dave833 Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Yeah... I know they're not supposed to fail on the EZ30, but apparently this one I just bought did. It overheated twice in the past two days, Bouncy temp gauge needle (never pegged in the red) some bubbles in the overflow tank but the tank never flooded over, and the coolant was drawn back into the radiator when it cooled down. I got a block tester and the magic blue fluid turned yellow when I revved the engine with the tester connected to the line from the radiator to the overflow tank. So before I approach the exciting prospect of yanking the engine and doing the HGs (I've done EJ25 and EG33 HG's before, but never EZ30s because they don't fail, right?) are there any of these "head gasket fix" additives that might work for an HC into coolant leak like I have? What about the Subaru coolant conditioner? BTW: The car has 170k miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKFlight Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 (edited) are there any of these "head gasket fix" additives that might work for an HC into coolant leak like I have? What about the Subaru coolant conditioner? Please don't dump a miracle head gasket fix bottle into the cooling system. If the head gasket is already blown the Subaru Coolant Conditioner isn't gonna do much, its a preventative measure. Edited November 9, 2014 by TKFlight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dp213 Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 They say that the blue devil head gasket repair is the best. Its usually available at any parts store and they keep it in back so you have to ask for it. (People like to steel it, its expensive). It worked on a ranger for me. But the problem is it sounds like exhaust side is leaking into water side. If that's the case, it probably wont work because the pressure is flowing the wrong way for the additive to get to the leak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dp213 Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 They say that the blue devil head gasket repair is the best. Its usually available at any parts store and they keep it in back so you have to ask for it. (People like to steel it, its expensive). It worked on a ranger for me. But the problem is it sounds like exhaust side is leaking into water side. If that's the case, it probably wont work because the pressure is flowing the wrong way for the additive to get to the leak. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 I've used blue devil also and I can say it does work, but for how long I have no idea. But I'm not a proponent of the head gasket in a bottle products. Yank the engine and put some new head gaskets on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dp213 Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 I agree with that. I'm not a big fan either. I did it for a temp fix until I had time to do thechead gaskets. I am going to do head gaskets on an older Suby tomorrow but I have not done a h6. I do know there are 56 bolts in the timing cover alone. And dual timing chains with a lot of guides to keep them in place. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave833 Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 Yeah... not looking forward to keeping track of 56 bolts of different sizes! I replaced the head gaskets on Subaru's other "bulletproof" H6-- the EG33-- in an SVX, in an unheated garage, in January in Utah with the engine still in the car. This couldn't be any harder than that, could it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 (edited) doubt the additives will work, most people with a new car aren't looking to limp or band aid it a long for the short term. Yeah... not looking forward to keeping track of 56 bolts of different sizes! I replaced the head gaskets on Subaru's other "bulletproof" H6-- the EG33-- in an SVX, in an unheated garage, in January in Utah with the engine still in the car. This couldn't be any harder than that, could it? in some ways no - basically the same operation conceptually. in some ways yes - the timing chain components are more cumbersome than timing belts. outer metal cover, timing chain bits, and then the innner metal cover. lots of orings there too. you're not in the rust belt so that's a good thing - i only had 3 of the timing chain cover bolts come loose due to rust - the rest stripped and required creative means to exract. no big deal with one bolt but 50...if it takes 5 minutes to extract a rusty stripped fastener...that would be 4 hours just to remove the bolts. luckily i found a 1 minute or less method. you bought the car with existing headgaket issues....probably for a good price like the EG33/SVX. as you know - shopping the low end of the market will have more issues. . finding cheap cars is easy...finding cheap cars and knowing for certain why they're cheap is another thing. i don't mind buying blown motors as long as the price reflects it. i looked at a very inexpensive H6 for a friend this summer - was slowly putting out bubbles in overflow after 20 minutes of driving. it was cheap for a reason. seller said it was dirty, hadn't bee cleaned and it needed a power steering line replaced that was leaking, and he'd give it to me cheap to avoid all the hassle preparing it to sell....the real reason it was cheap was the headgaskets. it didnt' overheat when i drove it, but i bet it had on him before. i've also got an H6 at my house with failing HG's to repair this fall. good luck! Edited November 9, 2014 by grossgary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave833 Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 Yes I got it cheap-- $850-- and it's in very nice condition otherwise. Obviously well cared for. I picked it up at an auction where cars are sold that have been donated to charity, among others, which this one was. The mechanical condition wasn't disclosed, just that it was "running and driving." Well, what seemed to be a spectacular deal is turning out to be maybe just a good deal if I do all the work. Should I change the water pump while I'm in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKFlight Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Should I change the water pump while I'm in there? Certainly. Since you already have everything apart and don't know when it was last done. luckily i found a 1 minute or less method. Mind sharing that method lol? Planning on changing my timing components and 3 of the bolts look at bit rusted, the rest look good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 In regards to a block sealer additive, this would work with a traditional water jacket leak into the combustion chamber where coolant is consumed. However, combustion gasses pressurizing the coolant system wont work as the pressure difference wont work. I suppose if there were some manual way to turn the water pump and manually pressurize the cooling system could yield a result, assuming heat of the engine running is not a factor for the formula to work. In my opinion, a block sealer only works with engines with a composite head gasket fro specific failure patterns involving coolant into the combustion chamber. