, and the fact you go out of your way to consistently improve yourself and get confirmation of diagnosis. cheers
5 years later and Eric O. still has not turned his massive channel into a sponsorship Mecca. 😎👍 Your comment is just as true now as it was half a decade ago. "NAPA, not a sponsor."
Just wanted to thank you for spending the time and energy making such a great series! I was able to replace the head gaskets on my 06 Baja last weekend and your videos were a huge help!
Awesome series Eric. Have you ever ran into these or other cars burning oil after freshening up the top end and not the bottom?
Hey Jake Andrus. I have, only once though on an '06 Forester EJ253 with variable cam with only 77k on it. I did a head job because it dropped an exhaust guide and was skipping and had no compression. Put it all back together and the opposite head that dropped the guide started eating oil... a LOT of oil. 2qts every 1k miles. For whatever reason it was pulling it past the intake guides. Long story short I diagnosed it, pulled it apart (again) replaced all guides in that head and the car has been perfect sense. Dunno why it did it immediately following a head job, maybe just a coincidence? Other than that no I have never had a problem and I have done lots of head jobs.
Cool, a guy at our shop did a head gasket on a 02 Honda civic and now its going through oil like crazy. The guy is blaming us of course. The damn car has 180k miles!
Interesting. Did you guys find out where the oil is coming from? Machine shop goof on the guides or seals by any chance?
I'm hooked! Watched all 5 and enjoyed each one. Thank you for doing these videos.
I just watched the whole thing and I'm impressed. Came from the Soob shop today for the Takata airbag fix and they told me it needed the head gaskets. Tried to sell me on a short block for a mere 5 grand. No thanks, just needs the head gaskets I said, and after watching this, I believe I could do it myself with a few new tools. Always like an excuse, er, reason to buy a new tool or three. I appreciate all the hard work you put in, the fact that you just get to work and don't have a bunch of horsing around, profanity or loud music playing. Well done.
Awesome series of vids. This was the best breakdown of the process I've seen on UA-cam. Love the fact you didn't edit any of the steps down. Doing a timing belt kit and driver side head on my 03 Forester this weekend. This answered a lot of questions!
Jeremy Couturier Good glad it helped!
I like your videos to be long plus the fact that when u make a mistake you fess up to it and I get a kick out of it, it always makes me laugh because it shows your just as human as we all are. Your a very special breed of a mech-a-neck because your honest and you seem to be very fair to your customers and I like that. I am a yankee from Connecticut but I retired to Florida. I also will be sending you some license plates from Ct and Florida soon cause I know you collect em for your shop. Lov your show and wish you well. never stop what makes you happy..
dam good job you are a good mechanic and pride in your work I know a good one after 30 years working them over and still do thank you.
Thanks!
Hour 6 of my SMA video marathon. I don't even own a Subaru, but this video is still interesting.
Eric I watched all 5 of these videos and found them to be excellent especially considering that you was called away like 50 times during the process. I have watched your other videos to and I find you a very honest person I would definitely have you as my mechanic to the jobs that I can't do. Thank you for sharing this head gasket replacement I know there is a lot of work going into editing these videos! You get a thumbs up from me! Regards Steve.
+Steven Watson Thanks Steve!
I enjoy all of your videos
R.G.Young, Jr
42 years mechanic retired
Thanks Robert Young . Means a lot coming from a veteran mechanic :)
This video series is how video series should be done. It's excellent. Not much to improve upon other than posting torque spec title overlays as you go. If you have the spec sheet as you edit it's not much more work, video is more professional, and gives the viewer something more to look at. Camera work is superb.
Think about adding a gorillapod if you don't have one already. I have a tripod and a gorilla pod. Think I'll shoot a short video that shows how I use my gorillapod. Will open up new possible shots for you. For example when taking out a wheel bearing snap ring you could have the camera inside the wheel well (not in your way) so we can see you use the impact hammer on the ring. I'm sure you'll find it very useful to increase your production value.
