@jcthawaii When I see magnificent cars like the C8 vette I have to agree with you. Of course the problem is most people don't know car engineering so they believe the ads. I've said for years Subaru is not a great car, unfortunately I bought one in 2006 on a recommendation and had to find out for myself by digging into it. I meticulously maintained it only to find that at 80k miles the heads started leaking.
I've never seen a professor use an engine grime covered toothbrush as a pointing stick... but man it's definitely everything I missed in my education, great video about the internals and makeup of these boxer engines. I'd never seen one take down and gone through like that. Keep up the good work!
Not only does he give an excellent explanation of everything, he compares the different engines at the end of the video, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each. He is not opinionated, he just gives the facts. Wonderful job!
i love how this guy edited this. he doesn't talk slow, gets to the point and doesn't waste time. i wish all youtube instructionals were like this guy. YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!
@@scottsanders1821 And here i thought i was the only one! most videos benefit from 1.5 to 2.0 speed. Crazy how much that transforms the voices , they sound young and alive instead of sluggish and boring...
I'm a first-time viewer here. I'm very impressed with his precise narration. No "umms" "and" or "you know", no gaps in his descriptions as he tries to figure out what to say next. He knows what to say & he knows his stuff. He spoke direct and to the point. If not already a teacher, he could be or should be. Outstanding job. 🚗🚗🚗🚗🚗
Some tips for keeping a Boxer running 4 a long time: Never overheat , change your oil on time, retorque your head bolts, and run some engine flush through from time to time to keep the sludge deposits down. Oh yeah, last but at least, always make sure you check your oil level regularly!
It's the same with the old air cooled boxers of VW. But every 60k on those old air cooleds replace your gaskets down to the block, being paper gaskets they just go bad.
@@wasatchadventures8947 I'd throw Ford in there as well if you live in a country that has access to them. The modern Ford engines are largely bullet proof. I would also add the Chevy LS series motor to that list, but those are performance motors. The ls is probably the best motor all around on the market.
I was a service mechanic for two years and learned more about boxer engines in 15 minutes watching this than I learned in two years of practical work. Fantastic video. Thanks for the education
How many hours, days, weeks , years did it take for him to get this proficient and knowledgeable about how this (and other engines) work? A true master of his craft.
There really aint much too them and symptoms are usually similar in any engine. It could've taken him years, the higher the i.q the less the effort it takes to learn!
A while, but not so long as you may think. All engines have pretty much the same basic parts, so learning about any of them goes a long way to learning about the rest of them.
I learned engines by just tearing apart rototiller and lawnmower engines. You can get free small engines, and you can take them apart for fun. It becomes a hobby once you understand how simple engines actually are. Although I've never had any desire to work on a Subaru haha. They are't exactly "fun" to work on, from what I've heard.
@@Ritalie I tore everything apart as a kid, and still do, a big screen TV recently, just to see how it was built. I recycle the parts, and keep the things I might be able to use for projects. Now I can fix anything, half of the time.
Hassle to work on??? I've been a mechanic at too many shops and have done engines in lots of cars. Subarus are EASY! About the easiest I've worked on. BTW, My legacy has 370,000 miles on it. Original head gaskets. Maintain your car! it will last.
@@speedkar99 I got some questions since you seem to know Subarus very well. Are there any NA Subarus that have unequal headers? If not, are there any turbo Subarus, besides the 2.5 in the STI? Do the problems you described in the vid apply to all Subarus boxer engines?
@@muaythai193 2.5rs and 2.5i were NA and no they didn’t come with unequal length headers. Aftermarket ones yes. Very common mod for hp gains on the rs and i.
@@joshuanelson5092 And to add the 2002-2003 WRX had a 2.0 turbo engine. The 2.5, if i remember correctly, didn't get a turbo until 2004 for the WRX and STI.
This is so thorough that when he says a possible problem, he actually explains what it means since the names aren’t straight forward. Not a lot of videos do that. They mostly expect you to just google it
My dude. This video has so much info packed in it it's insane. My buddy has a 2010 Forester and said it's "making a weird noise". I've never worked on these and you answered most of my questions and gave me a solid amount of extra knowledge too. Triple thumbs up.
@@MathWithMozart people like what they like, not like toyota is perfect. I do miss my old jeep wrangler, thing was a tank. New one is 99.769838 percent plastic, oh well
I know it's been said about 20+ times but it needs to keep being said: this guy definitely either trains people daily or has taken speech classes because his is very clear, specific, and confident in the information he relays. Not only that, but the in depth details he has reviewed has completely given me anxiety about my WRX I just purchased lol I will make sure I'm spot on in ensuring I have proper oil and change my oil at strict intervals to avoid any of the wear that occurred on this motor. This is the information I love to learn!
Use the Subaru OEM oil filters not aftermarket. My 2014 Outback has had the short block replaced twice for excessive oil consumption and it's only at 65K miles. Still a good car except the sh!t motor. (I have a 6 speed manual not a CVT in mine.)
Yes, however all engines fail if they run out of oil. Them bearing show extreme wear, likely the motor was run without proper oil flow. I'm not a Subaru guy, but the seem interesting. I wonder what the average engine life is for these cars?
@@chefgiovanni I got 300K miles on a 1999 EJ25 before I sold the car. I still see it driving around. That car also had the OEM alternator on it when I sold it. Drove it approx. 400 miles per week with just basic maintenance.
Wow! This is an amazing amount of information, quickly delivered, with excellent editing. No waste of time! I'm not a car guy, and I'm not especially interested in Subarus, but I gotta hand it to the content creator that this was very well presented.
yea i have to agree i had praise him to for his incredible knowledge too the funny part is i didn't even ready any of the comments before i wrote mine lol when you come across those individuals that are exceptional you must acknowledge there attention to detail they give to there craft.
I have had 3 subarus in my life and all of them have easily made it to 300,000 miles with no problems at all. They leak oil a little more than most engines and thats about the only problem. The rest of the stuff I think really only comes into play if you are trying to mod and get more HP. Which of course a lot of people mod subarus so I'm sure people have seen a lot of blown up subaru engines. But if you are just getting a daily driver that you plan to keep stock your'e not going to have any problems
My old 2005 Sti made to 167k miles with zero issues with the motor. Only had wheel bearing going out and dead head lights balast. No major issues with the EJ25. I'm not sure why people have soo much problems with Subaru motors.
@@kuvyoghmoobamelica6883It is due to lack of maintenance, I.e. oil changes. We live in a set it and forget it. I would love a Boxer engine if for no other reason than to imagine I’m driving a Porsche.
My 2005 Forester XT, daily driver (properly maintained) had the head gaskets replaced at 135K miles and now at 140K spits white tail smoke. Its turbo was shot; I replaced it and still has the same problem. I believe that these cars are just a hit and miss...Not reliable cars...
My mom's '03 Outback made it just north of 320,000 miles before the transmission blew last year. The engine leaked oil like no other car my family owned, and my brother kept saying it was developing a tick, but it was a true workhorse.
My gf has a ford focus 2003 with a zetc that has 365k mi, all original, never rebuilt and burns no oil to speak of...does drip a few drops here and there... my car is a 94 probe gt with 260k mi..these have lots of issues after they get high mi..... daily driven almost 30 yrs, burns some oil,bad valve seals but never rebuilt
This video surpassed my expectations from when you were asking us what we would like to see in an EJ25 teardown. Thank you so much for the effort you put into this and for taking us (your viewers / car enthusiasts) seriously. Already forwarded this video to a couple car friends.
I'm glad it surpassed your expectations, I used the feedback from my teaser post to try and cover everything in this one video. It was my first time working with a Subaru engine and its very interesting to see how they've done things differently.
That’s not goood engine I. All way. See this engine being rebuilt too much time. It not a good motor. For daily driver 😮 that’s to much money spend on at car For get ti a Toyota thanks 😊 🧯🚗🛻
Never owned, drove or had plans to buy a Subaru but your video is so well done, to the point and captivating that I watched the entire thing on the edge of my seat. FYI, I have been turning wrench since 1989 so good production is needed to grab my attention. You did it without the need for cheesy gimmicks or having to blow anything up. That takes skill. Nice work!
I have 2 Subarus that I bought new and have had zero issues. I think this is because I always do the maintenance when due, if not a little early, I regularly check fluids and add if needed, and I don't drive like a bat out of hell. Subarus will last a long time if maintained properly, but are probably less tolerant than some other cars if you don't pay attention.
