Possible Head Gasket Leak

Hi all, its been awhile since ive been on here, (forgot my password lol). Anyway, ive been having some trouble with over heating in my 99 SUS. Ive been adding coolant every few days and noticing that when i drive for more then 20 minutes my temp gauge rises up to the HOT line, i do turn it off before it gets there, but if i dont it will go up. It started by rising and falling when i went up hills and around turns. then got to the point where it would just go straight up reguardless.

Anyway i checked the few things that i found searching different Subaru forums. like smelling the coolant tank, pressure tests, air in the system, looked for wet gaskets (too much oil to tell), replaced thermostat and a cooling flush and replace. after the thermostat was removed i tested it to check it was working and it seemed fine. but i bought it and figured id replace it anyway. After refill i let it idle for about 30 to 45 minutes and it ran perfect, so i assumed it was just the old one possibly getting stuck now and then. Drove it home from my garage, got hot 10 minutes into the drive..

So heres what iv got now, everything iv tested seems to show its a bad gasket. Now i really dont wanna get rid of my Subi, but i also dont have 1300 bucks to replace my gaskets and have the heads reworked. So ive been talking to my mechanic and we could try some stop leak. After looking online for info about them, ive found three major brands, Blue Devil, K&W, and Bars Leak.

My questions to you are, has anyone else had these issues? Has anyone used any of these products? if so, What would you guys recommend? Would it be better to sell it or try to fix it (if the sealer does not work)?

And lastly, any one want to buy a 99 SUS with a blown head gasket lol? (kidding)

Anyway, thanks for reading this long post, and thanks in advance for any advice you have. All of it is greatly appreciated since i dont want to sell my Subi. btw i will back at the shop on Wednesday when i get paid.

 

 

thanks

Jake

So ive been talking to my mechanic and we could try some stop leak. After looking online for info about them, ive found three major brands, Blue Devil, K&W, and Bars Leak.

DO NOT, DO NOT, add any of this type of stuff to your cooling system.

it will not work .

and you run the risk of clogging the rad or heater core.

 

1/ what brand of t-stat did you install.

if not a subaru item you will have head aches on top of your over heating problem.

 

2/ you need to fill and burp the cooling system properly.

until you have completely filled it,

no air trapped in the system,

you can not eliminate that as part of the problem.

 

link: how to fill and burp your cooling system. - burpcoolingsystem - Subaru Legacy Forums

 

3/ the next time it over heats, or starts to,

stop the car but leave it idling.

look in the overflow bottle of the cooling system,

(NOT the rad it self, the white plastic bottle)

and look for black or brown GUNK and or bubbles in the coolant.

 

 

finally, how long has this been happening.

it sounds like it just started over heating recently

and if so it is pretty rare for a head gasket leak to get this bad this quick.

on the other hand if you have been adding coolant for months or a year,

then it could be head gaskets.

 

the fix:

if it is not some other coolant leak, but in fact head gaskets,

you have 2 choices,

replace the gaskets

or replace the engine with an ej22, 95 - 98 .

 

the ej22 engine swap may be a little cheaper, depending on the cost of the engine.

but if paying for labor it could be the same.

but hands down,

the ej22 swap is going to give you a more reliable engine / car.

 

how many miles on the car?

auto or manual trans?

how many miles have you owned it?

how long, miles, has it been overheating?

suabru T-stat?

bubbles in the overflow?

1/ what brand of t-stat did you install.

if not a subaru item you will have head aches on top of your over heating problem.

 

2/ you need to fill and burp the cooling system properly.

until you have completely filled it,

no air trapped in the system,

you can not eliminate that as part of the problem.

 

3/ the next time it over heats, or starts to,

stop the car but leave it idling.

look in the overflow bottle of the cooling system,

(NOT the rad it self, the white plastic bottle)

and look for black or brown GUNK and or bubbles in the coolant.

 

 

finally, how long has this been happening.

it sounds like it just started over heating recently

and if so it is pretty rare for a head gasket leak to get this bad this quick.

on the other hand if you have been adding coolant for months or a year,

then it could be head gaskets.

 

the fix:

if it is not some other coolant leak, but in fact head gaskets,

you have 2 choices,

replace the gaskets

or replace the engine with an ej22, 95 - 98 .

