Mr B

whole washer jet or just the plastic top that covers it ? If just the top ICP do original ones about £17 last time I had some (just covers missing is very common on N/S) If whole washer jet then breakers/ebay possibly best cost option . could be worth getting price off ICP or Subaru parts on jet parts needed just so know for sure what works out best ...

Without dealing with Tidgy's friends incident hands on I would have no idea to who at fault or if work was ill advised or other issues involved . I here so many tales and stories I don't bother listening unless have personal involvement as it meaningless info generally without seeing vehicle and those involved hands on . Lot of opinions and lot of poor information pressing that bottom ends must be done and more so as this OP enquiring on a ej20, people best doing real research and preferably hands on research. All owners and professionals in the trade are welcome to their opinion and who you choose do your work and how you do it is entirely your choice or your chosen professional and most professionals will stand by their work . I've done loads of tops ends and not had one bottom end back and don't expect to in any abnormal comeback volume, sure it possible but so is oil pump failure, pickup failure, piston failure etc etc . The 2.5s are quite weak lumps but you can't give every one a bill for a full built motor lol that just unprofessional and certainly unethical for mr joe average in his 80K XT with impeccable SH/Maintenance and most minor of HG issues . As I say many times you got deal with jobs on individual engine and customer circumstances, i've stripped 2.5's and found bottom ends fine, cams and standard pistons being more common area needing attention and parts. Bottom end on 2.5 bigger issue on tuned cars and ones that used aggressively . p155 poor mapping and p155 poor owner being biggest issue .

Don't look at it purely from "tuners" approach, If a road use 2.5 with 60 to 80K turns up running A1 and passing all inspections with full FSH and with only minimal HG symptoms as diagnosis you going give it a full short block build and the customer the bill ! that just complete nonsense and up scaling the job when not needed . Lot of tuners approach is total nonsense as is some of the tuning parts they push, on highly tuned cars and ones built as track toys can need approach to be different but to say must be done and it a "RISK" is total nonsense without evaluating each engine and customer on individual basis .

No it not a gamble, I been in the game 30 years and although I do realize my humble limits I know the reality of head gasket issues through years of doing them and experience of others with more background knowledge than myself, I know many respected tuners mechanics and engine builders who also do only top end in evaluated cases no drama and no more comeback issues over any other work done . I know a couple US respected subaru specialist who also deal HG only and in large numbers due to amount of 2.5s they have in the US market . The concept that average minor hard detect HG leak without oil contamination will damage bottom end on average otherwise decent engine is simply ridiculous and misinformation . Also this thread is dealing with a ej20 which has far less HG concerns and bottom end drama over the ej25's .

You evaluate the engine and do appropriate work for mechanical state on job by job basis . you can't conclude it a risk from one mates experience and few forum threads lol . The pub talk of bottom ends must be done is complete nonsense, if said it wise thoroughly evaluate short block before commencing with repair route then that different story but very small coolant consumption HG issues is not a "risk" and DO NOT damage bottom end easily. I seen rich mapping kill more short blocks than coolant issues lol .

Always a story, I seen new built engines at over 12 grand bill spin a bearing before had chance spin a cog in the transmission I seen engines with bottom end knock that should not be running The full story is YOU CAN replace just head gaskets without needing a bottom end rebuild. Obviously this based on engine checks and visual inspection and usage type all taken into consideration before decisions made but small head gasket leaks especially if burning the coolant will not damage bottom end easily. I don't make a living gambling lol, if it wasn't practical I and many other mechanics and engine builders the world over wouldn't be doing it and would be out of business or loosing money weekly lol . thousands get done top end only and bottom failure afterwards is extreme low percentage and many that did may not be related to HG issue . most bottom end issues I see is oil starvation poor oil, on tuned cars bad mapping running rich and thinning oil or built with poor bearing clearances to start with Got a Forester in at moment, that got bad rod knock and reason for that was rust hole in sump lol (that pretty common), we waiting on a used engine for that one as not economical to customer to rebuild . Used engines well yes that IS bit of a gamble lol, knowing your breakers and them knowing you helps massively though ...

It not a gamble, trouble is you guys don't deal with this day in day out so only know half the story . The claim every bottom end is going be junk because head gasket gone is nonsense and again half the story. Small amount of water being drawn in and combusted will do no real harm, combustion cycle is not greatest stress on bearing shells, the change of direction from top dead centre and bottom dead centre is greatest load they see and far greater than power stroke. Sure extreme water ingress to cylinder could cause damage but that level of water ingress easy spot . Bottom end is indeed week as shells narrow due to boxer design, biggest killer of these is water in oil, p155 poor fuel mapping, oil pump issue or poor oil or low oil . I give customer choice and my opinion from 25yrs of doing it, I wouldn't risk doing a top end if I thought high chance bottom end an issue, any slight clue to bottom end being a risk or engine a lemon/very high mile to start with and we approach it different, same as a track car with a built motor likely get treated different to a standard normal road use na or boosted motor . Reality is it absurd and far from professional to turn a head gasket into a full short block build when no need for it and making customer pay for it because better for you or your shop policy ... UK is a tiny market for subaru, go to canada, usa or Oz and see how the 2.5 turbo head gaskets get dealt with. As for my warranty, we stand by all work we do within reason, you get some real stupid customers so always odd scenario when pleasing everyone impossible and we would have fight a warranty claim as they taking the p155 . Overall if engine came back with further failure and it down to our work or judgement we likely eat the full cost as only really a time burden over parts cost, sometimes customer may pay for few parts perhaps pending in exact problem and time span into/over warranty . I done enough of these to know what good and bad so absolute no luck involved, sure you can't do everything with 100% perfect result but even full rebuilds can and do go wrong.