Always swore by Toyota (landcruiser) 'til I spied a sad Legacy for sale on a forecourt a few years back. It'd been abused and neglected. Been restoring it gradually ever since while running it as my daily driver. Just brilliant on all counts.
i recommend subie anyday. 1. they are all fulltime all wheel drive 2. some have turbo 3. all are boxer engines 4. newer subies have cvt trans this is not good. 5. having awd gives traction to stay on road and faster off the line
In this one video I learned more about boxer engines than I’ve ever known previously, as I have simply never owned nor worked on one. Thanks for the quality tear down and explanations.
I never ever learned anything from watching a Scotty video. Well... i learned that he has been a mechanic for 40 years and still has a one car garage that looks like should be on the show “ hoarders” ...
Happen to my volvo 850R i was using water/methanol injection and one day i decided to use bigger injector 440/cc vs 320/cc stock. When the methanol injected at 12 psi it bend a rod.
@@audigit No he didn't. He just explained the cons to the boxer design when abused or not maintained. Every motor has cons & pros. This engine is a good engine with plenty of pros overshadowing the cons.
I love how educated and well detailed this video is, no repetition or imprecision or whatever. And all that precious knowledge is presented with an old toothbrush.
The moment he mentioned headgasket issues be wary. It was linked to a single layer headgasket that was promptly resolved 20+ years ago. Head gaskets are not a common failure point at all. When a Subaru "expert" mentions head gaskets bet your ass they are not an expert. The only "head gasket" issues come from overheating the fuck out of it or making big power and blowing the cylinder wall out of round. Neither are actually a head gasket issue.
@@jeepmanxj Yet my Impreza 2005 had a leak at piston #3, the infamous head gasket problem. $3500 Canadian pesos to rebuild it. I sold the car for the same price two months later after the rear diff. died, it was going to be $2500 to fix it.
A variation of an old trick used to remove smallish bolts with sheared heads, still there's always something new to learn, and good on you for admitting that. I'm not that familiar with boxer engines, so this was very informative.
I had an '02 Forester and yes, it had leaky head gaskets. Annoying to be sure, but otherwise a fantastic vehicle. I never lost enough oil to warrant adding any between oil changes. One thing about a Subaru is that most people tend to drive the crap out of them. Low-mileage Subarus are rare. My next (and current) vehicle is an '09 Forester XT premium turbo. It is an exceptional vehicle. The only mechanical issue I have had is a radiator leak at 150K miles. Replaced the radiator and no problems. Spark plugs are a hassle because of clearance but only necessary every 60K on the turbo (iridium plugs $20-$30 a each). I don't know if this means anything or not, but my '02 was built in USA and my '09 was built in Japan. Several people have tried to get me to mod the '09, but I just don't want to mess with such a reliable and well-built car.
An Audi or Lambo maintained like that, they were pieces of junk. Here for sure the car still worked. Subaru still better that Audi in many perspectives.
I have a faulty forester, I haven't taken it to the repair shop yet, but I can say that I found the answer to every problem I had in this video. really amazing!
Is this guy an instructor? Such fluid and precise information delivery. I at first laughed at the toothbrush in every scene, but then noticed he is always pointing at exactly what he's talking about. Such a good job presenting that you can speed it up and it's not overwhelming at all. Two thumbs up sir.
Your narration is very good. You speak in complete sentences and talk only about what is important to the subject. You get right to the point and leave out all the unimportant minutiae. The video moves right along and keeps one's interest. Well done.
As a mechanic and car enthusiast I’ve owned and maintained all of my past cars. Most of them were purchased second hand as I couldn’t afford them otherwise. As much as I always dreamed about owning the Impreza WRX this video sums up why I never got the courage to gamble on a used one. Great review!
I hope one day to buy a reliable car and keep it very well maintained. Would you recommend anything that wouldn't be right on the maintenance schedule? Also wouldn't it be better to buy new or do you think it's better from a cost perspective to buy used and hope they kept ahead of the maintenance? I also know they do maintenance plans for a monthly fee, which sounds like a good purchase right?
I've had a couple Subaru's. From my experience the boxer engine was completely rock solid. Of course you have to maintain it well and regularly change the oil and plugs etc.
That's true! Most of the bad rep is from people that in reality doesn't know and doesn't have the basic knowledge to even understand why and why not this is a good or bad engine. Maintenance is key and with it it's a really good engine that lasts, but they are not over built so they cant handle an unrestricted amount of power...
I’m on my fourth Subaru since 1991, never had any engine problems. I had a 96 Impreza 1600 for fifteen years, had 400,000 k’s on the clock when traded. Subaru tends to have a very high level of Brand Loyalty amongst its customers that other brands can only envy.
I had 2 Foresters (2.5 NA and 2.5T) and an WRX STI. Never had an engine failure in any of them. (8+ years, ~260k km). The maintenance tasks on them are PITA though, because of how cramped the engine bay is... Also - if you ever run them into low oil situation, it's downhill from there... :/
I don’t remember ever seeing a TH-cam video from ANYONE as well spoken as you and as precise in their explanation and knowing exactly what you were going to say next ! Thank you this video was great ! I’m a follower now 👍🏼
I have had 2 Subaru and put around 200k miles on each without failure. Keep you engine maintained, and it will last for years and years. Good breakdown video of the motor though, I did enjoy that
@Jay Nasty As an actual owner f 2 100k mile plus Subarus (one 200k) I can tell you I'm not BSing. I did all the recommended maintenance and both cars were bullet proof. Just a sample of 2 though.
@Jay Nasty That's good to know actually. Is it an issue on both the 2.5L and 2L? I'm on my 3rd Subaru now and my daughter has my last one, so I'll keep my eye open for the issue. Thanks!
I'd like to make a suggestion that you get your hands on a rotary engine and do a breakdown. That would be pretty interesting as well. Thanks for the video
This is the first time someone related why the head gaskets fail so much. It's a well-known reality that if you have a Subaru over 100k, you will replace the head gaskets. I think just checking the oil at regular intervals and letting it warm up after start, instead of just jumping in and revving it out, would give more longevity to the engine.
We have 2 Ej Subies and one FA Subie with well over 100k and no head gasket problems (one is 180k+). We have done valve cover gaskets on the EJ's. After befriending a local Subaru performance shp and hanging out there, it is clear the biggest Subaru problem is the owners, not the engineering. Young drivers want more and bolt on crap without understanding and without tuning. That is a formula for disaster regardless of brand.
I had a 05 Impreza with a 2.5L for many years, I was always curious why it burnt so much oil in its later years. I ran it embarrassing long a few times with little to no oil. I was surprised it never died. Good car.
@@briana3695 Yea. Great in snow too! Oh wait... they SUCK in snow! Honda's are reliable, I will give you that. Subarus can be too, but you have to be on the ball for maintenance. I've got 234k miles on my ej255 and been at 16psi of boost for nearly 100k of it. Going strong and destroys hondas in snow and most of them on dry pavement.
@@rite2beararms got 140,000 on my ej255 , 16psi, and still running strong. not a single engine issue, i did have to repair the ac condenser though, went out at 130k
Fascinating, thanks for this. My Subaru Forester did over 120k. Apart from service items - brake pads, etc the only item replaced in 14 years of driving was the rear exhauzt section. I even sold it with the original battery. The most reliable car I've ever owned. And it drove on snow and ice like it was on rails.
I'm not into cars or engines, but randomly stumbled upon this, and really enjoyed watching it to the end. Fascinating, and as other posts have said, this guy gives a textbook example of how to make a good video - no distracting shit, bad jokes, gimmicks etc: just fact. And I learned some things: engines are complex, always carry a toothbrush, and never buy a Subaru....
@@Chabot1801 Well spotted: I'm a Volvo diesel sort of guy (you know the type - drives at 20mph down the middle of the road, washes the car every day etc)
Jokes aside, owning a boxer in general requires more attention to maintenance, it's not for the lazy. Doing your due diligence will save a shit ton of money and heartache with these engines. That being said, it's a car for people that don't mind or even like spending time under their car's hood every other Sunday morning (okay, maybe not THAT frequent... But it doesn't hurt.)
I'm on my 3rd Subie and I'll buy a dozen more if need be. Best cars I've owned besides Toyota trucks. When American companies like Jeep tell you that burning 2 quarts of oil (1/3 the total capacity) between oil changes with less than 40k miles on it is "considered to be within operational norm", I'll take timing belt changes and tiny oil leaks at over 100k all day long and twice on Sundays. A fool and his money, I reckon.
The mark of a master is knowing his craft well enough to explain it and make it sound easy. You, sir, are a master. I'm not a mechanic and have just barely above average knowledge of engines, but you made every aspect of this teardown understandable.