Sounds interesting. Let me know if you do do a video showing that off...
I just use a cheap Sony HandyCam so I am not sure how much abuse they will take. When it breaks I'd like to get one with a remote mic.
The weight and size can present issues. Thanks for bringing that up. I wouldn't have thought about that because I'm so used to using a cellphone style video recorder (Kodak Playsport ZX5).
Good technique and explanation of sealants, lubes and tools. Helpful for any cyl head work.
Great video series....kilmer would of had all this info crammed into a 5 minute video LOL...even the other "eric" thats big on youtube wouldnt of had this good of a video series
Great job on all your videos. I just replaced a motor in a 2000 Hyundai tiburon and followed your tips and tricks form various videos. Took me a 15 hours but in the end she roared to life. I had to be a little creative. I mounted an atv winch from walmart to the main supports on my deck and dropped her in place. Hey thanks again for the quality content.
Darren Wood That is really cool man . Thanks for sharing your story. :)
Comgradulations on being a seccessful auto mechanic teacher.
Great job !!! Thanks for your insight. And cool torque wrench!!
Great job on sub you are the man wish we had some around here you don't find mechanic's like you very often.
I don't know about this channel....no yelling.. no dark glasses.. Huh? Wait.. what am I saying.....
Hey man I can jump out of a garbage can and show you how to change an engine using a spork , straw and a napkin if you like... oh in under a minute and a half too...
I can't stop laughing...stop!
Liked the series Eric. Good job. The specialty tools are interesting. Never seen a belt tension gauge like that or the pully holder kit.
Thanks Phatty!
Came here from briansmobile1 enjoyed this series thanks subscribed to you, now going to watch your other vids
Scott Jacobson Great thanks for the sub man! Was pretty cool of Brian to give me props like that :)
Great video Bro.. I was going to pull the motor but after watching this I will try your method first.. Very informative, comfortable narrative void of any expletives ... enjoyed meeting your daughter momentarily.. thank your very much for submitting this video...
Tony York Cool , good luck on yours let me know if I can help :)
I gotta say Eric, this is great stuff! Real reality TV. I'm not a professional tech; I work on my own cars and friends and family's cars (worse than doing it professionally...no good dead goes unpunished). Love the tips and tricks like the hose pick. I've f'ed with stuck on hoses and damaged them with pliers. Keep on makin vids and I will watch them. Thanks.
Hey thanks *****. Oh man how did you get suckered into family and friends mechanic? I know from experience that is not a high paying job haha. Glad you can take away a lil from each video.
Excellent!!! As good as it gets. I do think pulling the engine would have been easier than the way that you did it. Other than that it was great. Keep up the good work. Cute kid!!
Thanks SATAMAN Schmidt . I have done them both ways. Either way works good, just personal preference.
Loved this series! Long videos are fine with me. Learned a lot! I always wondered how to clean out the overflow and expansion tanks, the chain rocks! Those torque wrenches are so hot.
Stanley Hill Yep you can use small rocks, nuts and bolts, any thing really....
Great Job!! I watched all 5. I'm not even doing a head gasket job right now. I've owned a total of 4 Subarus. We still have 3. I've done head gaskets on the 99 4cyl and the 01 6cyl 3.0. I know it takes time to do these videos but they are appreciated for sure. Thank you.
Excellent series, nothing but good things to say. Long series is perfect, cause I get to see the whole job thru. It is awesome that you go above and beyond . Looking forward to more great videos.. Thank you Eric...
***** Cool glad you liked them and they were helpful
South Main Auto Repair how common is the head gasket failures on the ez30 6 cylinder motors ? what are the signs the gasket is failing. atm i think i smell coolant. but i see that my oil cooler is leaking oil. i just picked up the oil cooler gasket.
wax333 apart from that car runs perfectly fine no hesitations or anything. just worried about the white steam atm it is winter here in nz atm
I can't say I have seen one of those fail yet
I have watched all 5 back to back. Very thorough. You can also see a massive difference in your self confidence and ability to interact with the camera. A brilliant channel I bet Mrs O is proud of everything you have done over the years and everything you have become.