 

 

how many miles on the car?

auto or manual trans?

how many miles have you owned it?

how long, miles, has it been overheating?

suabru T-stat?

bubbles in the overflow?

 

 

1/ Iv read about the horror stories from not using Subaru OEM thermostats, so did buy OEM from the dealer, only about 35 for gasket and all.

2/ I did read an article on this site about burping the system, was not the same on you posted tho. so the first time i tried to bleed the air (or burp it) i tried it that way. How ever after replacing the thermostat we used a really nifty funnel and plug type system. basically a big funnel that after it slowly filled over and over, plug the funnel and put the cap back on.

3/ One of the first times it started over heating i called my mechanic and he told me to do just that, leave it running and look for gunk and bubbles in the over flow tank, neither were seen.

 

the first time it over heated was in November, once for less then ten minutes, didnt even get over 3/4 before i stopped and checked coolant, drove fine back to Tenn from Wash D.C. then started again about a month ago, rising and falling around turns and hills. as i said, it got to the red line once for less then a minute before i put in in N shut it off and coasted into a driveway.

 

The miles now are at 185,695, i got the car at 177,763, it is an auto, apparently the SUS didnt offer a manual, yet the same body style Outback did??? it was a subaru thermostat, only been over heating like this for maybe 50 to 75 miles combined thru out the past month, i wont drive it unless its to the store 5 min down the road so its cold by the time i get back. and again, no bubbles altho it does smell like gas/oil or exhaust in the over flow tank.

 

 

I just cannot afford to replace the head gasket and rework the heads. ive been told im looking at between 700 to 1300 to replace one side. that was from Subaru. But if it is that, i will be selling it, that being said, can i try the Bars Leak and if it wont work oh well, ill be selling it anyway, or parking it in my garage till i can afford to start making it an off road toy, with a new engine obviously lol

bumping up for some more help from MODs and other Subi owners as well as johnegg.

i suspect you have 2 problems,

one major, head gaskets,

and one minor, low coolant.

 

i don't think , it is not typical for, head gaskets to go this far this fast.

so although they are leaking exhaust gasses into the coolant, which displaces it.

but for this leak to cause overheating in 10 - 15 minutes of driving when the coolant is full,

the leak would have to be HUGE.

 

usually you can drive an ej25 with leaking head gaskets for months if :

you let the exhaust gasses escape, loosen the cap or vent plug,

and top it off on a regular basis .

 

(new idea: maybe remove the small rubber gasket on the rad cap,

this will let exhaust gasses escape in to the over flow bottle.

keep the overflow bottle half full, and top off the coolant in the rad daily.)

 

this is why so many of these cars have been bought over the years with bad head gaskets.

a 15 minute test drive revealed nothing.

but a month later a 30 minute commute to work caused a problem.

 

draining the cooling system down completely,

and refilling slowly with the vent plug removed,

will probably solve the over heating problem,

for a while.

you MAY think you are out of the woods,

but only time will tell.

the above situation is very common for bad head gaskets.

 

owner: so it turns out it was not the head gaskets,

i drained and refilled the cooling system and my engine is fixed.

no overheating.

 

johnegg: congrats, happy motoring !!

johnegg (to self) : wait for it.

 

2 weeks later,

owner: crap, it's back.

overheated this morning on the way to work.

 

good luck.

will try this today, heading to the shop in just a little bit.

well i got to the shop and they already added the Bars Leak. Hes my stepdad and hes been using it in vehicles for years so i trust his experience. that and he literally just used it in a 3rd gen outback 6 months ago and its still runnin fine. however, we tried it and it ran fine for and hour then went from 40% on the temp gauge to H in less then 20 sec, started dumping anti freeze when i put it in N and shut her down pullin into the closest parking lot. After talking to a friend with a 2.2 legacy, he told me to try to send the radiator to be cleaned or buy a new one since i cant check the inside to see a clog. we are going to run a laser temp gauge inch by inch across the radiator to check for hot and cold spots. if we find that its not then we will still pressure flush the rad and try again. and if all else fails, looks like hes gonna charge me 500 labor, 150 to machine the heads and do a valve job, and new gaskets. soo even if its blown then i can afford to keep it. now if the heads are cracked or the block cracked then idk if i can afford that and i will be on craigslist trying to trade a running 95 Accord and a non running 99 Legacy SUS for a K series chevy or a pre 86 Ford... thanks for the info tho johnegg

the stop leak works on the ''external'' head gasket leaks on the latewr year suabrus, 00 - 04.

but the leaks in the 90s are internal,

combustion gasses are being forced past the gasket into the cooling system.

i don't how much pressure there is when the fuel explodes in the cylinder,

but i doubt, actually i know, that a stop leak product is NOT going to stop that pressure from leaking.