One of the most well made tutorial videos that I have seen. We viewers appreciate the absence of a long unnecessary intro with music that is often used as an attempt to seem "professional". You get right to business and thats why we are watching it in the first place. No stupid music or begging for "likes" or smashing the "subscribe" button. Well done.
I'm learning this engine as I go I have to replace my headgaskets. It's been half a year since it worked properly. Im 2/3rds through tear out. It's been hell.
@@christopherchander2754 head gaskets were only an issue in the older naturally aspirated ej series engines due to the fact that they used a graphite gasket rather than a multi layer steel gasket. However everyone on the internet seems to think it automatically applies to all Subarus
I particularly liked your excellent narration, complemented by you pointing out the things you were explaining! Clear, consise, and detailed, you give your viewers a greater appreciation and understanding of the issues you described.
Your Toothbrush trade mark is wonderful-and it shows off the best presentation that any professional can expect to view. Simply exceptionally good. Thank you for your production.
LOL i bought a brand new 2018 Forester 2.5i Manual. Early oil changes at every 5k (following manual). Car burned 2qts of oil between 10k and 14k miles. Car was less than a year old. Traded it in for a tacoma... Best decision ive ever made.
@@TandyTerrison 1GR-FE v6 in your Tacoma?? That engine is virtually bomb proof. A weak link in the newer one, I've read, is the 6speed tranny. It wants to hunt for the gears. Lots of people wish they'd go back to the 5 speed from the early 2nd gens.
The oil starvation issues can be solved by overfilling it a bit if you drive hard in corners frequently, a custom pan is better solution for permanency though
The fluids pooling without gravity helping them drain to their proper reservoirs contributing to the head gasket failure has always been a theory I’ve had glad to see you point it out seems a fundamentally flawed design period I had a Porsche with a boxer engine same thing head gasket went
Its bunch of horseshit tho. EVERY ENGINE is constantly flooded in coolant to the top and under pressure. There is no god damn pooling going on. Head gasket failure on ej25 is purely from cheap graphite gaskets. The graphite wears off from temperature and coolant. All you have to do to have it PERMANENTLY fixed. Is to use Multilayer steel gasket from ej25 turbo from WRX. It will never ever blow out.
@@Kacpa2 there isn't a Subaru sold in 20 years that have a head gasket issue. It's nonsense. It was fixed when they change all engines to the MLS gaskets back in the late 90s early 2000s. The problems are actually overheating, and people putting down massive power blowing the cylinder walls out of round.
@@jeepmanxj I was talking about 2.5 naturally apsirated EJ. And for turbo i know you dont have to tell me. Its always user negligence or ignorance with turbo EJs.
@@jeepmanxj Yes, but damage to their reputation was done, and now everyone stupidly memes about headgaskets whenever it comes to Subarus. Also not everyone had it fixed correctly, its incredibly widespread because of EJ25 that was affected by use of that shitty graphite gasket was sold in gigantic volume worldwide in Outbacks, Foresters and Legacies and people usually went for EJ25 instead of EJ20 or EZ30.
I have owed Two them 300,000+miles on the first car and 280,000+ on the one I'm driving now and no issues with either car !! Just get your regular maintenance when you are supposed to, or do some yourself if you can !! : )
It sucks that most people don’t do that. I’ve bought 3 Subaru’s and and 2/3 burned oil because of bad maintenance. I got a 98 legacy with a 2.2L motor which was bulletproof, it only died because of not doing the timing belt. I bought a 98 legacy GT with a 2.5L engine and it burned oil like crazy, it eventually got rodknock when it burned all the oil in one day. I replaced the engine myself in that one with a junkyard one with blown head gaskets and replaced them myself, that engine also burned oil but only about a quart every 2 weeks so it was alright, I still have it, but one of the brake lines broke and I haven’t gotten around to it. I have a 04 Impreza wagon and that one burns oil but I bought it fully knowing what I was getting into so I only paid $1k and it has 131k miles. I couldn’t pass it up since it was manual and it’s pretty much impossible to find where I live. Sadly it’s not the owners fault it burns oil, they took it to a shop that was robbing them. I’m currently in the process of doing what the shop didn’t do. I’m going to have to do a tune up and eventually a engine rebuild or swap:
@@itsvoodoo7050 It's good you can do your own work etc, so many are just Lazy or clueless. But there are so many garages that don't care etc. I to do the work I can and keep on it. It really makes the difference what ever the brand. Thanks for posting !! : )
When he started talking about the engine running low on oil, it reminded me to go check the oil level on my wife's Honda. Glad I did, because at 276,000 miles, it was a quart low. Excellent video, too. Thanks for sharing.
My dad always said changing oil is like cheap insurance against premature wear and failure. And in almost 30 years of driving I’ve yet to blow up an engine. Excellent video!
Your Dad is a very bright man. Oil maintenance is the best investment anyone can do. I never let it run to the mileage in the manual. Depending on the type of driving. changes at 3-4 k for every car I owned. Just gave away my 2010 Equinox with 240,000 miles with no engine problems.
Spot on. I got complacent with my oil changes and over time the oil became very sludgy to the point where the oil pressure light would occasionally come on and the oil rings jammed up so it blew a lot of smoke. I ended up having to pull the engine apart and cleaning the sludge off of everything. Surprisingly and thankfully there was negligible wear so I put it back together and it ran well. I'm much more careful when it comes to vehicle maintenance these days.
I just traded in my 2008 Impreza last month. Got it in October 2007 (new) and owned it for 15 years. All I needed to fix on it was 2 wheel bearings and the fuel pump. Besides those things it was rock solid. I was nearing 200k miles when I sold it and it ran great.
I’m a mechanical engineer, who lived with professional Subaru specialists, mechanical engineers, and rally racers all in one. I haven’t watched the whole video but a lot of the things mentioned are silly - “if the engine oil is contaminated it will start eating through the head gasket” - uhhhh. If you’re putting the engine through these sorts of conditions, you have bigger problems. Problems that would be true for all engines not just Subarus. Forced air intake Subarus have notable issues particularly with the oil filters becoming clogged. Mid-90s 2.5L Subarus have head gasket issues, which you may or may not experience, and which were corrected in the early aughts. One of my several 2.2L Subarus had an issue with the harmonic dampener not being bolted down enough (a mechanics error to not torque to the whopping ~170 ft-lbs (IIRC)). Otherwise I’ve accidentally driven the engine with virtually no oil for dozens or hundreds of miles with no major long-term issues. The EJ22 is considered to be one of the most reliable engines of all time Long story short, it’s easy to take this video out of context. Yeah do required maintenance, yeah having corrosive oil is bad (why would you let such a thing happen????). Subarus are the most reliable/easily maintained vehicle I’ve ever owned.
@@stevebean1234 glad you said it, all engines have problems if mistreated. And all engines have flaws and reliability issues, recalls, and so forth. Subaru actually ranks very good in reliability indexes compared to most other brands. That is the funny thing, yet people (a small minority of doltards only ever found on the internet, who likely just saw a few memes one time) will still crap on a boxer in a Subaru, but not in a Porsche. Or they will say they're unreliable, when they're like the 7th most reliable brand there is (depending on survey), and so forth.
I used to own a couple of Subaru cars (1973 thru 1978). The nice thing about them was they were easy to work on. The bad thing was you had to work on them all the time. Amazing, after 50 years they still have a head gasket issue.
I have a Subaru and it works like a charm. The biggest cause of all Subaru engines is sludge buildup due to its engine and pistons' configurations that leads to multiple issues, so have the engine oil replaced as per manufacture's instructions. Is this too difficult to do?
MrGreatpersian purpose of engineering is to make things better and require less maintenance. There are vehicles that are so durable as long as your engine oil is holding up they don’t have basic faults that occur in them. That said, changing oil is pretty easy and definitely worth doing when stated it should be by manufacturer recommendations.
Τhe subaru boxer engine especially the ej20, is one of the most successful engines ever produced. It has been used by subaru for over 20 years, making only a few upgrades over time. All these problems that you mention in the video, are common problems of all engines due to poor maintenance and due to bad over tuning as is usually the case with subaru engines for increased performance. This particular engine is in such poor condition that it is not the result of poor design. Certainly this particular engine was not properly maintained over time.
I agree 100%, and yet, most of subaru owners are very careful in maintenance..... So, i suppose that You can buy a second-hand subie With no troubles, but a third-hand one maybe very dangerous: maybe it's his wife's car😂
my 91 subaru legacy has 362,000 miles on it and it is still running perfect. Yes, I change the oil about every 4-5000 miles but never over that and never use Fram filters.
