radiator bleeder screw

Does anyone know what size this is? for the 2.2l

 

My car over heated on the mail route today, i look up and there is smoke coming from under the hood.

 

The screw was nowhere to be found, so coolant had spewed out of it.

 

I'm not sure if it over heated and busted out, or if it rattled out, and then over heated.

 

I used a rubber expansion plug to get it home.

 

I'd rather go to a local store and get a bolt to go in it, rather than go to a subaru dealer, which is nowhere around me, and wait for it to come in. I have to use the car again in 2 days.

 

Any info is appreciated, thanks

You could run to a local junk yard, I'm not sure otherwise.

here's what i've got so far-

 

m10-too small

 

m12-too big

 

7/16" coarse thread-wont go in

 

7/16" fine thread-goes in a few turns, then starts to get hard to turn.

 

So the last bolt is the closest, i don't know what else it would be.

My threads on the inside was damaged when I flushed my system once. I can't remember what bolt I used, but what I ended up doing was permentently sealed it. Took a bolt that would firmly fit inside, then JB Weld the bolt and tighten it just enought to not damage it any more. Placed more JB Weld to the outside, sealing the whole area.

 

It was just a quick fix until I was able to buy a new radaitor. Drove close to 5K on it and it never leaked. Just an option.

If there is a radiator shop nearby I'm sure they would have them, I did have to do the same thin as f1 did but I did find the right bolt and it was the same thread pitch as the exhaust manifold studs on my first gen wagon...which I believe they still use on all subarus, it went in easy by hand..I ended up putting a rubber washer under it just in case.

I just wouldn't seal it with jb weld unless you are planning on replacing your radiator soon after..you will have problem s burping the air out if you ever have to refill or top off.

Good luck man.

If there is a radiator shop nearby I'm sure they would have them, I did have to do the same thin as f1 did but I did find the right bolt and it was the same thread pitch as the exhaust manifold studs on my first gen wagon...which I believe they still use on all subarus, it went in easy by hand..I ended up putting a rubber washer under it just in case.

I just wouldn't seal it with jb weld unless you are planning on replacing your radiator soon after..you will have problem s burping the air out if you ever have to refill or top off.

Good luck man.

 

Where did you end up finding the bolt?

I dont remember it was last december when i goofed that screw up call Subaru and ask what size the bolt/pitch are for the exhaust manifold studs or research o can't remember the size offhand, but if your going to do that make sure its a galvanized bolt or else the heat and water will break it down. Google or the search bar here can be your best friend.

I've been searching all morning lol. I called the subaru dealer, the closest one, and they didn't have it. and they couldnt tell me what size it was.

 

Its crazy a parts store doesn't have anything to fit. I'm going to try napa here soon.

I know your pain man, I just finished a swap on mine when that crap happened..last step before a test drive....I would have thought the auto parts stores had them too in that little help! section they have with the plastic clips and stuff. Ill say it again, lol for a shop that rebuilds and repairs radiators..they have got to have some around.

+1 on the Radiator shops.

 

I did my fair share of shopping around, but ran outta time. Had to resort to JB Weld to get my car back on the road.

Hello;

Try a 1/8" pipe plug, I would think Ace Hardware might have these in stock. Steven.

I have the parts catalog for first gen 2.2s at my computer at home. I can check it when I get a chance maybe late late tonight. It's for a first gen but the radiators are probably the same.

 

EDIT: Found the parts catalog here: http://www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/tech.html. The diagram is on page 530.

The screw is called the Air Plug, part no. 45124 AA000. There is an O-ring drain plug, part number 7451 28040. Good luck!

Here's another superb parts database: http://opposedforces.com/parts/legacy/

it is a 2.2 L engine.

refill the coolant and drive it.

maybe put some duct tape over the hole.

refill as needed.

it will take several days or a saveral miles at 60+ to ov er heat.

but around town, as long as you top it off you will be ok.

 

this will give you time to identify and locate the correct part.

I remember seeing a post on here where someone said they used a 10mmx1.25 bolt with an o-ring and said it worked beautifully. I just searched and found this thread.

