91 2.0 subaru legacy, needs head gasket and timing blet replacement. how do i repair?
If you're not a very experienced mechanic, take the car to one. You're going to be pulling off the cylinder head, which requires a LOT of teardown just to get to that point. The way you set up the engine before disassembling even the first bolt is critical, and there are about a hundred little tricks and techniques you're going to need to know before you do such a job.
Here's a photo of my wife's car from this past weekend (copy and paste into your browser) - I replaced the head gasket on her Honda Civic. This was several hours' worth of teardown and cleaning in preparation for installing the new gasket (the new head gasket is in the picture, lying flat with the four large holes for the pistons):
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2785/4109568522_d7c707bd30_m.jpg
There are specific two-step torque sequences and patterns for reinstalling the head that are crucial to do properly or it'll never seal. I'm sure the information on how to do it, step by step, but if you're going to tackle the job, you'll need a lot of time, an extensive tool set, step by step instructions and torque specs for many of the subassemblies, quite a few new parts (head gasket, head bolts/studs, manifold gaskets, timing belt, timing tensioner, accessory belts, water pump, thermostat, all fluids (since they'll be drained before starting), etc etc etc). It's a huge job and one that is easy to screw up, and on a teardown of this level, one mistake can be all you need to destroy the engine.
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