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 water pump failure is extremely rare. but given the level of work involved to replace it - yes replacement is wise. that it's been overheated and cooling system compromised i'd expect it's taken an above average beating too, if i were doing this i'd consider the timing chain tensioners depending on condition and intended use of the car. i tend to think long term/high mileage. particularly the chain tensioners if under the timing chain is very black with deposits, they require oil supply and have small passages. Mind sharing that method lol? Planning on changing my timing components and 3 of the bolts look at bit rusted, the rest look good. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/143745-how-to-quickly-remove-60-rustystuckstripping-timing-chain-cover-bolts/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave833 Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 I checked my timing cover bolts last night-- all 57 of them-- and they appear to be rust-free, thankfully! Not that it means there isn't hidden rust, but the superficial inspection looks promising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) I'm surprised by absolutely no Subaru headgasket failures anymore. At my dealership, we currently have one 2006 Tribeca that the tech is wrapping up a headgasket job right now as I type, while another 2006 Tribeca that came in this morning is also having external seepage issues. Furthermore, we had a 2011 Legacy 3.6R that was also having external seepage that we had to fix in order to CPO it. It's just the nature of older Subaru engines, regardless of design, unfortunately. I don't know what else to call it. I will speak for the Subaru coolant conditioner, as long as the headgaskets are in the VERY early stages of seepage. I have seen the conditioner bring a stop to it. But if you've already got an internal leak, the conditioner isn't going to be able to fix that. By the way, the bearing in the water pump in my old 1991 Legacy failed at 110k miles. It started making a knocking noise whenever I gave it gas. That's the only time I've ever seen it, but it can happen. So it's something to consider while you're already doing the job anyway, especially on an interference engine. Edited November 15, 2014 by DerFahrer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Welcome back, DerFahrer--good to see your name on here again! But what does "CPO" mean?!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Thanks Olnick! I'm trying to stop in on some of my old stomping grounds and see what's new. How've you been? Sorry, CPO means certified pre-owned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 @DerFahrer--I'm now retired and doing great. And my shifter linkage ('95 Legacy L) is still silky smooth!!! Thanks for the help way back when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluetoE Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) Might as well necro an old thread instead of starting a new one The 03 LL Bean I got for pretty much nothing has a bad HG. After 20 minutes or so I'm getting bubbles in the overflow and intermittent heat fluctuations. I grabbed a NAPA block test kit and I've got combustion gases in the cooling system, so all hope is now lost. It's 100% a HG leak. I thought about running the $65 Blue Devil stuff through the system to see if it would seal it up temporarily and buy me some time, but after reading this thread it seems that the pressure associated with this leak is coming from the wrong direction. Is this correct? So I would just be wasting money trying the Blue Devil? I'm trying to decide whether or not to do the HGs or just cook the engine and look for a replacement donor engine. Edited March 18, 2015 by BluetoE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccrinc Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 "Stop leak" type additives are NOT a good idea for Subaru engines. Ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluetoE Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Yeah. I'm sure it's never a great idea. I was just wondering if the pressure was coming from the wrong direction for these kinds of products to even have a chance at working. Like if the coolant was leaking into the exhaust (smoking) then it might have a chance, but since the hot gas is being pushed into the coolant this stuff really won't be able to do much. I wouldn't even try it if I cared about repairing/using this engine. Can the Blue Devil hose up anything else that's super important if I plan on swapping in a donor motor? This is all hypothetical. I don't think I'll even try, but if the engine is a write off, I didn't see the harm with at least giving it a shot... for science. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNY_Dave Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I would say when the engine is shut off and the coolant is pressurized the magic goo has a shot at creeping in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 (edited) you can sell the engine needing headgaskets, probably better if it's never had the bluedevil in it. a guy on youtube ran the stuff in an EJ25D which has the same exhaust gases pushing into the coolant failure mode. it didn't work. maybe it'll buy you a day or a month or 4. how much for the engine if you sell it to me before dumping the magic goo in it? i'll be in atlanta next week Tue-Thu if i had known sooner maybe i could have brought an EZ30 with new headgaskets in it and sold it to you/taken the old one. Edited March 17, 2015 by grossgary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluetoE Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 That would be pretty fast. I just found out they were blown on Friday. Would have been great timing. I won't do the Blue Devil just in case you still want it when I can pull it out. So finding a donor motor is that easy? You just have an extra one lying around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I would give the Blue Devil stuff a whirl; and if they deny the refund appeal their denial as I did through the state AG. I got a call from their headquarters wanting to refund me ASAP! I used the K & W head gasket stuff last time, I called their headquarters and they insisted their double refund guarantee was 100%. I'm getting bubbles in the radiator again so maybe I need to try one or the other again. It is hard for me to see how anything would work with anti-freeze in the system, needs to be flushed out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 www.car-part.com for engines jdm places like jdmenginedepot has them for $1,000 - $1,500 as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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