1991 legacy stranded in Medford OR

[dimka3186]

I'm on way back to Canada but the car cannot be driven anymore. Anyone knows friendly folks who can help out with restoring the car to a working order so I can get home??

Car overheated on I5 . It's parked in Medford and would really appreciate some help. I'm thinking that the water pump is the issue. So I'm considering to get a kit and replace it. Any advice on how to know for sure it's the waterpump ?? Also is there a check for bad headgasket?

I'm concerned that a headgasket has gone bad and not sure if it's worth fixing. Even though the engine has less then 120k miles

 

Any help would be much appreciated

 

Cheers

[gbhrps]

dimka,

 

Three usual issues causing overheating ... bad thermostat .... bad water pump ... head gaskets, but there could be others, cracked radiator tank, bad radiator cap, frozen radiator. Its hard to tell from long distance.

 

If it overheats after 10 minutes of driving usually = thermostat. After ten minutes driving, from under car, green antifreeze dripping from water pump usually = water pump. Bubbling in the radiator or coolant tank usually = head gasket (also look for leaks around heads from underneath). Radiator cap needs to hold 16 lbs of pressure = hard to test without a cap tester.

 

You need to get the car to someone who can properly diagnose what your cause is. You don't want to fix just one part, and then 50 miles down the road find out it was something else as well. Good Luck!

[AdventureSubaru]

We do have a lot of members on here in that region. I'd grab the tools and head over if you were in my neck of the woods. Try and get a handle on what's going on. After it's cooled, check coolant levels, start it up, check for leaks,

 

Check circulation to suggest a blocked radiator or bad thermostat. you can gut the thermostat and run it open short term to get you home if need be.

 

Once you're sure it's full and burped look for air bubbles flowing into the coolant reservoir to tell you head gaskets failed. 

 

Any issue that is not head gaskets is only a couple minutes to a couple hours to fix. Easier for someone to come help if they know the job they're headed for.

Edited March 25, 2017 by AdventureSubaru

[1 Lucky Texan]

yeah, if fluid was pushed into and perhaps overflowed out of the overflow tank - most likely a headgasket problem.

[dimka3186]

Thanks for the replies

Ended up renting a U-Haul to bring the car back. It probably a head gasket now. I'm sure it started as a leaking waterpump and then after using bars soap it must have escalated. I haven't noticed water on the dipstick yet. And there is no white smoke coming from the exhaust. The fluid is trying to push out of the rad cap and it did pop the overflow cap off from the pressure. When I open the rad cap and just idle the engine it doesn't bubble in the rad just flows out.

I'll have to find someone to help me out with the car. Never done any engine work before so if anyone know of good guys around the Vancouver area it would be great.

Also is there any other tests you guys do to confirm a fault head?

 

The car currently starts and drives a bit. Untill it hits steep hills and the t-gauge just shoots up.

Will have to determine if it's worth fixing.

By far its the most fun car an adventures person can have

[DaveT]

All you describe matches a fairly well blown headgasket.

 

Coolant in oil, and white smoke is only going to happen to completely and fully blown geadgaskets.

 

Others on here will know what risk of other damage has been done to your engine. Some can survive overheats, and just replace the gaskets, some ruin the rod bearings, etc. Need to know the engine size and year.

[SUBARU3]

 I had a problem on my Impreza with the cooling fans staying all all the time in the winter cool weather. The thermostat would never open as it was cooled by the fans. Coolant would still overflow, but engine would not overheat. It would over pressurize the radiator and fill the reserve tank. Weird situation. 

[AdventureSubaru]

Yeah. If it is pushing exhaust gasses into the coolant and bubbling into the overflow it can only be head gaskets.

 

The fix part is subjective. You need to answer the question of just how hot it got. If it was a temp gauge climbing a couple times but not redlining, you are probably okay. If it hit the redline for a short time, you can roll the dice and probably be alright in a phase 1 2.2. If it ran in the red for a while, you probably want a new motor.

 

If it didn't go too crazy with the heat, the good news is these are pretty easy to do head gaskets on. Here's my remove and reinstall guide and one of Miles Fox's videos for torquing procedures.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/159902-1990-2004-ej18-ej22-ej25-diy-complete-engine-remove-and-reinstall-guide/?hl=%2Bcomplete+%2Bremove+%2Breinstall

 

 

 

I've done them in about 8 hours. Phase 1 EJ22 is the only motor in which you can get away with not resurfacing the heads. Just clean them up very well with light grit sandpaper. Others will say to resurface them. It certainly wont hurt. I've done probably 8-10 ej22 head gasket jobs without resurfacing and no repeat failures. You'll need a 12 point 14mm socket and a torque wrench (I've been just fine with the one from harbor freight) 

 

Use Felpro head gaskets as they are made by subaru. $25. each. the head gasket DIY job by itself is a $50. job. But now is the time for a water pump since yours is in question, and timing kit if due.