 

it sound like you are getting a good deal on the repair.

 

change the oil now.

it has been cooked.

do not assume it is ok.

... Hes my stepdad and ... looks like hes gonna charge me 500 labor, 150 to machine the heads and do a valve job, and new gaskets. ...

 

it sound like you are getting a good deal on the repair.

yea hes not charging alot since im gonna be there to try to help along the way. were gonna drain the coolant and trans fluid and oil and refill all on tuesday when im off again, then since its running fine at an idle hes gonna let it get to normal temp and take a laser across every inch of the radiator to check for hot and cold spots. he said its rare, but its possible its just clogged up somewhere. he said it slipped his mind until last night when i brought it up since in 5 years he can only think of one car that happened to, and 85 ford ranger, so were gonna try that first, then if all else fails ima do the gaskets. once i get taxes back were gonna do the gaskets. then more then likely sell the SUS and my Accord then try to get an Outback or an 06 or newer gt. idk i dont wanna get rid of my Subi but idk how many times the old owner band-aid fixed things on it and i cant afford alot with two kids..

i had the radiator clog on a few of my vehicles, but only one of them was newer than 1979, my dodge intrepid. also, cold spots on one side could be a restriction at the thermostat on our cars, dont discount that either.

yea hes not charging alot since im gonna be there to try to help along the way. were gonna drain the coolant and trans fluid and oil and refill all on tuesday when im off again, then since its running fine at an idle hes gonna let it get to normal temp and take a laser across every inch of the radiator to check for hot and cold spots. he said its rare, but its possible its just clogged up somewhere. he said it slipped his mind until last night when i brought it up since in 5 years he can only think of one car that happened to, and 85 ford ranger, so were gonna try that first, then if all else fails ima do the gaskets. once i get taxes back were gonna do the gaskets. then more then likely sell the SUS and my Accord then try to get an Outback or an 06 or newer gt. idk i dont wanna get rid of my Subi but idk how many times the old owner band-aid fixed things on it and i cant afford alot with two kids..

Do NOT do this until you've read the fourth generation forum. They're nice vehicles however they do require a lot more maintenance and have issues you should be aware of before you purchase.

Do NOT do this until you've read the fourth generation forum. They're nice vehicles however they do require a lot more maintenance and have issues you should be aware of before you purchase.

 

 

Ima do some more research before i get one, i just like the style of them....

 

 

 

 

i had the radiator clog on a few of my vehicles, but only one of them was newer than 1979, my dodge intrepid. also, cold spots on one side could be a restriction at the thermostat on our cars, dont discount that either.

 

 

It could be, but i changed it with a Subaru t-stat the otherday...

Ima do some more research before i get one, i just like the style of them....

I mention it because the GT's seem to require a higher level of maintenance / repair. If $1,300 is too much for you to spend on replacing the head gaskets to normal maintenance of a GT may be too high for you. Of course if the $1,300 is merely a cost / benefit on an older car that's a different story.

 

As for the overheating problem I find it interesting the temperature rises and falls as you traverse hills and round corners. IMO that would not be a symptom of a bad head gasket but more along the lines of an under pressured system (which could become that way through a bad head gasket but not immediately after topping of the radiator unless it were a really bad leak).

 

On the for the stop leak question (yes, I am aware it's already been added) I do not recommend using any of these products unless there's no alternative (as in you're 300 miles from no where). They're gimmicky and, IME, don't do what you hope they will.

 

It looks as if you've already got a plan so most of this is my merely offering my two cents. Good luck! And enjoy your GT should you get one.

$1300 is about what I paid around here to have both the headgaskets done on my '99 Outback, but that was parts and labor, and he re-gasketed everything on the engine, and replaced my clutch as well.

 

On top of all that, he even went the extra mile and painted my intake wrinkle red for me

im about 550 deep in my head gasket job so far, with parts and machining. im doing timing stuff and front seals at same time tho.