Looking for help

[88whitecat]

Well I recently aquired a 96 Outback (2.5/AT/AWD 197k mi) to replace my seriously screwed 98 Legacy.

 

Being an optomist I shall start with the good.

Body is straight with very little rust

Paint is great on about 90% of the car the rest is superfical blemishes

Interior is nice and clean looks like an oem replacement carpet in the rear rest is better than average

Has the cold weather package

 

The bad

When I got the car it was under the assumption it has a bad hg

Tranny has definite t.b.

Bad missfire on #4

Exhaust midpipe seperated from the muffler. flange broke.

 

So far I have done little to it except the following

Put about 1000 miles on it

Had a mechanic sniff test the anti-freeze for hydrocarbons. I dont really know what the numbers mean but thats why I'm here:grin:

When test was started value was about 250; after running about 10mins value fluctuated between 30 and 50. mechanic doubted hg failure. Note on this: it seems to push out into the overflow but not return, rad. cap maybe? prev. owner reported the need to add anti-freeze daily. I have not seen it overheat at all in the 1000+ miles Ive done so far.

 

Mikey-moused an exhaust fix, turned down a piece of aluminum pipe stock to just under 1 3/4" and clamped it into both ends. still leaks but much less noisy.

 

Replaced alt. w/ one from 98. was looking at it at night with a friend and saw it arcing from the metal shell of the alt to ground. tested bad at advanced auto. helped more than I expected.

 

Now I'm waiting on plugs and wires to arrive at my door (oem)

to see if that clears up the missfire and makes it run smooth. If not Im considering installing 2.2 from my 98.

 

Also debating whether to do the tranny filter and flush a couple of times or swap in the trans and rear diff from my 98.

The swapping drivetrain parts is where needing help is definitely going to come into play here. Experienced help preferably:drunk:

 

Well thats where I stand at the moment, tell me what you all think and point me in a direction please!

[88whitecat]

I guess I spoke too soon. On my way to work this morning the car overheated.Of course this also happens on the day I couldn't find my cell before leaving. Horrible! So anyways it was full of anti-freeze as I filled it completely (on ramps and all that) tuesday and have been keeping a close eye on the level in the radiator.To note one thing: when I checked it yesterday I pulled something off the bottom of the cap and out of the filler neck. It seemed fibrous like paper or cotton or somthing like that. I had only gone about 10 miles before starting to overheat and I pulled over and killed the engine immediately. I waited for it too cool some than popped the radiator cap to check how full the radiator was but it was right up to the filler neck and when I stuck my finger in it wasnt really hot.Started the car cap off, temp gauge around normal and the fluid geysered some but didnt drop in level.The upper hose felt empty whern I squeezed it to push the air out. Also another bad clue is when I got back in I cranked the heat but it was quite cool.I limped it home 2-3 miles at a time then stopping whenever the temp gauge rose to halfway between normal and peaked.

 

Not sure what to do now. I called out of work and have the day to figure something out. Hopefully its better soon so I can take it to Connie's tomarrow.

[Skip]

Sorry mate but all of these sympts point at HG

 

First - Make sure there is no staining anywhere from a leak.

 

You could try a new rad cap - cheap try

 

a new OEM thermostat -please don't got to NAPA ect.

 

 

But the most likely scenario is the blown head gasket

is pushing combustion gas into the coolant system

forming air pockets.

 

A coolant system leak down test will usually show leakage.

 

You could bleed /burp the air out of the system

making sure there is coolant in the overflow.

 

Drive the car for a few miles and look in the overflow for bubbles.

 

Good luck, hope you make it to the cookout.

Nipper will be there - let him have a look see.

[Cougar]

I agree with Skip. You may want to consider a replacement engine from CCR.

 

PS- Really like the white cat.

[88whitecat]

Sorry mate but all of these sympts point at HG

 

First - Make sure there is no staining anywhere from a leak.

 

You could try a new rad cap - cheap try

 

a new OEM thermostat -please don't got to NAPA ect.

 

 

But the most likely scenario is the blown head gasket

is pushing combustion gas into the coolant system

forming air pockets.

 

A coolant system leak down test will usually show leakage.

