Poll: What to do About

headgasket failure in my 1997 Outback Wagon with a 2.5 liter I4?!?!

I do believe my car is finally suffering the same headgasket failure as many (too many!) others on this board. My car has 134K miles, which i count myself lucky to have achieved before the headgasket problem occurred...

Anyway, now I am faced with a decision:

Option A) do I spend the $1600 to have the headgaskets replaced on my engine that has 134K miles? OR,

Option B) do I buy a low-mileage (46K miles to be exact) engine assembly from a salvage yard in another state, have head gaskets installed on it, and then have it installed on the car for a grand total of $3,000?

I like my car, but I figure my car is worth only about $5,500...

Anyone have an opinion?

If you replace the head gaskets you should not have the problem again. Do both at the same time however, not just one side. You then should have an engine that will last over another 100,000 miles

well, i see not much interest in this poll to date.

i have decided to order a salvage engine (46,000 miles) from a yard in Texas and install new headgaskets on it while it sits on the wood pallet on which it will be shipped to my home. since money is in very limited supply in my life right now, i am going to do the headgaskets on the "new" engine as a precaution, AND the removal of the the old engine and installation of the "new" in my car all by myself.

i figure i have little to lose. if i can get 50% of it complete myself before i drag it all down to a local mechanic for completion, i am still waaay ahead as far as money is concerned by having done a fair amount of it myself.

i feel the pain of all of you out there that have had headgasket failures in your '95-98 vintage I4 engine subaru...simply not a good engine design in this regard!