Yes, mine were both early 90's engines and were fantastic, no oil or coolant leaks. People don't realize how much better the synthetic oils are compared to the older type. Much less friction mainly which leads to less heat, bearing wear, valve train wear, seal wear and of course ring and piston wear.
I owned 13 Toyotas over the years only one failed around 100,000 miles, about 4 weeks after I put in a fram filter, whic was against the advice given to me by Cobb county Toyota
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 Meh, that's a situational argument though. I guarantee I've done something similar with parts I had no intention of using again. We all have.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
If you've got a Subaru, keep your vehicle well maintained!
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brotherman are you by chance in florida?
@jcthawaii When I see magnificent cars like the C8 vette I have to agree with you. Of course the problem is most people don't know car engineering so they believe the ads. I've said for years Subaru is not a great car, unfortunately I bought one in 2006 on a recommendation and had to find out for myself by digging into it. I meticulously maintained it only to find that at 80k miles the heads started leaking.
Most engines go bang because of the owner look after ya shit ya shit will look after you 😂
Very nice breakdown and assessment, might I say. Very quick and concise. You, obviously, think in a mechanical engineering fashion. Thanks!
In your opinion, what is the most balanced engine ?
This guy should give lessons on making TH-cam videos . Straight down to business and no crap .
That's my style!
I agree!
Thts y I immediately subscribed
The problem is that women wouldn’t sign up for the course.
Nice
One of the rare videos where all is brief and to the point without stupid jokes or unnecessary side tracks.
I agree, very well done.
"Knock Knock"
Who's there?
"Connecting rod"
you must be funny in the party
I learned to stay away from 2.5 litre Boxer engine
And no stupid royalty free music ! Goonsquad comes to mind...
this mans hygiene is top notch, brings his toothbrush everywhere.
over 5k likes, you guys are awesome :O
Hehehe!
Metric toothbrushes are very hard to find.
@@Parker53151 You can get them at the left handed toothbrush shop and they stock striped paint too.
100%.
You guys are 100% funny.
I've never seen a professor use an engine grime covered toothbrush as a pointing stick... but man it's definitely everything I missed in my education, great video about the internals and makeup of these boxer engines. I'd never seen one take down and gone through like that. Keep up the good work!
The craziest part is its his daily toothbrush
This way he can brush his teeth when he's finished with his tutorial video.
THis. After a time, you have a toothbrush for repairing stuff. Like i have.
Not only does he give an excellent explanation of everything, he compares the different engines at the end of the video, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each. He is not opinionated, he just gives the facts.
Wonderful job!
@@robmausserActually, it is his brother’s toothbrush. Same as the sock.
i love how this guy edited this. he doesn't talk slow, gets to the point and doesn't waste time. i wish all youtube instructionals were like this guy. YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!
That's my style thanks
I agree. I listen to most tutorials on TH-cam @ 1.5x speed. No need to on this video.
@@scottsanders1821 And here i thought i was the only one! most videos benefit from 1.5 to 2.0 speed. Crazy how much that transforms the voices , they sound young and alive instead of sluggish and boring...
Reminds me of project farm
What video did you watch?
This guy is like a useful and quieter Scotty Kilmer.
More coherent too!
@@briancooney9952 no, he is not more coherent than Scotty... He IS coherent, Scotty is not
@@ZeroFX32 haha, exactly!
That's a bit harsh, Scotty is useful if your into Toyota
@@soundsolutions specifically a 98 corolla. nothing else. Scotty is trash lmao
I'm a first-time viewer here. I'm very impressed with his precise narration. No "umms" "and" or "you know", no gaps in his descriptions as he tries to figure out what to say next. He knows what to say & he knows his stuff. He spoke direct and to the point. If not already a teacher, he could be or should be. Outstanding job. 🚗🚗🚗🚗🚗
Yep it is called a script. I've been working on cars for 20 years. I still go um.
Scripting and editing.
I can tell that people listen to your Yelp reviews.
So true and if he did take the time to script or edit umms, ohhhs or wasted air, then more power to him.
indeed, rare, like a proper subject matter expert
Some tips for keeping a Boxer running 4 a long time: Never overheat , change your oil on time, retorque your head bolts, and run some engine flush through from time to time to keep the sludge deposits down. Oh yeah, last but at least, always make sure you check your oil level regularly!
Lol so pretty much it’s still a junk engine if you have to retorque the head studs don’t forget doing that job won’t be easy
Yep, they are poorly designed and the fixes are bandaids rather than the true redesign that is needed.
Or....buy a Toyota or a Honda.
It's the same with the old air cooled boxers of VW. But every 60k on those old air cooleds replace your gaskets down to the block, being paper gaskets they just go bad.
@@wasatchadventures8947 I'd throw Ford in there as well if you live in a country that has access to them. The modern Ford engines are largely bullet proof. I would also add the Chevy LS series motor to that list, but those are performance motors. The ls is probably the best motor all around on the market.
I was a service mechanic for two years and learned more about boxer engines in 15 minutes watching this than I learned in two years of practical work. Fantastic video. Thanks for the education
That means you didnt work as much as ur supervisor expected you to.
I think it's cuz he rarely works on boxer engines.
He really knows his engines.
I learned enough in 5 minutes to know that I would never buy one.
@@geraldevans2535 😆 Same here.
How many hours, days, weeks , years did it take for him to get this proficient and knowledgeable about how this (and other engines) work? A true master of his craft.
There really aint much too them and symptoms are usually similar in any engine. It could've taken him years, the higher the i.q the less the effort it takes to learn!
A while, but not so long as you may think. All engines have pretty much the same basic parts, so learning about any of them goes a long way to learning about the rest of them.
Its putting them back together that's hard.
I learned engines by just tearing apart rototiller and lawnmower engines. You can get free small engines, and you can take them apart for fun. It becomes a hobby once you understand how simple engines actually are. Although I've never had any desire to work on a Subaru haha. They are't exactly "fun" to work on, from what I've heard.
@@Ritalie I tore everything apart as a kid, and still do, a big screen TV recently, just to see how it was built. I recycle the parts, and keep the things I might be able to use for projects. Now I can fix anything, half of the time.
"Oil burning, Oil starvation, Head gasket problems, Hassle to work on."
The four horsemen of the Automotive apocalypse.
Yes
Hassle to work on??? I've been a mechanic at too many shops and have done engines in lots of cars. Subarus are EASY! About the easiest I've worked on. BTW, My legacy has 370,000 miles on it. Original head gaskets. Maintain your car! it will last.
@@speedkar99 I got some questions since you seem to know Subarus very well.
Are there any NA Subarus that have unequal headers? If not, are there any turbo Subarus, besides the 2.5 in the STI?
Do the problems you described in the vid apply to all Subarus boxer engines?
@@muaythai193 2.5rs and 2.5i were NA and no they didn’t come with unequal length headers. Aftermarket ones yes. Very common mod for hp gains on the rs and i.
@@joshuanelson5092 And to add the 2002-2003 WRX had a 2.0 turbo engine. The 2.5, if i remember correctly, didn't get a turbo until 2004 for the WRX and STI.
I have never seen anybody as knowledgeable as this person.. this person is phenomenal
Great video - no waffle, no long boring bits, straight to the point commentary, edited well. You seem to know your engines..I don`t even own a Suburu.
LOL me either.
But I like waffle...at least the song named that, by Sevendust, haha, yeah, see what I did there? ;)
I wasn't planning on watching the whole thing, but I did. Touche sir
Thanks
Same
Haha... me too. I'm not even a car guy, but damn if he doesn't explain things well.
I'm a mechanic. I already know all of this. Yet I still watched
Saaaammme
This is so thorough that when he says a possible problem, he actually explains what it means since the names aren’t straight forward.
Not a lot of videos do that. They mostly expect you to just google it
Thanks. I feared it was going to be too long
speedkar99 no, this is excellent! You show the entire breakdown while explaining everything you’re doing!
Looking at this makes me appreciate the straight 6 layout even more.
Definitely one of the most underrated designs..
Probably one of the most in depth engine tear down videos I've seen. Nice!
Thanks! I'll have more
@@speedkar99 I own an Sti. This is a fantastic teardown.
One question, are the con rods fracture split?
Agreed, very knowledgeable and very well spoken! Extraordinary
Yet he is pointing with a tooth brush 😭😂
The tooth brush thou
This is seriously the best overview of a Subaru engine I have ever seen. You got it all.
How you did this under 15 min is incredible. Anyone else would have made this a 4 hour/6 part series.
Truth 🎯
My dude.
This video has so much info packed in it it's insane.
My buddy has a 2010 Forester and said it's "making a weird noise".
I've never worked on these and you answered most of my questions and gave me a solid amount of extra knowledge too.
