DaveT

The blown headgasket can be anything from a tiny pinhole, that makes a small bubble every few seconds - which is the only symptom. to very blown, where it could effect a compression test. I have also seen pinhole leaks in radiator s, or slightly loose hoses that let coolant seep out while running, with almost no trace, but allow air into the system on the cool down. This does not cause the bubbles that a pinhole to the combustion chamber does.

#1 test. Check for continuous bubbles in the coolant - radiator cap open, or in the recovery tank. Make sure the system is full, start with the engine cold. Let it idle at least until it starts to get warmed up. OR until you see continuous bubbles. IF you see continuous bubbles, the head gasket/s is/are blown. The most common head gasket failure in Subarus is compression into coolant system. Once there is enough air in the system, it can't cool, and causes overheat. Do the fan/s run when it start to get over normal temp? If your systems is not showing signs of always having air in the coolant, something else is wrong. IS the air path through the radiator clean & clear? Inspect the tiny fins that are between the tubes. Are they all still there and solidly attached to the tubes? Flushing does not test the flow of the coolant path. How I have checked that is block the lower hose. Fill with water. Remove block quickly. The water should just gush out fast like it was all coming from 1 solid tank.

try a 1-2 second shot of carb cleaner into the throttle body, then try cranking. If it fires momentarily, spark, timing, etc are ok. If the timing belt is original, it is overdue for replacement, but this is another topic.

The ones I've rebuilt, I sanded until gone. Just be sure to be even to keep the face flat. An overheat event could accelerate problems. If the engine was OEM / stock / original, it was pretty much overdue for those seals to be leaking. And pretty much all of the other rubber seals. I've not tried gasket maker for the oil pan.. If whatever type you try is rated for that, and follow all the directions, I guess it should work. Getting the surfaces truly clean is probably the key.

It is normal. Use a flat bar and sandpaper to resurface and remove it from the block. Use sandpaper stuck to a shwet of glass to resurface the heads. Search for " post apocalyptic head resurfacing " for details.

I could buy 2, if the idea of more than one helps them get building...

It is entirely possible that the rear ones are different. I am mostly going by what the fsm specifically warns about, as I have never tried to force one back in. For clarity, I'll add that by "no brake" above I was referring only to the parking brake, not the driving brakes.

Exactly. The spindle thing is threaded. So that the handbrake compensates for the pad wear. If it got crushed bent, it could cause the no brakeing. The fsm warns against forcing the piston. If the lever isn't right, maybe assembly error, or maybe crunched up spindle.

This looks like one: https://shop.performanceradiator.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=1_32557_32785_32786_32787&product_id=10727

It sounds very much like the handbrake adjuster screw / spindle has been damaged. It is inside the piston, so the entire caliper must be disassembled to inspect it. I am not sure about parts availability. Other than getting a used or rebuilt caliper.

Are you saying that you broke a c clamp on one on your car now? That would ruin the parking brake system in that caliper.

If the fans don't run when the car isn't moving, it will overheat. The thermoswitch on the radiator or it's wiring or relay, etc. Need to be checked.

Stumbled across this page, claiming an 88 XT6 radiator is the same as an EA82T radiator. Not sure if that will get different matches... http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=49123&start=350

Nuts. I looked at the feedback. All 3 located in China. The feedback is overall very positive, BUT... Unfortunately, the feedback does not specifically tie to the listed items, so it's hard to tell which complaints are about which products.

It's odd how those 3 sellers look so similar. I found a website going into all kinds of pro & con of Al vs Copper. Looks like Al is better corrosion resistance. Copper is easier to repair, but typically, I've had radiators fail by the tiny fins corroding away from the tubes, which is not repairable, except by re-coring. I have to contact them to find out about shipping. I must say, that the OEM Al & plastic radiator in our 2001 Forester was still good when we sold it in 2015. Longer than any copper / brass radiator I ever had.

How do aluminum ones withstand salt compared to copper / brass ones.

I have yet to use Rock. Some seem to have good luck, some not so much. Some of the replacement part companies cheap out on everything. That is a risk of only looking at the price. The way I look at it - I am saving tons of money running these old cars. And doing the repairs. I can spend for the better / best parts, and still be way ahead. Reliability & longevity. Just keep a close eye on the radiator. My guess, is it just might not last as long as a beefy one.

check fuel pressure, also the injector.

If it has spark, and didn't before, it could be flooded. Spray carb cleaner into the throttle body for 1 to 2 zeconds. Hold gas pedal to floor crank 5 to 10 secondso of crank. It might take a few tries, but if it tries to run, that's a good sign.

Cheapo will work, but for how long? It's about reliability. When a timing belt fails, there is no warning. The engine stops running. If it is a non interference design, you are only stuck where you are. If it is an interference design, odds are, you end up with a bent valve or worse. OEM belts, idlers,tensioner will make it to the service interval.

First things to check- Are you getting spark? Remove center wire from the distributor, and arrange it with a wire or whatever to make a gap to ground. See if it sparks while cranking. Fuel? T a pressure gauge into the supply line after the filter under the hood. Also, when the engine is cold, and sat for a good while, if you remove the air boot, you can see fuel spray from the injector on the initial crank. If you try to observe this, do be careful about moving parts, and the possibility of a backfire. You don't want to be missing an eyebrow, or worse.

Stop leak is not a good idea. Won't work on moving seals [water pump shaft] anyway. IF you drive the car before fixing this, watch the coolant level like a hawk. As in check before every start. My experience has been this - if you let the coolant run low and the temp gauge runs above normal, the head gaskets are ruined. Maybe not instantly, if it's only a little over, but they gradually fail in that case. I have gotten away with running short trips in my older EA82 cars by topping off before every start, and using a modified radiator cap that runs zero pressure. The zero pressure is to slow the leak. I do not know if the newer engines will cool properly with zero pressure however. I managed to nurse one along with a cracked head long enough to rebuild a spare engine, which I then swapped in. The timing belts and idlers and tensioner should all be replaced at 100,00 mile intervals. Don't use cheapo parts for this.

I am posting this to help somene who may come across this before they get into this situation.... Roll pins should tap in, not be hammered in. When something isn't going right, stop. More force is not often the correct answer.

I made brackets based on what I saw on my 4wd wagon when I converted a fwd to 4wd. They don't attach to the flat part of the floor. They attach to the sides of the tunnel. I can try to remember to get pics tonight.

I recommend finding a factory service manual, online or on ebay.