Subaru EJ253 help needed (pre-emptive head gasket and timing belt questions)

In reply to Ojala:

That's a good suggestion, but my car has California emissions and the sets that I'm seeing don't include California gaskets. I may have to pick and choose.

With new head bolts, the cart total is at $401.

You're also going to want to pick up the water pump gasket from the dealer. Thats the only way to get the metal one. Its the same gasket for basically any subie motor the parts guy has parts for so they have tons of them. And make sure you buy the gates timing belt kit but not the gates racing, to get all the OEM parts. The water pump you get from rock auto no matter what kit you get won be as good as oem but this isnt a racecar so the difference between a stamped steel impeller and a cast steel impeller dont matter.

There may be an oil pan gasket, but I've never used or installed one. The pan is sealed from the factory with RTV and there is a tube of RTV included in the Fel-Pro head gasket kit.

Correcto, no oil pan gasket. Order Honda Bond on amazon its basically the same as fiji bond and beat the E36 M3 out of any RTV you can buy at the parts store, I've replaced all my RTV uses with it.

Very helpful stuff here. Thanks guys.

fornetti14 wrote: There may be an oil pan gasket, but I've never used or installed one. The pan is sealed from the factory with RTV and there is a tube of RTV included in the Fel-Pro head gasket kit.

I can't get the Felpro gasket kit because it's a California car (U-5). I need to order the parts individually.

Leafy wrote: Correcto, no oil pan gasket. Order Honda Bond on amazon its basically the same as fiji bond and beat the E36 M3 out of any RTV you can buy at the parts store, I've replaced all my RTV uses with it.

I think there are a couple of different Honda Bonds. Which one do you use?

I think its HT. The one thats a gray goop.