Triple thumbs up.
Thanks!!!
…and no banging music!
Never in my life have I ever thought of using a bolt as a Allen key/hex wtf am I doing with my life
Me too! This could have help me once!
Done that Many times ,one hasn't got the right Allen key All the time
Works both ways as well, you can use an Allen bolt for a socket. My dad taught me that trick.
Now go look for a 14mm hex head
@@sethc6663 Shit. I am an ASE Master Tech. I have never, ever thought of that. That's brilliant.
Wow. Best video of engine teardown ever. He not only knows his stuff, he knows how to explain it as well. Genius!
Thanks!!
@@speedkar99 Thanks for the education!
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
This man is a master
I agree. Good video. Not that I need to do this, as mine works great, but nice to know how it differs from other engines.
This teardown is brought to you by Colgate.
It used to be Oral-B.
Man.. I was gonna make that joke.
Shucks
🤣
That's only funny in America, toothbrush schoolboy humour
😅
I’m on my 4th Subaru over 20 years. Never had a problem! Great cars.
Good to hear!
Still have my first Toyota 27 years later, 220k original engine. You should buy a better car.
You need to buy a lottery ticket like right now!
@@MathWithMozart people like what they like, not like toyota is perfect. I do miss my old jeep wrangler, thing was a tank. New one is 99.769838 percent plastic, oh well
@@MathWithMozart maybe he just likes subaru that much that he bought 4, you never know.
I know it's been said about 20+ times but it needs to keep being said: this guy definitely either trains people daily or has taken speech classes because his is very clear, specific, and confident in the information he relays. Not only that, but the in depth details he has reviewed has completely given me anxiety about my WRX I just purchased lol I will make sure I'm spot on in ensuring I have proper oil and change my oil at strict intervals to avoid any of the wear that occurred on this motor. This is the information I love to learn!
I came here to say the exactly same thing. I wish I knew half of what this guy knows about engines.
He pronounces longitude wrong.
Use the Subaru OEM oil filters not aftermarket. My 2014 Outback has had the short block replaced twice for excessive oil consumption and it's only at 65K miles. Still a good car except the sh!t motor. (I have a 6 speed manual not a CVT in mine.)
Sell it. Trust me.
@@philbiker3 ...2014? Is the engine that is toast a 2014? There were some problems.
You are definitely a Ph.D in engines. Extremely well explained, diagnosed, shot and edited. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks
Yes, however all engines fail if they run out of oil. Them bearing show extreme wear, likely the motor was run without proper oil flow. I'm not a Subaru guy, but the seem interesting. I wonder what the average engine life is for these cars?
Yes, I thought the editing was pacy and it made the whole thing compact with no messing.
@@chefgiovanni engine life is relative to how much you vape so if you blow clouds like a chimney I've got bad news for you
@@chefgiovanni I got 300K miles on a 1999 EJ25 before I sold the car. I still see it driving around. That car also had the OEM alternator on it when I sold it. Drove it approx. 400 miles per week with just basic maintenance.
Wow! This is an amazing amount of information, quickly delivered, with excellent editing. No waste of time! I'm not a car guy, and I'm not especially interested in Subarus, but I gotta hand it to the content creator that this was very well presented.
yea i have to agree i had praise him to for his incredible knowledge too the funny part is i didn't even ready any of the comments before i wrote mine lol when you come across those individuals that are exceptional you must acknowledge there attention to detail they give to there craft.
I have had 3 subarus in my life and all of them have easily made it to 300,000 miles with no problems at all. They leak oil a little more than most engines and thats about the only problem. The rest of the stuff I think really only comes into play if you are trying to mod and get more HP. Which of course a lot of people mod subarus so I'm sure people have seen a lot of blown up subaru engines. But if you are just getting a daily driver that you plan to keep stock your'e not going to have any problems
My old 2005 Sti made to 167k miles with zero issues with the motor. Only had wheel bearing going out and dead head lights balast. No major issues with the EJ25. I'm not sure why people have soo much problems with Subaru motors.
@@kuvyoghmoobamelica6883It is due to lack of maintenance, I.e. oil changes. We live in a set it and forget it. I would love a Boxer engine if for no other reason than to imagine I’m driving a Porsche.
My 2005 Forester XT, daily driver (properly maintained) had the head gaskets replaced at 135K miles and now at 140K spits white tail smoke. Its turbo was shot; I replaced it and still has the same problem. I believe that these cars are just a hit and miss...Not reliable cars...
My mom's '03 Outback made it just north of 320,000 miles before the transmission blew last year. The engine leaked oil like no other car my family owned, and my brother kept saying it was developing a tick, but it was a true workhorse.
My gf has a ford focus 2003 with a zetc that has 365k mi, all original, never rebuilt and burns no oil to speak of...does drip a few drops here and there... my car is a 94 probe gt with 260k mi..these have lots of issues after they get high mi..... daily driven almost 30 yrs, burns some oil,bad valve seals but never rebuilt
This video surpassed my expectations from when you were asking us what we would like to see in an EJ25 teardown.
Thank you so much for the effort you put into this and for taking us (your viewers / car enthusiasts) seriously. Already forwarded this video to a couple car friends.
I'm glad it surpassed your expectations, I used the feedback from my teaser post to try and cover everything in this one video. It was my first time working with a Subaru engine and its very interesting to see how they've done things differently.
That’s not goood engine I. All way. See this engine being rebuilt too much time. It not a good motor. For daily driver 😮 that’s to much money spend on at car For get ti a Toyota thanks 😊 🧯🚗🛻
@@davidbarber2010 toyOTA=PUKE subaru= barf
I'm so used to Scotty screaming at me, I had difficulty following this explanation.
Their is also no talk of a 94 Toyota Camry every 2 minutes. That throws me off.
Voice immodulation is no joke! Neither are cat-face pillows!
@@jeffjackson9679 It's a celica, I think, that Scotty always talks about.
I really like Scotty but he's so loud I can't hear the bell ring
The is to turn volume up and increase speed 25%lmao
Never owned, drove or had plans to buy a Subaru but your video is so well done, to the point and captivating that I watched the entire thing on the edge of my seat. FYI, I have been turning wrench since 1989 so good production is needed to grab my attention. You did it without the need for cheesy gimmicks or having to blow anything up. That takes skill. Nice work!
It’s a good beater. Got mine for free around 120k now I’m around 240k+ zero problems
I have 2 Subarus that I bought new and have had zero issues. I think this is because I always do the maintenance when due, if not a little early, I regularly check fluids and add if needed, and I don't drive like a bat out of hell. Subarus will last a long time if maintained properly, but are probably less tolerant than some other cars if you don't pay attention.
Always swore by Toyota (landcruiser) 'til I spied a sad Legacy for sale on a forecourt a few years back. It'd been abused and neglected. Been restoring it gradually ever since while running it as my daily driver. Just brilliant on all counts.
i recommend subie anyday.
1. they are all fulltime all wheel drive
2. some have turbo
3. all are boxer engines
4. newer subies have cvt trans
this is not good.
5. having awd gives traction to stay on road and faster off the line
@@rocketsmall4547 Awesome winter car, I run fat winter tires year round..
In this one video I learned more about boxer engines than I’ve ever known previously, as I have simply never owned nor worked on one. Thanks for the quality tear down and explanations.
I wasn’t looking for this video but when he start talking I couldn’t leave, nice explanation
Brush after every rod meal, and when the engine eats it’s lunch. Floss your ring lands.
This guy is a surgeon of cars while Scotty Kilmer is a general practitioner.
Hahaha
Scotty is a chiropractor at best
Scotty has a substance abuse problem.
I never ever learned anything from watching a Scotty video. Well... i learned that he has been a mechanic for 40 years and still has a one car garage that looks like should be on the show “ hoarders” ...
Kilmer is a quack
People like you are priceless in this world. You make people life's easier by educating them.
They go knock knock and when you answer your connecting rod comes out lol
That's what happened here haha
Happen to my volvo 850R i was using water/methanol injection and one day i decided to use bigger injector 440/cc vs 320/cc stock. When the methanol injected at 12 psi it bend a rod.
@@jakelowang4132 Rather have spaghetti rods then my 05 s60R's cracciboi cylinder walls.
That was funny
That's why you get a EVO
Just a professional discussing his trade. Great Job.
Very nice explanation of the engine
He does a nice job. Agreed. He just said it’s a piece of crap don’t get one. Thank him. Not me.
@@audigit No he didn't. He just explained the cons to the boxer design when abused or not maintained. Every motor has cons & pros. This engine is a good engine with plenty of pros overshadowing the cons.