Thanks for taking time to make this video.
enjoyed watching all five parts. like the way you filmed it. don't own subaru or plan on working on one but still nice to see the CORRECT way it is done.
That was awesome! I hope I can finish strong. Great work!
Made it through all 5 videos, no problem. I am totally impressed with the quality of your work. I wouldn't hesitate tossing you my keys and let you do what is needed on my car. I am what you call a suspicious customer. Until I developed some health issues I did all my own work with few exceptions. Take care of that arthritis. I tried to tough my way through for 25 years. Shouldn't have. I think your editing is great. You use a decent camera instead of a cell phone. I use Corel Video Studio Pro for my stuff, but am more into photography.
Really enjoyed watching this series, and learned a few things along the way.
Rakatawhat Well good that was the intention :)
Watched all 5 in two shots :-) Thanks for sharing tips and tricks. Cheers!
Awesome job on your videos bud, I work with Subaru's, Mitsubishi's, Nissan's, Toyota's and some VW, Audi and BMW for a living. Mainly in the performance field of things. But I also do routine and regular scheduled maintenance. I think you do an awesome job with explanations and showing the different types of tools you use for each of your jobs. I really liked those MAC cam gear pliers you have, gonna have to get myself a set of those. All in all great job, especially for someone who isn't factory trained and or certified. You did things very closely to the way I would have. Keep up the great work.
Chad
Hey Chad thanks for that. Yeah you can never have to many tools ya know ha. If there is any advise or tips you can throw out there feel free to lay them down. I am always in the mood for learning. You don't work on Honda's too? I love my Honda's, Toyota's and Subaru's. They are my 3 fav to work on and it is what I get in my shop a lot because we live in a pretty small town and a lot of local shops don't like "them there jap cars" haha
Mainly I work with the cars with factory forced induction, work on a ton of Subaru WRX and WRX STi, Forester XT's Mitsubishi Evolution's and Ralliart's. I'll get the occasional Domestic in, like a Cobalt SS or Dodge Neon SRT 4. But my main specialty is performance upgrades for Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan and VW/Audi. The shop I'm at works with everything from general repair of these cars, all the way to swapping in performance cams, bigger turbochargers, larger fuel injectors and fuel pumps to complete ECU recalibration for said parts on a chassis dyno. I honestly enjoy wrenching on the vehicles with hard parts, more than I do EFI calibration. So it's always fun for me to see your videos. And if I have any tips I'll be sure to pass them along to you no problem, but your already doing a great job to begin with Eric. If you ever have a vehicle that is modified, or maybe a performance vehicle such as a WRX or equivalent come into your shop and your stumped on something, don't hesitate to drop me a line, us techs gotta stick together, help each other out and learn from one another! I learn a bunch of stuff from you when it comes to trucks and SUV stuff, and I thank you for that.
Regards, Chad
Hey Chad I will def keep that in mind! Sounds like a real fun place to work. Lets see I work on really old stuff that is usually really rusty and smells bad on the inside haha. Not as appealing is it? Be cool to see your shop someday. We don't have anything like that around here. Pretty small town. Most shops around here are still sad because the carburetor and points days are gone. Don't even talk to them about GDI or forced injection haha.
Well the ironic thing about your small town your in is this, I was born about a half an hour away from your shop in Corning NY. So I'm pretty sure if I gave my mother a call and asked her about what it was like in small town NY, I'd hear some stories haha. And as far as rust belt work, I feel ya there too, lived in Pittsburgh most of my life specially during my dealership days, before heading south.
That's funny haha in 1979 I was born in Corning Hospital too! Small world huh!? PA huh, oh yeah so you know rust too. Really glad to meet you Chad.
With the head gaskets leaking on the 2.5i around 100,000kms , would consider that a design flaw? I have 2 imprezas that both needed full engine rebuilds around 120K to fix leaking head gasket.
