dribbling green!

[bigwildcarp]

So I have an 85 Gl wagon with a carb ea82 and im pissing green. I bought it in Idaho a little over a month ago and pulled the motor and put regasketed and sealed it. Everything from the headgaskets out, intake, rear and front main, water pump, oil pump seals and a new thermostat.

 

So after re torquing the head gaskets and getting coolant into her upon startup I noticed a coolant leak coming off the passengers side head, i tracked it down to the intake manifold leaking coolant so i let it cool down put a bit more torque on the bolts and it went away.

 

Jump forward a trip up the alcan and a few weeks of around town driving.

 

Its doing it again! same side, same frickin leak, so last night I ran out and got some fel-pro intake manifold gaskets, pulled the intake, cleaned everything real good put them in and this morning its still leaking. Its got to be a little sucker because once its warmed up it seems so shut itself off.

 

Here's what I think could be going on.

 

When i pulled the intake the first time, the leaking sides bolts were corroded and the threads were pretty rough. So I chased them the best I could with a bolt I had, threw some anti-seize on them and put them back in. Maybe the bolts are bottoming out on some corrosion that has fallen into the bottom of the bolt hole and I could put some washers on the heads?

 

I could also go buy a tap and chase everything.

 

What color of RTV is the best for coolant?

 

thanks

[hatchsub]

Intake gaskets go on dry. There should be NO need for rtv or any other type of sealant. Also felpro intake gaskets are not the best. It is usually agreed upon that genuine subaru only for intake gaskets. All other gaskets are ok to use felpro. Subaru gaskets are a bit thicker than the felpro. As for running into some corrosion down low in the hole its quite possible. Do you have a tape and die set? I would run a tape down there to the bottom on all the holes to clean them out and try again. Also make sure that both matting surfaces are very clean as in NO foreign material or you will not get a good seal. Good luck.

[bigwildcarp]

OEM Gaskets. Problem Solved.

[dragonfire]

i agree with hatchsub. clean those threads and clean clean clean. as many old cars i have worked on more non subarus than subarus. hey i got started late in the subaru game:rolleyes:.

 

cleaning threads and surfaces is the best you can do to insure that everything well set right and that you can tighten bolts all the way with out trash causing problems. i have not had issue with fel pro but i am sure oem is better. at least from the subaru point of veiw. i have good thing about the oem stuff.

[hatchsub]

OEM Gaskets. Problem Solved.

 

Awesome glad to hear it.

[MilesFox]

how about the little hose between the thermostat housing and the top of the block? there was no mention of it, maybe you forgot to ighten a clamp, or the hose itself is cracked. when this is leaking, it usually goes down the back of the engine on the passenger side