I like how he explains everything using a toothbrush
I feel like a teacher using a toothbrush would have made grade school easier too.
He used to be a dentist but found it too stressful.
haha so random eh love it
Hope Filled Sinner vo bc x x CA Z a::/
@@thomas41546 Yes most certainly! Despite the fact I haven't a clue what you mean.
I love how educated and well detailed this video is, no repetition or imprecision or whatever. And all that precious knowledge is presented with an old toothbrush.
The moment he mentioned headgasket issues be wary. It was linked to a single layer headgasket that was promptly resolved 20+ years ago. Head gaskets are not a common failure point at all.
When a Subaru "expert" mentions head gaskets bet your ass they are not an expert. The only "head gasket" issues come from overheating the fuck out of it or making big power and blowing the cylinder wall out of round.
Neither are actually a head gasket issue.
@@jeepmanxj Yet my Impreza 2005 had a leak at piston #3, the infamous head gasket problem. $3500 Canadian pesos to rebuild it. I sold the car for the same price two months later after the rear diff. died, it was going to be $2500 to fix it.
This dude's video is the shit. I'm loving it. No breaks just explain explain explain. Refreshing af
th-cam.com/video/-jDrkEEK99E/w-d-xo.html
This should be a class in public school
@@DirtStarMaster it is........
@@tylern8911 lol so u went to midnight club school edition?
@@DirtStarMaster the fuck? Lol my schools had auto shop
The sheer amount of cars I've fixed and I only just found out about that hex trick you used...
that was cool idea
yeah man that's going to come in handy for sure
Me too.
Does that mean your not aware of the manual impact driver? Tap your wrench, after oiling of course.
A variation of an old trick used to remove smallish bolts with sheared heads, still there's always something new to learn, and good on you for admitting that. I'm not that familiar with boxer engines, so this was very informative.
This guy really knows his shit! Amazingly detailed breakdown of the boxer engine that really informs the viewer.
Congrats!
Thanks I'm glad you appreciate my style!
Rick9482 Maybe because they’re always breaking down, so he has a lot of experience taking them apart and rebuilding them
Yes, very impressive! Wow.
speedkar99 < I like the way you present the information as well.
I had an '02 Forester and yes, it had leaky head gaskets. Annoying to be sure, but otherwise a fantastic vehicle. I never lost enough oil to warrant adding any between oil changes. One thing about a Subaru is that most people tend to drive the crap out of them. Low-mileage Subarus are rare. My next (and current) vehicle is an '09 Forester XT premium turbo. It is an exceptional vehicle. The only mechanical issue I have had is a radiator leak at 150K miles. Replaced the radiator and no problems. Spark plugs are a hassle because of clearance but only necessary every 60K on the turbo (iridium plugs $20-$30 a each). I don't know if this means anything or not, but my '02 was built in USA and my '09 was built in Japan. Several people have tried to get me to mod the '09, but I just don't want to mess with such a reliable and well-built car.
The engine probably failed because the car owner forgot to put GreenPeace and Coexist stickers on the rear window
That's a strange flex....
They probably put soy bean oil in it.
Subaru didn't built the Prius, bud.
Sprocket's Garage the Prius is a tool hillbillies made it a political statement
Lol
What was more interesting was the his ability to narrate and explain well.
Thanks. See my other videos for more!
speedkar99 Yes! He’s extremely knowledgeable.
Agreed, great "radio voice" as well. No um's, uh's duh, awkward pauses etc.
he showed to me, he knew what he was talking about. And didn't talk down to us commoners.....
Fram oil filter, sludge and all that rust tells you how this engine was maintained.
Yeah when I saw the Fram I was like :(
An Audi or Lambo maintained like that, they were pieces of junk. Here for sure the car still worked. Subaru still better that Audi in many perspectives.
Nothing wrong with Fram filters, just search for any oil filter comparison test on here and you will see what are good and what are not.
That's all they bloody sell here , except at dealer
Or Fram is garbage... not sure which one
I have a faulty forester, I haven't taken it to the repair shop yet, but I can say that I found the answer to every problem I had in this video. really amazing!
Is this guy an instructor? Such fluid and precise information delivery. I at first laughed at the toothbrush in every scene, but then noticed he is always pointing at exactly what he's talking about. Such a good job presenting that you can speed it up and it's not overwhelming at all. Two thumbs up sir.
Instructor and an engineer. His theory is sound, both in dynamics and in practical mechanics.
No idea how this ended up on my feed, but I enjoyed it!
I have never owned a Subaru, and probably never will. Still, this was so fascinating I had to watch it all the way to the end.
Your narration is very good. You speak in complete sentences and talk only about what is important to the subject. You get right to the point and leave out all the unimportant minutiae. The video moves right along and keeps one's interest. Well done.
Been working on Diesel engines the last 12 years and never once thought of that hex trick 😒 thanks though man!! Top notch work here.
I figured that trick out in the middle of Baja. Necessity is the mother of invention
Regular oil and coolant changes will definitely increase the life of a boxer engine as well as timing belt changes when needed.
Knock Knock
"Who's there"
Piston 4: *YEEET*
🤣
🤣
Mechanic: kling klang klunk, the motor is junk!
🤣
😂
As a mechanic and car enthusiast I’ve owned and maintained all of my past cars. Most of them were purchased second hand as I couldn’t afford them otherwise. As much as I always dreamed about owning the Impreza WRX this video sums up why I never got the courage to gamble on a used one. Great review!
I'm pretty much the same
I hope one day to buy a reliable car and keep it very well maintained. Would you recommend anything that wouldn't be right on the maintenance schedule? Also wouldn't it be better to buy new or do you think it's better from a cost perspective to buy used and hope they kept ahead of the maintenance? I also know they do maintenance plans for a monthly fee, which sounds like a good purchase right?
@@JackBlackNinjaBuy a Toyota with 50,000 miles on it and enjoy for the next 20 years.
@@anthonyfrombelow itl last, but you said enjoy. its not a wrx
I've had a couple Subaru's. From my experience the boxer engine was completely rock solid. Of course you have to maintain it well and regularly change the oil and plugs etc.
That's true! Most of the bad rep is from people that in reality doesn't know and doesn't have the basic knowledge to even understand why and why not this is a good or bad engine. Maintenance is key and with it it's a really good engine that lasts, but they are not over built so they cant handle an unrestricted amount of power...
My 03 WRX had almost 300k miles without any major problems. I kept it well maintained, and bone stock
Same here. Never let me down, not in the countryside muck nor on long distance trips.
I’m on my fourth Subaru since 1991, never had any engine problems. I had a 96 Impreza 1600 for fifteen years, had 400,000 k’s on the clock when traded.
Subaru tends to have a very high level of Brand Loyalty amongst its customers that other brands can only envy.
I had 2 Foresters (2.5 NA and 2.5T) and an WRX STI. Never had an engine failure in any of them. (8+ years, ~260k km). The maintenance tasks on them are PITA though, because of how cramped the engine bay is... Also - if you ever run them into low oil situation, it's downhill from there... :/
I don’t remember ever seeing a TH-cam video from ANYONE as well spoken as you and as precise in their explanation and knowing exactly what you were going to say next ! Thank you this video was great ! I’m a follower now 👍🏼
Glad you appreciate my video style. Lots more videos - check them out
I have had 2 Subaru and put around 200k miles on each without failure. Keep you engine maintained, and it will last for years and years. Good breakdown video of the motor though, I did enjoy that
My Saabaru Aero has over 200k miles and is still fine. Maintaining it make the difference.
@Jay Nasty As an actual owner f 2 100k mile plus Subarus (one 200k) I can tell you I'm not BSing. I did all the recommended maintenance and both cars were bullet proof. Just a sample of 2 though.
@Jay Nasty That's good to know actually. Is it an issue on both the 2.5L and 2L? I'm on my 3rd Subaru now and my daughter has my last one, so I'll keep my eye open for the issue. Thanks!
I'm going to guess these issues don't apply to my 3.0 H6.
@Jay Nasty. Thanks. I have 165K. Just want to get another 9 months then I will be strictly leasing from then on.
Thank you. You have confirmed every suspicious design concern we've always had about this engine.
The Subaru boxer doesn’t fail, the owner does.
colgate is main sponsor , what brush is best for engine dismantle:soft, medium, or hard
Now this is the kinda Guy that should be teaching people how to Rebuild a Engine.,.nicely explained
I'd like to make a suggestion that you get your hands on a rotary engine and do a breakdown. That would be pretty interesting as well. Thanks for the video
I agree. .love to see that as well...and a Miata 1.8 L
They have a whole lot of bolts around a rotary
As a distraction how about a radial engine?, not so much for cars but interesting none the less.