 

You could bleed /burp the air out of the system

making sure there is coolant in the overflow.

 

Drive the car for a few miles and look in the overflow for bubbles.

 

Good luck, hope you make it to the cookout.

Nipper will be there - let him have a look see.

 

This is what I was afraid of. I just couldnt figure why it wouldnt have problems on a 95degree day then overheat when its like 70 out. And why all of a sudden? I was hoping against hope the previous owner had been mistaken; you know? like maybe it was just the water pump going instead. That I could fix today.

I had already priced the gasket set and $166 is not bad but its more than I can cover at the moment. Thats why I bought a $100 car. I figured cost of car+ cost of HG = LESS than new car but if I can save a few bucks I'm gonna try.

 

Which brings me to engine replacement. Cougar I have looked at ccr but I currently have a 98 Legacy with a 2.2 in it thats bound for the crusher after I strip it. Interference I know but you cant beat free! The task then becomes swapping it in. Now if it were my 88 Mercury Cougar(where my s/n comes from hence the pic. thx by the way) I wouldnt think twice about swapping the motor out, but a Subaru is a whole different kind of animal that I dont know enough about to feel comfortable doing something that could screw up and cost me more to fix.

 

Anybody wanna come over and help do the swap?

[88whitecat]

Just an update I did a coolant flush today and it was bad. There was the expected sludge stuff from the HG but there was other stuff that worries me more. Small bits of metal floating in the pail of what I drained out. It looked like fine gold glitter in suspension.

 

Also the radiattor cap is bad. I dont think its supposed to leak from th edges of the sticker on top:eek: one thing after another right?

 

At least with the fresh fill of anti-freeze it stayed cool on my 10mi test run. Only thing that bothered me was the gauge wasnt steady. It would be at normal tempthen dip low, rise high then repeat.

[OB99W]

Just an update I did a coolant flush today and it was bad. There was the expected sludge stuff from the HG but there was other stuff that worries me more. Small bits of metal floating in the pail of what I drained out. It looked like fine gold glitter in suspension.

Could be "stop leak".

 

 

Also the radiattor cap is bad. I dont think its supposed to leak from th edges of the sticker on top:eek: [...]

Not usually.

 

 

At least with the fresh fill of anti-freeze it stayed cool on my 10mi test run. Only thing that bothered me was the gauge wasnt steady. It would be at normal tempthen dip low, rise high then repeat.

Unfortunately, temperature gauge spikes usually indicate bad HGs, but make sure you don't have an air pocket from not filling the system properly.

[nipper]

You have a bad HG. The metal in the cooling system dont weat.

 

Replace the radiator cap as it prbbly needs one.

 

Subarus are hard to diagnose a HG untill it really blows, so dont blame the mechanic.

 

On the TB, check to make sure all the tires match. Make sure they are all properly inflated. Change the tranny fluid using the drain and fill method (3 times). Put the fuse in the FWD holder and see if that fixes the problem. There is no filter to change on the tranny.

 

We need to see if you need and HG, tranny, or both.

[88whitecat]

You have a bad HG. The metal in the cooling system dont weat.

 

Replace the radiator cap as it prbbly needs one.

 

Subarus are hard to diagnose a HG untill it really blows, so dont blame the mechanic.

 

On the TB, check to make sure all the tires match. Make sure they are all properly inflated. Change the tranny fluid using the drain and fill method (3 times). Put the fuse in the FWD holder and see if that fixes the problem. There is no filter to change on the tranny.

 

We need to see if you need and HG, tranny, or both.

 

I think both. But replace HG with engine. Maybe I might find time to overhaul the 2.5 on a stand but I need something reliable now cheap.

 

And the FWD fuse is whats letting the car run right now. I didnt know the tranny doesn't have a filter. Time to install an aftermarket cooler and plumb in a filter while at it! The tires are 2 separate matched pairs. same size, trying to keep all the pressures the same. Fronts are on 15" alloys and rears are on steels. The alloys are leaking air though and it doesnt leak steadily. One night it went flat overnight while other nights it loses nothing.

 

Well time to turn in. See some of you tomarrow IF the car makes it.