[OBone]

I am seriously thinking of moving to the 3.0 Outback for its fuel economy. Have to say my current vehicle is a 4.0 Discovery2 V8 so anything would be cheaper

I know my way around an engine bay, I know how to DIY a couple of basic to moderate service items.

What are the specific things to look out for on these motors? Ignore the normal knocking the body to check for putty, frequent service intervals etc.

 

[dan04103]

I ran through the gambit last year doing an ATF w/ filter flush, power steering flush, throttlebody cleaning, PCV cleaning, Oil w/ filter change, Front/Rear diff fluid change, Coolant change, spark plug change (this sucks on the H6 due to the frame rail clearance to the rear-most plugs), brake fluid change. Do these and your H6 will rock like it just rolled off the showroom floor. I get 25MPG now.

 

[avk]

One specific thing is to remove the undercover when checking for leaks.

 

[idosubaru]

The H6 engine is absolutely awesome. I mean it's not a super power house beast or anything, you might hate it for being underpowered compared to that V8 - but it's just super reliable and cheap and easy to maintain. Don't over heat it or run it out of oil and 200,000 miles is a breeze with very little maintenance or costs. Two of my daily drivers are that motor for those reasons. I plan on 300,000 miles out of mine. Currently at 200,000 and 160,000.

One note: The serpentine idler and tensioner bearings fail *all the time*, like consider them maintenance items. Luckily you can replace the bearings for $5 or less each and it only takes a few minutes and a wrench, very easy to do. There's a sticky about it on this forum somewhere. You can also buy a DAYCO replacement pulley from any parts store for like $20 or less that has the bearing already in it.

 

[OBone]

The H6 engine is absolutely awesome. I mean it's not a super power house beast or anything, you might hate it for being underpowered compared to that V8 - but it's just super reliable and cheap and easy to maintain. Don't over heat it or run it out of oil and 200,000 miles is a breeze with very little maintenance or costs. Two of my daily drivers are that motor for those reasons. I plan on 300,000 miles out of mine. Currently at 200,000 and 160,000.

One note: The serpentine idler and tensioner bearings fail *all the time*, like consider them maintenance items. Luckily you can replace the bearings for $5 or less each and it only takes a few minutes and a wrench, very easy to do. There's a sticky about it on this forum somewhere. You can also buy a DAYCO replacement pulley from any parts store for like $20 or less that has the bearing already in it.

Dont forget the V8 has 2 and a bit tonnes worth of body to drag around.

Serpentine idler is not a big deal.

This might sound stupid, but is the H6 turbo charged or not in standard form?

 

[CNY_Dave]

No, no turbo.

My '03 LL bean H6 weighs a bit more than 3600lbs (us)

 

[Soledad]

And don't forget it's got a timing chain instead of a belt. That was one of the few main reasons I chose the H6 instead of the 4-cyl. I've never had a belt break on any of my cars but it's just a pet peeve of mine to have to change them out.

I just wish my '05 has about 40 more ft.lb. of torque. 250 HP/250 TQ would make it near perfect.

 

[smeric]

Ditto on the idler/tensioner bearings. Everything else on my 3.0 has been very reliable for 70,000 miles.
Check the stereo and HVAC operation carefully. Most of the 3.0 cars have the integrated stereo/HVAC unit with auto climate control, and there are a few posts on this site about part or all of the unit failing because of bad soldering on a circuit board. Because the stereo and HVAC are integrated, they aren't easily replaced with aftermarket pieces. $600 seemed to be the going rate for a new replacement part from Subaru; I got lucky and found one in a salvage yard for $100.
MPG can be a little disappointing around town. I've seen 16-17 averages when driving exclusively around town. 19-20 is my typical average in mixed driving, mostly city.
On the highway I've seen as high as 28 under ideal conditions.