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Subaru Boxer Engine Pros Cons
I don't think they have a patent, Porsche and Ferrari (among others) have both sold boxer engines.
My relatively uninformed opinion follows.
Pros: (pretty much off the Subaru web site)
Low CG
Better engine balance
Less intrusion into passenger compartment in crash
Cons:
More difficult to uniformly lubricate cylinder walls
Difficult to fit engine and suspension in the same space
I wonder if they will last as long as a more upright design
as the miles accumulate due to lubrication issues.
In the Subaru implementation they should have used a timing
chain instead of a belt.
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Subaru Boxer Engine Pros Cons
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As for the timing chain, that's another controversy, I'd rather have a belt than a chain.Best of luck.
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Why is that? The belt is quieter but beyond that I see only disadvantages.
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Subaru Boxer Engine Pros Cons
Good arguments Murf.
You haven't convinced me, but good arguments nonetheless.
I'm an advocate of changing the timing chain with every valve job  and exchanging strength for marginally better balance in this application doesn't seem like a good trade to me.
But belts work fine, they're just a PIA/expensive to change. If all engines with belts were non-interference I'd feel a little better about them.
Anyone know if the Subaru is an interference engine?
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Subaru Boxer Engine Pros Cons
Murf, if what you're saying is correct then you have to wonder why manufacturers continue to specify a 75k-100k maintenance item to change the timing belts. I've never heard of a maintenance item for chain replacement but I agree that changing one when the mileage is >100k and the engine is otherwise going repairs (water pump, front seal, heads off, etc) would be a good idea.
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Subaru Boxer Engine Pros Cons
Thanks Murf. I'm not too worried about belts, since many of our vehicles have had them, but still prefer a chain. Maybe it's all in my head. I've had chain issues too, an old Opel wore through the chain tensioner every 50k miles or so and fixing that was every bit as bad as changing a belt. Still, the chains give me a warmer, fuzzier feeling.
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ok. Somebody tell me what an interference engine is....
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If valves can hit the piston when the valve timing is off (like when a timing belt breaks) it's an interference engine.
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Subaru Boxer Engine Pros Cons
Nice to see you on here again Mark.
It's funny, I drive a 4WD Tacoma and my wife drives an 07 Subaru Impreza. In snow the Impreza is amazing, the Tacoma not so much. Even in 4WD with studded snow tires and a few hundred pounds of sand in the bed the Tacoma isn't even close. Now if the Impreza had more ground clearance it would be perfect. In the next year or so Subaru is supposed to come out with a new Impreza version called the XV Crosstrek with much more ground clearance and we may trade the old one in for one of those.
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