This weekend we have enjoyed removing the engine from Junior's MY09 2.5i wagon.
Sadly after less than 115,000kms the engine is out to service what are arguably Subaru's inferior head gaskets in the EJ25 NA engines.
http://imgur.com/a/7bwXM
Up to and including the Gen4 Subaru continued with a single layer coated head gasket, The coating on the gasket brakes down and external oil leaks are usually the first sign the head gasket "cancer" has started.
Our local garage man has decided that a road worthy was not going to be given with the external oil leak.
The last photos in the series show the head gasket removed today and show the coating on the gasket breaking down, coming off and the bright base shim commencing to show through.
In our case, the oil was leaking directly onto the (hot) exhaust, so I guess Mr Garage Man is justified in his opinion?
We installed the Multi Layered Shim (MLS) head gasket from the 2.5T STI engine which is one of the recommended PERMANENT fix from the USA based Subaru forums.
According to the USA forums, Subaru finally introduced these MLS head gaskets on the GEN5 2.5i engines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZbPlHnistA
In this video you may also see the "standard" head gaskets with deteriorating coating and a candid opinion from Justin Stobb regarding Subaru's head gaskets.
If you own a Gen4 or earlier EJ25 NA vehicle, it is not a case of "IF" you will experience oil leak failure head gasket, it is a case of "WHEN" it will be experienced.
If you have a Gen5, then these vehicles are reported to have the better MLS gasket fitted.