Seriously. That is a ton of work recording and editing. So kind of you to give such detail. Thanks.
I like what your doing. No complaints from this shadetree.
Thanks nswst8 :)
Watched all 5 parts. Nice series.
+The On Grid Homestead Thank you
Eric you’re a freaking master... love the long videos. I’m learning a lot from you so I appreciate you. Anyway just out of curiosity, how many billable hours are on a job like this one. Keep on the good job, you are my favorite mechanic 👍🏼
Excellent series, thank you for making it.
YW Thanks for watching :)
Awesome , I'm doing my 03outback head gaskets I have it apart now with motor still in the car I'm now waiting to save up money for resurfacing and all gaskets and hoping I remember how to put it back together
I'm not sure where I pulled the drivers side ground wire that attached from rear fire wall to motor?
I wish you were here to do mine
This is my first very big job on a car
Wish you lived in Virginia. I do most of my own automotive work, but sometimes you just don't have the time, or even it's a job that you really don't want to do.. It's hard to find some1 you trust to work on your vehicles. BTW, watch 1-5, Great job. I know how time consuming it is to work a job and explain everything as you go along. Thanks man, Keep Up the Great Work!
Eric great job did one 25 years ago today's engines are more crowded , enjoyed your good work just catching up.
Great video, thanks for the effort it took for you to do this. Just out of curiosity how much would this job cost at your shop. vb1walker
Vincent Bullara Most subaru head jobs are 15 to 18 hundred depending on what they need.
great job on the video. my first time on your channel it won't be my last.
Thanks ziggyr1 glad to have you on board :)
Thank you for the most excellent video series and very timely. My son's 2006 Legacy with the 25i engine is leaking oil from the pass side head. I was initially a little nervous about doing the repair but you've detailed out every detail and covered potential pitfalls. Because it's a 2006 I do plan to pull both heads and take em to a trusted NAPA machine shop. Also, another opportunity to acquire new tools!
Tom Shirk The 06 is a tad different with the variable valve timing but pretty close to the same
South Main Auto Repair Thanks for the follow up. I have been researching out the variable valve timing. Do you really need a Subaru ST to remove the intake valve assembly? I haven't removed the head so I am not certain why a special tool is required. Any further guidance you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Tom
Nope no special tool required. Just release the spring tension on the "spring stopper" and then pull the intake rockers off. I have a screwdriver with a slot cut in the tip of it to help do that. You will see once you get the head off.
South Main Auto Repair Thanks for the quick reply and explanation. If you don't mind I'd like to ask a completely unrelated issue. Right now I have the car in the garage changing out the lower control arms. I purchased a set of Mevotech arms from RockAuto and I can not get the ball joint to slide into the bottom of the strut tower. I measured the diameter of the old and new ball joints. The new ball joint is about 0.012" larger. Have you heard of this issue before? Thanks, Tom
Tom Shirk I just answered my own question. I checked several other online parts sites and the ones I purchased were listed and not fitting a 2006 Legacy.
Fantastic video Eric you are one of the best auto technician I have seen yet. Sweet Subaru outback head job!!!!!!!
+Rowland Hall Thank You
I find that I enjoy these big job multi video setups, really gets into the nitty gritty and helps you to really understand what you are doing. Looking forward to the next one! Keep it up, love the channel!!
+Marc Hering Thanks Marc!
I can't believe I haven't seen any comment saying, your daughter is just adorable. Her curly hair reminds me of my daughter. Love the videos Eric.
I am grateful you did this video for the fact I picked up an 02 forester and I’m going to do a rebuild and I have now watched this video and some others about a million times I’m hoping it goes good thank you
Nice job on the subie ! Now that is some quality job you did there sir.
+Justas Markevicius Thanks
Glad you did not edit the mistake. It shows that even a season pro makes mistakes but can fix the problem before the car leaves the shop. Then it would be a BIG mistake. 🤑
These are soooo boring and too long!.....
said no one ever about an SMA video. Lol 🤣😂😉😅😬
When you have a "high attention to detail," it takes time to do the job correctly! GREAT VIDEO SERIES!
