Subaru Engine Swap?

[Pete]

My 2009 Subaru with 6 cyl. turbo broke down with a blown head gasket 1500 miles away from home with my son. Do I have a repair shop swap engines for $4500 or do the head for $3900? Any good mechanics in Sandy Utah?

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[Mike]

Heck, the car is only 8 years old. Subarus have earned a reputation for blowing head gaskets, but I have no idea if that only applies to a certain engine/model year combo. I would have thought Subaru had gotten on top of this issue by the time your car was built.

I’m assuming the engine swap option would involve a salvage yard pick as a replacement, and not a professionally rebuilt crate engine. If it was my car, I’d opt to keep the original engine and get it fixed. There’s no telling what shape a salvage yard engine would be in, and you could end up with a POS from the wrong year, with a fried turbo, or that blows its head gasket 200 yards further down the road.

[Pete]

no, new pro built motor

[Author]

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