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/95-legacy-l-wagon-nylon-bleed-screw-155811.html?t=155811&highlight=Radiator+screw

 

Mine is messed up also, I was going to give this a shot pretty soon myself.

I remember seeing a post on here where someone said they used a 10mmx1.25 bolt with an o-ring and said it worked beautifully. I just searched and found this thread.

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/95-legacy-l-wagon-nylon-bleed-screw-155811.html?t=155811&highlight=Radiator+screw

 

Mine is messed up also, I was going to give this a shot pretty soon myself.

 

from that link:

 

I found a post that talked about just buying a 10mmX1.25 bolt and put an o-ring on it. I had thought it was a weird size since the kid at the bolt store measured it and said it was a 9mm and he couldn't get it. Come to find out it is a 10mmX1.25 bolt. .

 

 

theres the size i bet. i dont know if it would work for the L and GT, since the GT has a different radiator, and i found out the bleeder screws are definitely different. hell, from the OEM to the spectre replacement radiator the screws are different. i dropped the new one in the yard in the dark when i replaced the radiator a few weeks ago, thats how i found out. couldnt use the old one, or steal the one off the L. sucked until i found it.

well I finally fixed it.

 

My dad happened to be messing with it and find the bolt that was in it, stuck under the radiator. it had a plastic bushing, and the threads were slightly messed up on it.

 

I got a 7/16" fine thread bolt to screw in 4.5 rotations, and then it would stop as if the threads weren't lining up. I am thinking that the person before me just tried to make the random bolt they found fit.

 

Also, i seen several threads about people saying a 10mm would fit. It didn't. but another guy I work with has a 2.2, and his radiator looked different than mine. his bleeder bolt was on a flat part of the radiator, mine is on the corner in an angle.

 

 

however it did turn out that it overheated, and then blew the bolt out. I used the car on the same route after I fixed it, and it the temp gauge was at hot, at about the same spot as when it blew out the first time(4-5 hours of delivering). and it did blow cool air when I turned the heater on.

 

I didnt fully fill the radiator when i fixed the bolt, I don't guess the thermostat opened up before I got done. When I got it home that day I topped it off, and made sure it was full. Im not sure if it was just air in the system. I won't deliver again until next monday, so I won't know if its fixed or not until then.

 

If it still over heats, I guess I'll start with a thermostat, and then a water pump if that fails. Im hoping it was just air though lol

Let's hope it's not a blow head gasket that most of us have encountered.

if you were delivering mail in it with it that hot, i would be surprised if you didn't blow a head gasket. You can do a test to find out for sure, do that before replacing stuff. It would suck to do the water pump and thermostat and find out you have to pull it all apart again to do the headgaskets. Use an OEM thermostat. The cooling system on these engines is pretty finicky. The airplane guys run swirl pots to get all of the air out.

 

A guy at my office has been running his with no thermostat since it started overheating. Short term fix but seems to be working ok.

A guy at my office has been running his with no thermostat since it started overheating. Short term fix but seems to be working ok.

 

the only draw back as i see it, is that the4 engine never warms up and so it always runs in open loop.

runs rich, and poor gas mileage.

 

so not an economical long term fix.

 

also no heat in the winter.

I'm hoping its not a head gasket.

 

It's still doing it, and consistantly starting to get hot about 4 hours into the route.

Hate to say it, but it starting to sound like a blow head gasket. Check the overflow tank for bubbles and exhaust fumes.

should the overflow tank over fill if the head gasket is blown?

 

The first time the screw popped out, it was full. the second time it over heated, the over flow tank was empty.

Low on coolant? Maybe there isn't enough left to push into the overflow, I'm not sure. Is your fan working?

Fans are working.

 

 

It seems to be happening more often now. but it only starts to get hot when im stopped. yesterday, I was going through a drive through, and it started to get hot, almost to H. This was only 5 minutes after I started driving. then when I took off down the road, going 60 it shot right back down, stayed down the rest of the 40 minute drive