Only people viewing this will recognize that. With customers, it's "HOW MUCH?"
Great vid Eric, but just wondering: did you use new OEM head bolts or re-use??
Watched the whole series . Thanks so much. Trinity is a little princess!
just watched all 5 like all your vids and always look forward to the next one thankyou eric
+rustymk4 Thanks Man
Great videos... Long doesn't bother me as most repairs are long and not short, anyway... Thanks!
You're videos are great to watch... Very informative...👍 Keep up the good work!
Eric what cam sprocket holding tool is that? I have the post ones but I like that one you used. Nice series!
You should always always use a factory subaru head gaskets felpro all them all suck you need subaru composite gaskets only
Fantastic detailed video and account of a fairly big job.I watched all 5 and i look forward to watching more of your videos.Keep up the good work mate.
I watched the whole series. Very informative and helpful. One thing you could add would be the fastener sizes as you're going. 10mm, 14mm etc.
I think the customer is crazy to do a whole top end job and not replace the timing belt tensioner and idler pulley.
Oh good to know :) You and me both on the crazy part. Hey I just fix'em and do what I'm told ya know...
Thank you very much for the effort to tape this Eric. I don't even have a Subaru and it was very enjoyable to watch! Happy Holidays to you and your family!!
Its great to see one expert acknowledging the skill of another.
also, that neither is a smart alec. I salute both of you and look
forward to more brilliant videos.
Leo Lammas Thanks Leo, Brian is a pretty cool dude
You have my interest and that was a good job well done!! you do your work like I do and yes I have seen so really bad videos done on repairs. Yes, at 63 years old I still do my own work when I can and help some my friends out as well.
Subscribed. Thanks for the interesting and detailed videos. I work on all of my own cars, but you're the kind of mechanic I would trust with my cars.
Appreciate that Matthew R . You know for some reason a lot of people have been saying that. Is there really that many "bad" mechanics out there? Any how, thanks for the sub :)
South Main Auto Repair I think there are probably plenty of good mechanics, probably even the majority but we rarely see the inside scoop. You see a big bill but don't maybe realize the amount of work or the number of details involved in something like this. ( Not to mention the fortune in amortized tools, overhead expenses, expendables like the three cans of brake clean you probably burned through...)
And I'm sure many clients aren't tech literate, so mechanics probably try not to overwhelm with details. So you usually get a polite version of "It was broken, and I fixed "everything" that needed fixing."
But for those of us backyard wrenchers we'd love to know that "our guy" took the time to do all these steps. I just had a used motor swapped in in my 2002 Forester and had them do the head gaskets and clutch while there were at it but I have no idea if he checked the valve gaps while he was at it or how thoroughly he cleaned those water jackets. I wouldn't have even thought to ask those questions until I saw this series.
Plus, yes, for us backyard wrenchers, you gave some great tips. Like those wire hose clamps.... I'm never wrestling with one of those again! I never reused them but I never thought to just cut them off.
I'm looking forward to watching the rest of your videos! Thanks!
Hey ***** I appreciate your input :) and response. When I deal with my customers who aren't to "techy" I like to show them things on there car. Most of them get it when you can show them and I think that helps a lot in the understanding of the repair. Of course some of them just know it's broke, want it fixed and don't care lol but that usually comes after a long relationship and trust is established. Thanks for watching and enjoy the series and YES CUT OFF those pesky clamps :)
Nice work, nicely done, you do quality work for sure !
Just watched all 5. Great job on going in depth. I have an 01 Forrester in excellent condition for the year. I believe it's going to need the head gaskets replaced soon. It has 115,000 miles. pretty low for the age of the vehicle. This job looks large, and I'm still not sure if I want to pay someone to do it, or do it myself. with this video it looks very doable though.
You do a very nice job explaining everything.
I get about $1500 to do one here in the shop just so you know about what the cost may be