I wonder if anyone can identify this gasket please. It's meant to be a 97-98 EJ20 2l NA engine. (I've even measured the bore and stroke - 2l)
I have been supplied with gaskets but they do not match.
Here's my head:
Here's the new gasket on the head but shifted down to show the mismatch
[ Edited on 21-4-2007 by ElusiveStranger ]
I suspect, your heads are earlier. Take the gasket back and swap it.
Pete,
Could you please be a bit more specific please? Earlier than 'what'?
I've got a 'buggers muddle' going on here!
(might have to go to the Subaru dealers on Monday [cringes at expense]
what I was saying is I think you've got a motor that is pre 97-8. wreckers (car brakers) are often a bit optimistic about the age of motors they
sell. I have what was spose to be an aussie spec 99 outback 2.5l. I now know it's more like a 95-7 2.5l import motor from Japan. Unless you have the
chassis no of the specific car it came from there is no real way to check than by comparing parts. Subaru has so many different variations on their
motors that it's a real pain to try and figure things out sometimes. take your old headgasket to the subaru dealer. ask him to pull them out until
you find the right one. when he realises you are serious he will help hopefully. when you get the right one, record the serial no somewhere safe for
the future. 
btw, how did you blow your head gasket?
Cheers for the reply Pete.
Will be going to the main dealer tomorrow. When I asked them before about gaskets they quoted me approx £200 for a full engine set, that's around
480 ASD. Was told they wouldn't supply just the head gaskets.
I've asked on a Subaru forum and a few people recommended Cometic and a few other brands. I got the replacements from E-bay at a very reasonable
price (well it would have been reasonable if they'd fitted)
I only needed head gaskets 
Gotta say Scoobies can be a right PITA if you don't have a chassis number. I thought having an engine number would be fine - couldn't have been so
wrong!
By the look of the gasket that failed it was incorrectly fitted and the metal part of the sump oil return moved, creating a weak point.
Here's a picture of the failure:
Another way of helping age an engine is to check the date clock on any plastic moulded parts. An easy one is inside the oil filler cap..
Rich
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I think the gaskets you got were for a quad cam
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