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Bring on the leaks... uh oh?


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Okay, obviously this is bad... Very bad... But I want to know what happened....

 

I just filled the radiator today at work, let it sit about 20 mins and it had bubbled down a bit, so I topped it up and started it... dropped down quite a bit, so I shut it off, topped it up again and closed the cap, started it and let it run for about 20 mins (figured any extra would go into the overflow) no leaks on the garage floor at work... come home (about 15 miles) and park the car, not smoking or anything. Lock the car, go inside, come outside about 8 hours later to this:

 

20140126_002732_zps9d072874.jpeg

 

The fluid is green... So I open the hood (and the stupid latch came off the body of the car... thats obnoxious.... I poke my head around... little bit of fluid on the lower radiator hose, but not a ton... No coolant surrounding the water pump so doubt that blew up... however on the back passenger side of the engine theres coolant... and underneath the engine (on the engine) there is coolant... what gives? The other EA82 isnt ready to drop in yet... so I was hoping Ned would still last a bit longer... maybe a month... this might not be possible now...

 

Atop the engine looking down: 

20140126_002835_zps8af0c9a8.jpeg

 

Passenger rear of motor:

20140126_002822_zpsa891f2c4.jpeg

 

Crappy picture, but under the motor:

20140126_002903_zps7bc5080d.jpeg

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Just noticed that last picture doesnt exactly show anything...

 

I will also note my DS headgasket has been blown for the last 40k+ miles... it just hasnt done anything except leak oil externally... and I think a tiny bit of fluid is mixing as the coolant is disappearing somehow... but now there it is.. all running down the parking lot.

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Just went out and checked the oil... still golden brown (about 60 miles on the oil change) 

 

The puddles werent any bigger than they were last night so I started him up and let him run through two fan cycles....

 

Nothing leaked... I mean under the carb smoked a little but I know those gaskets have been leaking a bit... not as much as was on the ground....

 

So Im thoroughly perplexed. Guess its time to devote the weekends to the other motor... I should be able to assemble it in a weekend and then drop it in... Just means Ned will have to be down for a few weekends since some of the parts are off his current motor (intake and carb)

 

On a side note: Using OEM gaskets... which manual do I use for the torque pounds and procedure... and do I overtorque each step by a few pounds or just the last step by a few pounds? --- Im hoping to not have to retorque.

 

 

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Keep an eye on your rear view while climbing a hill at speed for steam out the back. Just went through this 2 weeks ago with my GL. It was a bypass hose that split in me. Take the whole air filter assembly off and look at two small diameter rubber hoses. One comes off the thermostat and one goes to the intake manifold just behind the carb.

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One thing I found from experience - if water finds its way into the oil pan/sump and engine has not been run, water sinks to the bottom , so is first to come out when undo sump drain pan plug.

 

You've got bad gaskets for some time at the carby base ? Sounds probable cause or the block to thermostat hose/fitting

 

When I have used OEM from Subaru head gaskets twice now - two gaskets on two EA82's - I have found the gaskets did not want retension at all when I tried. My machine shop guy says never back them off to retension.. 

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The coolant running off the top of the block would suspect the skinny hose on the top of the block to thermostat, but if you think you have a blown head gasket, i wouldn't rule out a bad intake gasket losing coolant externally. Are you sure the oil leak is not the cam tower o-ring?

 

Speaking of perplexing, i had a carb apart and back together trying to be un-perplexed, to find the intake gasket was bad.

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Well, no smoke occurred on the way to my Subaru meet tonight... however headed home I dropped gears from 4th to 3rd and shifted at about 4.5K after I made the hill... pulled into the driveway, back into my spot and the hood errupts in steam... open it up... I have coolant under the carb, back of the passenger side head etc etc etc.

 

Yupp, time to baby Ned and shift nicely until the other block is built.

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So its all pooling on the back of the motor, and Im sure the carb gasket is a problem, Im looking into how to replace those but for the time being, they werent leaking THAT bad.

 

However, there is a ton of coolant on the back of the motor and this hose seems to be the culprit... What is it? I wasnt aware that it carried fluid last time I was shown which hoses to replace (I thought it was an air line for the PCV system) 

 

20140128_185612_zpsb651fef8.jpeg

 

Its the hose COATED in dirt, wetness and just all around "this sucks"

 

Should I get it replaced with an OEM part or is generic hose okay? It looks like its purpose bent so Im thinking OEM with the bends already in it would be wise. Maybe a different hose clamp too as that just looks like it doesnt hold anything well...

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coolant sprays sometimes, and it makes it hard to tell where it comes from.  Id say do the carb gasket first and clean everything while your at it so you can see any new spots.  also might be a good idea to check or change your radiator cap.  they get overlooked and if they go bad it may be allowing your cooling system to pressurize too much and spray out of a gasket or hose.

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