★★★★★
"Fantastic place, everyone there is honest and knowledgeable. I brought it in my Subaru Legacy GT here after the headgasket started leaking on it. We decided on rebuilding the entire engine and Mark was very helpful in telling me which parts should be upgraded given the power goals I had for the car."
Nik B., Google review
★★★★★
"The team was extremely informative, helpful, and allowed me to do my own install which I appreciated. The engine is running strong now and I am taking my time to break it in following their recommended procedure."
Chris H., Google review
★★★★★
"These guys are the best. The dealer repeatedly could not properly diagnose the issue with my 2017 Subaru Forester. One time at EVAR and the problem was properly diagnosed and fixed."
James A., Google review
That patch of oil on your driveway is telling you something, and it is usually not "you need a new engine."
Subarus leak in predictable places. Valve cover gaskets harden. Oil pan gaskets weep. Rear main seals let go. And the head gaskets on certain engines fail often enough that Subaru owners around Puget Sound talk about it like weather. A reseal fixes those problems without touching the internals, and for a lot of the cars that arrive at our Kent shop it is the right and much cheaper answer.
What a Subaru Engine Reseal Covers
A reseal replaces the gaskets and seals that keep oil and coolant where they belong. The engine internals stay as they are.
Our reseal work in Kent includes:
- Complete engine resealing
- Head gasket replacement, the classic Subaru failure
- Valve cover gasket replacement
- Oil pan gasket replacement
- Rear main seal replacement
- Cam and crank seal replacement
- Timing cover and water pump seals while access is open
- Subaru oil leak diagnosis and repair
We use OEM Subaru gaskets and seals, follow factory torque specs, and pressure test before the car goes back to you.
Reseal or Rebuild? How We Decide
This is the question that matters, and getting it wrong in either direction costs you.
Reseal too late and you pay twice. A head gasket that has been leaking combustion gases into the coolant for months will often warp or erode the head surface, and then you are into machining and a long block rebuild instead of a gasket job.
Rebuild when a reseal would do, and you spent thousands you did not need to.
So we test before we quote. A coolant pressure test, a leak-down or compression test, a dye trace on external leaks, and a look at the oil for coolant contamination. Then we tell you which job you actually need.
Ever been quoted a full rebuild without anyone testing anything first?
It happens constantly, and it is why we test first and quote second.
If the tests show the internals are healthy and the leak is at a gasket or seal, we reseal. If the tests show a scored cylinder or a warped head, we say so, show you the evidence, and talk about a Subaru engine rebuild instead.
What Affects the Price of a Subaru Reseal
No honest number exists before we know which seals are leaking and what has to come apart to reach them. What drives it:
Which seals. A valve cover gasket is a modest job. A rear main seal means separating the engine and transmission.
Whether the engine has to come out. On several Subaru engines, a full reseal is far more practical with the engine on the stand.
Head gasket or not. Head gasket work means removing the heads, and the heads then need checking for flatness.
What the heads need. If they are warped or cracked, machining enters the picture and the job changes shape.
How long it has been leaking. Coolant loss that has been going on for months sometimes takes the water pump, thermostat or radiator with it.
We give you the findings, the options and the price, then you choose.
Why Subaru Head Gaskets Fail Around Kent
The EJ25 is the engine behind most of the head gasket calls we get. The design puts the gasket in a hard spot, and high mileage examples around Kent, Renton and Auburn have usually been through many heat cycles by the time they arrive.
Our climate does not help. Short trips in cool wet weather mean the engine spends more of its life warming up than at steady temperature, and heat cycling is what fatigues a gasket.
So how early can you catch one?
The tell is rarely dramatic. Coolant slowly disappearing with no puddle. A sweet smell after a drive. The overflow bottle bubbling. Catch it at that stage and it is a gasket job. Ignore it through a summer and it becomes a head job or worse.
Related work we handle in the same building:
- Subaru head gasket replacement as a dedicated service
- Subaru machine shop for surfacing heads that need it
- Subaru cylinder head repair and valve work
- Subaru coolant service once the system is sealed again
- Subaru diagnostic service when the symptom is not obvious
- Subaru timing belt replacement while the front of the engine is open
Who Is Doing the Work
Mark Bryant founded East Valley Auto Rebuild and runs it with his wife Denise. Across the Pacific Northwest he is known as the "Independent Subaru Guru."
Family-owned and locally owned means you talk to people who remember your car, not a call center.
We have been doing this for over 30 years, which tells us quickly whether a leak is a reseal job or the start of something bigger.
BBB A+ Accredited. Our philosophy, "A Journey of Gratitude and Growth," is on the wall, and in daily practice it means telling customers what needs attention now versus what can safely wait.
Our shop sits in a 7,000 square foot facility at 22647 88th Ave S in Kent, with the machining equipment on site for the jobs where a reseal turns into head work. We serve Kent, Seattle, Tacoma, Auburn, Renton, Federal Way, Des Moines, Burien, SeaTac and Covington.
Subaru Engine Reseal FAQ
How do I know if I need a reseal or a full rebuild?
Testing, not guessing. We run compression or leak-down testing plus a coolant pressure test. If the internals check out and the leak is at a seal, a reseal is the answer. We show you the results either way.
Does my engine have to come out for a reseal?
Sometimes. It depends which seals are leaking. Several Subaru seals are far more practical to replace with the engine on a stand, and doing it that way properly beats fighting it in the car. We tell you before we start.
Will a Subaru head gasket repair last?
Yes, when the head surface is checked and machined if needed, OEM gaskets are used and the bolts are torqued to factory sequence. Head gasket jobs come back when someone skips the head inspection to save time.
My Subaru loses coolant but there is no puddle. What is that?
Often an internal head gasket leak, with coolant going into the combustion chamber instead of onto the ground. Worth testing soon, because the longer it runs the more likely the heads need machining.
Do you use OEM Subaru gaskets?
We do. Genuine Subaru gaskets and seals, and factory torque specs. On a job where the labor is the expensive part, saving a little on the gasket makes no sense.
Get the Leak Diagnosed
If your Subaru is dropping oil on the driveway, using coolant, or smelling sweet after a drive, get it looked at before the cheap repair becomes the expensive one.
We are at 22647 88th Ave S, Kent, WA 98031. Call (253) 872-7468 and we will test it before anyone talks about price.
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