@@CrusaderSports250 existing many vid about radial engine and rotary engines (Gnome type)
@@ronalddaub7965 wankel engine i think... because "rotary engine" is pretty old (first world war aircraft engines, most french engines...)
This is the first time someone related why the head gaskets fail so much. It's a well-known reality that if you have a Subaru over 100k, you will replace the head gaskets. I think just checking the oil at regular intervals and letting it warm up after start, instead of just jumping in and revving it out, would give more longevity to the engine.
We have 2 Ej Subies and one FA Subie with well over 100k and no head gasket problems (one is 180k+). We have done valve cover gaskets on the EJ's. After befriending a local Subaru performance shp and hanging out there, it is clear the biggest Subaru problem is the owners, not the engineering. Young drivers want more and bolt on crap without understanding and without tuning. That is a formula for disaster regardless of brand.
As someone who prefers to do fixes on my cars myself, this in invaluable information when choosing a new car! Thank you!
As someone who prefers not having to pay a mechanic lots of money to fix my car, this in invaluable information when choosing a new car! Thank you!
I could watch these videos for hours-and I’m hardly a mechanic. Well done, speedkar99.
One of the most underrated channels on TH-cam. I learn so much watching you tear down and explain engines.
Thanks. More to come in 2021
Own 2004 with boxer Tubo 2.0L Amazing engine; amazing car from mechanical issue point of view. Still runs as well as day i got it. 🙂
Subaru super strong, 350000km and never used a drop of oil.
It idled so quietly, you had to look at the Rev counter to see if the engine was running
I had a 05 Impreza with a 2.5L for many years, I was always curious why it burnt so much oil in its later years. I ran it embarrassing long a few times with little to no oil. I was surprised it never died. Good car.
Lol, c'mon man, gravity!
2010 Legacy 2.5 bought with 110k now 140k..still my daily. Best car since my Honda. Been all over the Midwest and tough in 4 plus feet of snow.
Pat Ball Damn
I had a 2011 legacy,
Used it as a commuter car.
( NYC to NH) 310000 thousand miles. Engine didn't crap out, the AC did
Your honda was far superior, reliable, less costly to maintain... this motor is a nightmare.
@@briana3695 Yea. Great in snow too! Oh wait... they SUCK in snow! Honda's are reliable, I will give you that. Subarus can be too, but you have to be on the ball for maintenance. I've got 234k miles on my ej255 and been at 16psi of boost for nearly 100k of it. Going strong and destroys hondas in snow and most of them on dry pavement.
@@rite2beararms got 140,000 on my ej255 , 16psi, and still running strong. not a single engine issue, i did have to repair the ac condenser though, went out at 130k
Fascinating, thanks for this. My Subaru Forester did over 120k. Apart from service items - brake pads, etc the only item replaced in 14 years of driving was the rear exhauzt section. I even sold it with the original battery. The most reliable car I've ever owned. And it drove on snow and ice like it was on rails.
14 years and only 120k ? you barely drive it !
I drive 60k per year.
Ideal explanation. Clean and concise. So much more than the thinking when the engineers were designing that thing.
Thank you for sharing!
Just try designing an engine and see how it goes. Just try.
Glad you appreciate my video style and the engineers who made this marvel.
@tjsavage711 Which engine were you part of designing?
@tjsavage711
Which engine did you design?
You have a better boxer engine?
Tell me the name of the boxer engine you designed?
I'm not into cars or engines, but randomly stumbled upon this, and really enjoyed watching it to the end. Fascinating, and as other posts have said, this guy gives a textbook example of how to make a good video - no distracting shit, bad jokes, gimmicks etc: just fact. And I learned some things: engines are complex, always carry a toothbrush, and never buy a Subaru....
you don't look like someone who would take care of it anyway. You should never buy a subaru. Best for both of us
@@Chabot1801 Well spotted: I'm a Volvo diesel sort of guy (you know the type - drives at 20mph down the middle of the road, washes the car every day etc)
Jokes aside, owning a boxer in general requires more attention to maintenance, it's not for the lazy. Doing your due diligence will save a shit ton of money and heartache with these engines.
That being said, it's a car for people that don't mind or even like spending time under their car's hood every other Sunday morning (okay, maybe not THAT frequent... But it doesn't hurt.)
I and the wife have had 7 subarus and they have all been very good cars first was 1981 now have 2019 outback.
back
I'm on my 3rd Subie and I'll buy a dozen more if need be. Best cars I've owned besides Toyota trucks. When American companies like Jeep tell you that burning 2 quarts of oil (1/3 the total capacity) between oil changes with less than 40k miles on it is "considered to be within operational norm", I'll take timing belt changes and tiny oil leaks at over 100k all day long and twice on Sundays. A fool and his money, I reckon.
The mark of a master is knowing his craft well enough to explain it and make it sound easy. You, sir, are a master. I'm not a mechanic and have just barely above average knowledge of engines, but you made every aspect of this teardown understandable.
Thanks. I'm not a mechanic either
One of the most well made tutorial videos that I have seen. We viewers appreciate the absence of a long unnecessary intro with music that is often used as an attempt to seem "professional". You get right to business and thats why we are watching it in the first place. No stupid music or begging for "likes" or smashing the "subscribe" button. Well done.
Short and to the point is my style! Glad you enjoyed it.
Note how the engine is absolutely tartar free
I'm just as surprised. For a failed engine, insides are really clean
Jaaa, but what about cavities ?
these are great engines, they last forever if you change the oil on them, headgaskets do go bad but they are easy to do.
If they're so easy to do, why does Subaru charge $3,000 to fix it out of warranty?
$3k I wish. Got quotes $$5k dealer and $3k private Subaru mechanic several months ago. Although cheaper and faster to do the heads than get a new car.
I'm curious, around what mileages do the head gaskets become troublesome?
I'm learning this engine as I go I have to replace my headgaskets. It's been half a year since it worked properly. Im 2/3rds through tear out. It's been hell.
@@christopherchander2754 head gaskets were only an issue in the older naturally aspirated ej series engines due to the fact that they used a graphite gasket rather than a multi layer steel gasket. However everyone on the internet seems to think it automatically applies to all Subarus
I particularly liked your excellent narration, complemented by you pointing out the things you were explaining!
Clear, consise, and detailed, you give your viewers a greater appreciation and understanding of the issues you described.
Your Toothbrush trade mark is wonderful-and it shows off the best presentation that any professional can expect to view. Simply exceptionally good. Thank you for your production.
Easiest timing belt to change in my experience. Replace idlers always. Love these engines even with oil leaks.
And boost leak and utter turbo failure and oil burning and Subaru being lazy AF ever since the evo died
Yeah, someone has to love garbage I suppose.
Except when its DOHC! Haha
@@alanlangley7246 you really should stop smoking crack before posting comments.
@@rustymacshackleford6276 I have 250,000 on my still going
Never have a found a video on a Subaru boxer where the guy goes into this much detail 🙌🙌🙌
Seems like proper maintenance would fix the oil starving issues. First time I've seen a boxer pulled apart so thank you very much.
That's exactly it, subaru owners just have to be a tiny bit more meticulous with maintenance windows
Every 3k on the dot with quality synthetic oils. A friend of mine has 220k on a 2011 wrx.
LOL i bought a brand new 2018 Forester 2.5i Manual. Early oil changes at every 5k (following manual). Car burned 2qts of oil between 10k and 14k miles. Car was less than a year old. Traded it in for a tacoma... Best decision ive ever made.
@@TandyTerrison 1GR-FE v6 in your Tacoma?? That engine is virtually bomb proof. A weak link in the newer one, I've read, is the 6speed tranny. It wants to hunt for the gears. Lots of people wish they'd go back to the 5 speed from the early 2nd gens.
The oil starvation issues can be solved by overfilling it a bit if you drive hard in corners frequently, a custom pan is better solution for permanency though
The fluids pooling without gravity helping them drain to their proper reservoirs contributing to the head gasket failure has always been a theory I’ve had glad to see you point it out seems a fundamentally flawed design period I had a Porsche with a boxer engine same thing head gasket went
Its bunch of horseshit tho. EVERY ENGINE is constantly flooded in coolant to the top and under pressure. There is no god damn pooling going on. Head gasket failure on ej25 is purely from cheap graphite gaskets. The graphite wears off from temperature and coolant. All you have to do to have it PERMANENTLY fixed. Is to use Multilayer steel gasket from ej25 turbo from WRX. It will never ever blow out.