If you catch them early and only loosing small amount of water no need do a complete rebuild . NOTE: this based on inspection and decision when looking at engine, many in no way need a full bottom end and I done many 2.5 heads only in last decade and only had one back and that not due bottom end issue . Pull your plugs as they likely tell you what going on. gas analyser on rad cap can be good but some of these leak so little at low temps or lower cylinder pressures/rpm they hard detect . Good thing is those hard detect are normally easy repaired top end only, assuming bottom end not shafted and knocking already from other issues such as poor oil/oil level, over fuelling etc .

gaskets easy enough from icp or ebay normally easy enough find a used turbo, sometimes on here if members selling one due to tuning upgrade. plenty breakers or tuners who will have one, ebay will find something too .

https://importcarparts.co.uk/contact

Banjo mesh filter blocked/restricted what normally kill the turbo . physically check turbo and if need replacement easy enough find one used for under £100 . Do check oil lines as failure to do so could result in killing the replacement . Turbo cars need frequent oil/filter changes and decent quality too ...

either blanking plates and remap or simply replace the valves if prove to be junk (don't use a main dealer) . editing ecu rom only really worth it if intending gain more than just few code removals .

If one injector stuck open/leaking the plug for that cylinder will be swamping wet . I can do a relative balance test between injectors to see they all flow closely thus detect faults but does require specialist tools .You could also use stethoscope to try and detect the injectors clicking all the same and logically correct when cranked .

Glad here job jobbed. Hope you enjoying your fozzy again & repair worked out well with parts/cost ...

It should start car if use pin code turn alarm off or other fob from distance (don't want that transponder near steering switch) . Not that common for transponder chip (scan key) play up but would be wise check it starts car fine before proceeding . button fault on the fob board is quite common though, I get at least 2 fob issues a month from the sigma alarms. pretty simple swap parts and program in new fob. alarm guide below that maybe helpful . https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7Ub2apq5-pfcjJhSm5XUHNyUzQ

Yes transponder is packed into housing that holds the blade. Swapping board and programming new remote is easy and workable option. Option 2 is sending your key off for button be replaced on the board, is a few services for this via post at about £20 + or - couple quid ...

its the link for the headlight levelling sensor ...

If it was smoking as much as you say from my experience you would see evidence of a leak easily either in plug and piston crown colour, coolant loss, gas analyser sniff test or combination of these. easy enough do a relative compression check and takes 5 minutes, good comp test with transducer pressure sensor can tell you a lot but not quickest to do on a subaru. Wouldn't worry about rest of engine if passes few basic tests but as always it can be bit of gamble. Shame trader made a mess of diagnosis :-/ really not that hard to of drawn some better conclusion than he did ! . Don't buy a Citroen lol, that just total stupidity .

you normally would split BJ at arm so prety normal for it come without. You will HAve BJ's on car which may be good enough reuse (inverted design like subaru use see's BJ's can last well over 130K . If need replacing then Moog and 555Japan about the best from my experience and not expensive over the monkey metal crap in pattern part market these days .

Put an offer in on these for £70 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUBARU-IMPREZA-WRX-STI-NEWAGE-PAIR-OF-ALLOY-FRONT-WISHBONES-/292239538021?hash=item440ad57765:g:dCkAAOSwpkFY8h66 Get a proper alignment from a good shop after fitting . job jobbed

A better alternative for rear is these AC delco flat blades. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15-High-Quality-Flat-Blade-Aero-Upgrade-Rubber-Wiper-Blades/261233017215 Just started using these as quality better and price superb. The 15" Fit perfect on SG or SF Forester rear .

what model forester SF SG SH ... ...

wheel bearing I expect, diff normally changes noise pitch as load/unload via throttle and normally very easy pinpoint noise . Best way with bearings is run it in gear on lift and use stethoscope on hubs, normally easy distinguish noisy ones out of the 4 this way . If do bearings only use japan bearing kits as not much more cost but 10 times the quality .

road drive it on clear road and rock steering left to right and see if noise stops when loaded , if does should be wheel bearing . Rear dif is very distinguishable noise and generally very easy tell it rear . Diff noise normally worsens at speed in corners . If noise can be produced on ramp running in gear should find likely area in 10 minutes with screwdriver and funnel or stethoscope .

^ you get MLS gaskets coated that can be stopper or non stopper constructed stopper refers to internal metal layer that either folded around cylinder or die press ridged so it creates more clamp force around cylinder bore. The coating is purely a micro sealing aid and differing metal barrier to corrosion issues .