'93 Loyale mystery overheating

[walkaboutamerica]

Hi all I hope you can help me, I have run out of ideas.

 

We have a '93 Loyale 4WD wagon which we bought new in Canada and overall it has been a great car (our 3rd Subaru) until lately. Mileage is approx 125,000 kilometers.

 

Latest problem that won't go away and won't allow driving is this overheating problem. This car has always run cool with the needle barely 2 widths above the low opp temp mark. Now it overheats from cold to hot in about 4 miles. The radiator and exhaust were replaced 1 year ago and all has been fine then one day boom overheating. I have replaced the thermostat, water pump, Radiator cap and in the morning I will change the temp sensor just in case it's just sending faulty reading but am not hopefull and with an aluminium engine I can't chance serious overheating untill I am sure it's actually running right. Also elec fan works well, comes on at about 3/4 opp range goes off in about 2 min. Before this i doubt the fan ever ran more than 10 times in all the years we have had it and then only at temps over 110 outside.

 

Today after changing water pump I filled and squeezed hose till I got all the air out tho that took 10 min. 2 min drive and overheated (well not to max but just cause I coasted home). Opened hood and had a lot of fluid arround the expansion tank and tank 90% full. Only other symptom I can see thats not normal I think is that when fluid not quite as full when it's running there's a constant agitation in expansion tank from overflow tho it stays at constant level and when shut off it gurgles a lot at tank.

 

I'm over 100 miles to a dealer so thats out. Decent wrenches here but can really only change what I tell them to as they know little about Subarus.

 

Has anyone else had this or have a clue what it is?

 

Thanks very much for any input...dragon

[[HTi]Johnson]

You might have a blown head gasket:-\...or one starting to blow. I think this because you've replaced all the crucial, first to go parts, and it still does this. What can happen is the gasket blows between the cylinder and the water jacket on the head/block...therefore letting hot exhaust gases into the water system. When you open your radiator cap when it runs...like just began to run, can you see bubbles in the radiator?

Keep us posted.

[HTi]Johnson

[lmdew]

I second that. Any good Mechanic can check the coolant for exhaust gases. They even sell kits at auto parts stores so you can do this yourself.

[walkaboutamerica]

Believe itornot none of our 3 auto parts stores (NAPA/ CQ and Auto zone) have test kits for that and it's a looong way to another city. And only 1 mec here has a gague or something that goes on rad and changes color if gasses present and he's too far to chance driving it. We haven't let it actually hit the red mark so I am hoping the heads havent warped yet and do not want to chance that.

 

Good news is (I think) I found a mec that looked in his book and says 9.8 hrs + parts @40hr. He has done the 1800 engine HG before before and says no big deal, he even has a Brat out back he's fixing up . He even says these engines are really tough in the long run so as great as car runs otherwise it's worth repairing. So I guess I will bite the bullet and have him replace the HGs. Would Car Quest parts be ok or should I stay with OEM? He goes by dealer once a week in El Paso so easy to get the OEM.

 

While the engine is open is there anything else that is worth doing as a preventitive? Valves, lifters etc what else could go wrong in there arround this mileage. I know little about Subarus since it has always ran and is too complicated externally for me to mess with much (this is my wifes car, I drive/ maintain and rebuild a 79 big Bronco set up for desert offroad .

 

Thank you for your time confirming what my overnight crash course in overheating had led me to suspect...dragon

[85Sub4WD]

Stay OEM - FelPro is the only substitute period - but OEM is still much better. Have heard nightmare stories about the results of using aftermarket gaskets.