Subaru Boxer engine?

James H Clark · Jan 15, 2020

OT: Anybody got an opinion on the Boxer 6 engine in the new Subaru Legacy's? We have a 2015 Legacy with V6 that we really like. Wanting to trade for new Legacy, but V6 no longer available. What is everyone's opinion on the new engine?

JH

gustafson · Jan 15, 2020

Subarus have been boxers for 40 years...........

[edit] 54 years

dalmatiangirl61 · Jan 15, 2020

Friend is a Subaru nut, I've seen plenty of boxer 4 & 6, never heard mention of a V6.

gustafson · Jan 15, 2020

Proper answer to the question, if you like the car you have now, you will like a new one, same engine

PackardV8 · Jan 15, 2020

Can you believe an internet search will bring up several sites referring to the Subaru flat six as a V6, even with an illustration clearly showing it as a flat six?

If you're looking to go far, and fast, a V6 engine will do just the trick. Offering the ideal balance of power and fuel economy for your everyday drive, it's no surprise that this strong compact engine has become a popular choice in modern vehicles. Hoping your new Outback comes with a V6 engine? Well, you're in luck.

BTW, if one buys a Subie and plans on keeping it, have the heads retorqued at 70,000 miles. We get pairs of the heads in to be surfaced most days. The local shop charges $1800 for head gaskets because either the owners were too cheap or too clueless to have the heads retorqued.

jack vines

Cole2534 · Jan 15, 2020

PackardV8 said:
...
jack vines

Neat pic. At the bottom of that engine, have they routed a coolant line through the oil filter mount? Presumably as a heat exchange method?

dalmatiangirl61 · Jan 15, 2020

PackardV8 said:
Can you believe an internet search will bring up several sites referring to the Subaru flat six as a V6, even with an illustration clearly showing it as a flat six?

BTW, if one buys a Subie and plans on keeping it, have the heads retorqued at 70,000 miles. We get pairs of the heads in to be surfaced most days. The local shop charges $1800 for head gaskets because either the owners were too cheap or too clueless to have the heads retorqued.

jack vines

Friend works almost exclusively on Subaru's, anytime I see a new one there my first question is, head gaskets or timing belts?

DDoug · Jan 15, 2020

I see they tried it as a diesel for a short time....

gustafson · Jan 15, 2020

Cole2534 said:
Neat pic. At the bottom of that engine, have they routed a coolant line through the oil filter mount? Presumably as a heat exchange method?

common thing, audi did it 30 years ago

GregSY · Jan 15, 2020

That timing chain path looks miserable.

In 2020, ANY engine that require the head bolts to be re-tightened after 70K miles is, let's just say to be polite, of highly dubious nature. That has a distinctly Teutonic ring to it...what have the Japanese come to???

homanfab · Jan 15, 2020

You can have a flat 'V' engine, just 180° V. Difference between a boxer and a 180° V is the crankshaft. Subaru is technically a boxer engine.

dalmatiangirl61 · Jan 15, 2020

GregSY said:
That timing chain path looks miserable.

In 2020, ANY engine that require the head bolts to be re-tightened after 70K miles is, let's just say to be polite, of highly dubious nature. That has a distinctly Teutonic ring to it...what have the Japanese come to???

With a proper mechanic, they can take some serious abuse! Although I do kinda agree on the re-torque issue. Probably does not help that they have a crazy torgue, then loosen x# degrees, then re-tighten x# degree head bolt tightening procedure, it may not be exactly as I posted, but its not torque and go which is what most mechanics are used to.

Cole2534 · Jan 15, 2020

GregSY said:
That timing chain path looks miserable.

In 2020, ANY engine that require the head bolts to be re-tightened after 70K miles is, let's just say to be polite, of highly dubious nature. That has a distinctly Teutonic ring to it...what have the Japanese come to???

Seriously? I get more miles out of brake pads than that.

3t3d · Jan 15, 2020

One use for a Subie....

YouTube

GregSY · Jan 15, 2020

A 'V' cannot be a straight line by definition, not any more than a circle can be a 'V'.... Of course, there are 4 sided triangles but the government keeps those under wraps.

dkmc · Jan 15, 2020

The 4 cylinders always sound like they're skipping. Do the 6 cylinders sound like that too?

DDoug · Jan 15, 2020

3t3d said:
One use for a Subie....

YouTube

and another....
YouTube

bikebuilder · Jan 15, 2020

No way you have a Suby with a V6 unless someone put it in custom.

Having said that, the Suby 6's have had less issues with head gaskets than the non turbo 4's. Guess the gasket makeup is just different enough that it doesn't suck.

If you go 100k on a 4 cycl Suby engine without doing head gaskets you are lucky. We have had a number of them.. they aren't the typical 'go forever' asian car.

APD · Jan 15, 2020

homanfab said:
You can have a flat 'V' engine

Any Examples?

James H Clark · Jan 15, 2020

Please give me a moment to wipe the egg off my face. Never been under the hood of my wife's car, she always has it serviced at the dealer. We were told by the kid that sold it to us (new) that it was a V6. When we go back to him about trading, he said the V6 was no longer available, only the "flat" six cylinder "boxer" engine. Okay, so no real change after all. Thanks to all.

JH

Subaru Boxer engine?

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