@@Kacpa2 there isn't a Subaru sold in 20 years that have a head gasket issue. It's nonsense. It was fixed when they change all engines to the MLS gaskets back in the late 90s early 2000s.
The problems are actually overheating, and people putting down massive power blowing the cylinder walls out of round.
@@jeepmanxj I was talking about 2.5 naturally apsirated EJ. And for turbo i know you dont have to tell me. Its always user negligence or ignorance with turbo EJs.
@@Kacpa2 even the na EJ hasn't had the issue in decades. It was well known enough that Subaru would replace the gaskets for free.
@@jeepmanxj Yes, but damage to their reputation was done, and now everyone stupidly memes about headgaskets whenever it comes to Subarus. Also not everyone had it fixed correctly, its incredibly widespread because of EJ25 that was affected by use of that shitty graphite gasket was sold in gigantic volume worldwide in Outbacks, Foresters and Legacies and people usually went for EJ25 instead of EJ20 or EZ30.
I have owed Two them 300,000+miles on the first car and 280,000+ on the one I'm driving now and no issues with either car !! Just get your regular maintenance when you are supposed to, or do some yourself if you can !! : )
Mine runs like a top!
It sucks that most people don’t do that. I’ve bought 3 Subaru’s and and 2/3 burned oil because of bad maintenance. I got a 98 legacy with a 2.2L motor which was bulletproof, it only died because of not doing the timing belt. I bought a 98 legacy GT with a 2.5L engine and it burned oil like crazy, it eventually got rodknock when it burned all the oil in one day. I replaced the engine myself in that one with a junkyard one with blown head gaskets and replaced them myself, that engine also burned oil but only about a quart every 2 weeks so it was alright, I still have it, but one of the brake lines broke and I haven’t gotten around to it. I have a 04 Impreza wagon and that one burns oil but I bought it fully knowing what I was getting into so I only paid $1k and it has 131k miles. I couldn’t pass it up since it was manual and it’s pretty much impossible to find where I live. Sadly it’s not the owners fault it burns oil, they took it to a shop that was robbing them. I’m currently in the process of doing what the shop didn’t do. I’m going to have to do a tune up and eventually a engine rebuild or swap:
@@itsvoodoo7050 It's good you can do your own work etc, so many are just Lazy or clueless.
But there are so many garages that don't care etc. I to do the work I can and keep on it. It really makes the difference what ever the brand. Thanks for posting !! : )
I hope this is true for my FRS!
@@itsvoodoo7050 The 2.2 was a MUCH better engine. The compromises they had to make to go to 2.5 turned it into a POS. And most of them burn oil.
Not a mechanic and don’t do ANY engine work but I’m IMPRESSED by you and your video.
Would love a way longer video on step by step breaking down the engine. You explain it so well. Props 👍🏽
When he started talking about the engine running low on oil, it reminded me to go check the oil level on my wife's Honda. Glad I did, because at 276,000 miles, it was a quart low.
Excellent video, too. Thanks for sharing.
Oil is like blood, very important to life
I sure learned plenty.
Note to self: change the oil frequently. Keep the head tight.
My dad always said changing oil is like cheap insurance against premature wear and failure.
And in almost 30 years of driving I’ve yet to blow up an engine. Excellent video!
Checking the oil is important too. And it's so simple!
Your Dad is a very bright man. Oil maintenance is the best investment anyone can do. I never let it run to the mileage in the manual. Depending on the type of driving. changes at 3-4 k for every car I owned. Just gave away my 2010 Equinox with 240,000 miles with no engine problems.
Spot on. I got complacent with my oil changes and over time the oil became very sludgy to the point where the oil pressure light would occasionally come on and the oil rings jammed up so it blew a lot of smoke. I ended up having to pull the engine apart and cleaning the sludge off of everything. Surprisingly and thankfully there was negligible wear so I put it back together and it ran well. I'm much more careful when it comes to vehicle maintenance these days.
I just traded in my 2008 Impreza last month. Got it in October 2007 (new) and owned it for 15 years. All I needed to fix on it was 2 wheel bearings and the fuel pump. Besides those things it was rock solid. I was nearing 200k miles when I sold it and it ran great.
I’m a mechanical engineer, who lived with professional Subaru specialists, mechanical engineers, and rally racers all in one. I haven’t watched the whole video but a lot of the things mentioned are silly - “if the engine oil is contaminated it will start eating through the head gasket” - uhhhh. If you’re putting the engine through these sorts of conditions, you have bigger problems. Problems that would be true for all engines not just Subarus.
Forced air intake Subarus have notable issues particularly with the oil filters becoming clogged. Mid-90s 2.5L Subarus have head gasket issues, which you may or may not experience, and which were corrected in the early aughts. One of my several 2.2L Subarus had an issue with the harmonic dampener not being bolted down enough (a mechanics error to not torque to the whopping ~170 ft-lbs (IIRC)). Otherwise I’ve accidentally driven the engine with virtually no oil for dozens or hundreds of miles with no major long-term issues. The EJ22 is considered to be one of the most reliable engines of all time
Long story short, it’s easy to take this video out of context. Yeah do required maintenance, yeah having corrosive oil is bad (why would you let such a thing happen????). Subarus are the most reliable/easily maintained vehicle I’ve ever owned.
@@stevebean1234 glad you said it, all engines have problems if mistreated. And all engines have flaws and reliability issues, recalls, and so forth. Subaru actually ranks very good in reliability indexes compared to most other brands. That is the funny thing, yet people (a small minority of doltards only ever found on the internet, who likely just saw a few memes one time) will still crap on a boxer in a Subaru, but not in a Porsche. Or they will say they're unreliable, when they're like the 7th most reliable brand there is (depending on survey), and so forth.
I used to own a couple of Subaru cars (1973 thru 1978). The nice thing about them was they were easy to work on. The bad thing was you had to work on them all the time. Amazing, after 50 years they still have a head gasket issue.
I’ve had my 03 wagon since 110k to 240k no problems
I learned more in 5 minutes watching this video than I learned watching 5 years worth of Scotty Kilmer videos!
Yeah me too....don't by a Subaru unless you are a good mechanic.
Ditto - This video is refreshingly close to perfect. Imagine if this was a standard... 90% of YT videos could simply be deleted!
Same👍
I have a Subaru and it works like a charm. The biggest cause of all Subaru engines is sludge buildup due to its engine and pistons' configurations that leads to multiple issues, so have the engine oil replaced as per manufacture's instructions. Is this too difficult to do?
MrGreatpersian purpose of engineering is to make things better and require less maintenance. There are vehicles that are so durable as long as your engine oil is holding up they don’t have basic faults that occur in them. That said, changing oil is pretty easy and definitely worth doing when stated it should be by manufacturer recommendations.
Τhe subaru boxer engine especially the ej20, is one of the most successful engines ever produced.
It has been used by subaru for over 20 years, making only a few upgrades over time.
All these problems that you mention in the video, are common problems of all engines due to poor maintenance and due to bad over tuning as is usually the case with subaru engines for increased performance. This particular engine is in such poor condition that it is not the result of poor design. Certainly this particular engine was not properly maintained over time.
I agree 100%, and yet, most of subaru owners are very careful in maintenance..... So, i suppose that You can buy a second-hand subie With no troubles, but a third-hand one maybe very dangerous: maybe it's his wife's car😂
(Honda/Acura J-Series Enters The Chat) 🔥🔥
my 91 subaru legacy has 362,000 miles on it and it is still running perfect. Yes, I change the oil about every 4-5000 miles but never over that and never use Fram filters.
Those were the good ones
Yes, mine were both early 90's engines and were fantastic, no oil or coolant leaks. People don't realize how much better the synthetic oils are compared to the older type. Much less friction mainly which leads to less heat, bearing wear, valve train wear, seal wear and of course ring and piston wear.
Why Subaru Engines FAIL
removes FRAM filter...
Best but underrated comment
Mann filters please
I owned 13 Toyotas over the years only one failed around 100,000 miles, about 4 weeks after I put in a fram filter, whic was against the advice given to me by Cobb county Toyota
adri weststrate That’s all I use on my 2010 VW Passat.
Gotta go with the NAPA gold filter. ;)
This video proudly sponsored by Colgate.
It’s great when you hear someone speak who knows what they’re talking about
Underrated comment, I genuinely enjoy listening to this guy.
I don't know, jamming a screwdriver against a cam face to hold it while you loosen a bolt isn't too smart.
Stop the Philosophical Zombies you’ve done it before 😉
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 Meh, that's a situational argument though. I guarantee I've done something similar with parts I had no intention of using again. We all have.
@@xCoolBreezex Sure. Still dumb though. ; )