 

it takes a day - two if it's your first probably. But it's a cheap job and no one part of the sequence is really that difficult. So many of us on here have done several or hundreds of these that we can coach you through it if you need anything or hit any snags. I tell folks that if they can do their own brake pads, they can follow the instructions to do a motor swap/head gaskets on these Subarus

Edited March 27, 2017 by AdventureSubaru

[dimka3186]

Thanks for all the replies and support

 

I just limped the car closer home and will start working on it in the next few days or so. 

Had a 70km stretch that I drove at low speeds (below 70km/hr ) and there was no issues at all. 

I did refill the rad with water before and kept feeling the heater in the car. As I know once heater is not blowing hot usually the temp rise into overheating.

The engine is not feeling super smooth like it used to. This is a 1990 legacy with a 2.2 engine. 

A few days earlier 

At one portion of my drive I did red line it for a few minutes. Is there a way to know if I should look for another engine or just look into swapping HG. 

Will be looking for a friend with a hoist plus download some vids of people doing the swap.timing belt would be done as well at same time. 

 

 

Thanks for all the great info and support

 

Cheers

[lmdew]

How many miles on the engine?

How long did you drive it where the Temp gauge was higher than normal?

 

If you can find a good used 2.2 at a self serve yard, I find it is usually less than doing the HG and much quicker.

 

Good Luck.

[AdventureSubaru]

There's a big gray area in there. You can pull the timing covers and look by the cam seals to see if the plastic started melting. Sure sign that the engine should be done. I got one once that had melted both and seized, Partly for kicks and partly to move the car until I got a replacement motor to drop in, I did get it running again.

 

These EJ22s take a lot more abuse than the later EJ25s. If you're up for a little gamble, you can probably buy the short shopping list of 2 head gaskets, intake and exhaust manifold gaskets and be on the road for less than $100. Might last 100 miles or 100,000+ (I've also gotten away with being careful with existing intake and exhaust gaskets and re-using them. at your own risk but repeating that job is easy)

 

As mentioned, a PicknPull or similar motor is another good option. Sometimes an equal gamble.

 

Or car-part.com to at least get a 90 day warranty.

 

From what you described - if it was me - I've had good luck in just fixing and driving them again. Done several EJ22s with failed head gaskets and at least one of them was run quite hot. I've not had one fail since. But that's just me. That could just be luck. And I'm also not bothered by the prospect of having to rip it all apart again. It's fun for me most of the time. Other's will live with a sense of dread not knowing what may happen with a questionable motor. So take it for what it's worth.

I'd fix it, drive it and see what happens. If it fails later, you're out some time and $100 but you now know first hand how to swap a motor and do head gaskets on a Subaru.

Edited March 29, 2017 by AdventureSubaru

[1997reduxe]

I had one a 97 I think I just didn't check coolant and it evaporated over time and overheated etc. I sold it for 350 to some guys they fixed and resold for 1000 I saw it driving years later. Also one thing to watch for is the short tubes on cooling system there's one I think it's bypass to thermostat that if it goes looks like hole in back center of radiator. I wasted 300 on that once and hahahaha didn't even get home across street from shop already hot again. I didn't even take it to them fixed hose myself.

But I have a say your whole thread here is making me feel real good about my dream 95 2.2 with 150k for 2500 recent purchase.

[dimka3186]

its time to work on the subie

 

my current situation

1) car drives in low speeds up to 60km or 2.5k rpm fine and can idle for 1 hour without any overheating

2) if i rev the engine above 3k RPM there is bubbling in the radiator fluid. If its idling then there are tiny micro bubbles can barely be seen

3) water used to evaporate from radiator but when keeping an eye on the RPM and keeping it below 3k it stays there

 

 

the car is a 1990/1991 and has a 2.2 engine with 16 Valves.

Questions

1  i do not see any smoke in back or leaking on the engine. no white goo on the dipstick or oil cap. How do i DIY diagnose it as a head gasket forsure?

   even though i do see a bit of an oily glow on the surface of the rad water

2. is there a way to check the water pump for failing?   it used to leak from the bottom sip hole but after using bar soap it doesnt do it anymore.

    and there is no squeeking noise from the pully.

 

3.is it worth trying some liquid sealant that can seal small head gasket cracks??? any recommendation for liquid seals?

 

 

thanks for all the help and support

[1 Lucky Texan]

pretty much already diagnosed, but, you could try one of the chemical block or head gasket tests they sell. When you have the bubbling, use the fluid tester and - if it turns blue to green or yellow, that's combustion products.

 

You can even find youtube videos of the process.