Jump to content
LegacyGT.com

1999 2.5L Over heating no leaks.


Recommended Posts

If it has a head gasket leak the options are all pretty expensive if you don't do much or all of the work yourself.

 

A same year engine swap is easy if you can get hold of an engine you can trust, but that is the trick.

 

Going to a different year engine can get in to mismatch of sensors and things like that which can make it more difficult.

 

Head gasket repair isn't like building a rocket, but there is plenty of room for a shop to add in costs. If you have a good shop or friends you can trust on the project it shouldn't be too bad. I would pull the engine to do the work. Get the heads off and clean the surfaces. Check the heads and block for straight. Machine shop if necessary. New MLS gasket. Back together. Of course there are lots of steps and details to talk about on that path.

 

My local yard is run by theives, but if you have a good local yard then it's close to ideal to find a car that was running great and is at the wrecker's because it was Tboned recently. Pull the whole engine and swap in a weekend. Unfortunately that's not very likely with a car this old.

 

There is a test you can do on the coolant to check if it has exhaust gas in it. Put a little in the provided bottle, add a test chemical and check for a color change. It's cheap enough to be warranted before getting in to serious repairs.

 

Dang, I missed my notice of reply. Well it overheated again on me Thursday going to my favorite desert shooting site. I stopped by the dealership and they priced changing all the gaskets, not just the head gaskets at $2500 with a 12 month or 12,000 mile mechanical guarantee.

 

We talked about it and I decided to try another thermostat because the service man believes the gas escaping into the coolant is pretty rare compared to coolant escaping into the block being pretty common.

 

Here is what I did and need some opinions. I put a Napa 140 degree thermostat in and have been using it for two days now. Last night was are last forecasted below freezing temps but that could change. Watching the temp gauge is a new experience. It spends a lot of time at the 1/4 mark and then gets to the just shy of 1/2 mark where it stayed with the factory thermostat. I'm guessing when it is at the 1/4 mark the thermostat is open and when it is at it 1/2 mark the thermostat is closed maybe???

 

It hasn't displaced any coolant into the overflow since I put the new 140 thermostat in. I haven't had the chance to really drive it, just to and from work. Well test it tomorrow with a run the shooting ground.

 

Are there any problems with using a 140 degree thermostat?

 

I know $2500 is a lot of money but if they do it right and put in the improved gaskets which they said they could, maybe it's worth it. I can look around and if I can find someone who might seem legit and do it for half I would maybe give them a shot. It's more than I can handle myself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That would be a good price for the work if they didn't leave anything out of that quote.

 

I don't think it will run right with a 140 in it. I expect it will always think it is still warming up and enrich the mixture. If your MPG stays the same I'm wrong. If your MPG goes down a deal then it isn't hot enough.

 

OTOH, I normally buy Napa parts as they seem to be a better quality than the other chains, but for thermostats I only use Genuine Subaru. Years ago I put in a Napa and had constant running hot problems after that. Checked with people here, put in the OEM and all fixed. I compared them while I had it apart and the hole in the OE was double the size of the Napa part. That Napa just couldn't let enough water through.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That would be a good price for the work if they didn't leave anything out of that quote.

 

I don't think it will run right with a 140 in it. I expect it will always think it is still warming up and enrich the mixture. If your MPG stays the same I'm wrong. If your MPG goes down a deal then it isn't hot enough.

 

OTOH, I normally buy Napa parts as they seem to be a better quality than the other chains, but for thermostats I only use Genuine Subaru. Years ago I put in a Napa and had constant running hot problems after that. Checked with people here, put in the OEM and all fixed. I compared them while I had it apart and the hole in the OE was double the size of the Napa part. That Napa just couldn't let enough water through.

 

Well, this morning I took it in to get the oil changed and I looked in the overflow and it was half full with bubbles coming up still. I will check it again once it cools completely down and see if it sucks it back into the radiator.

 

I guess I better use the Napa gas in the coolant test to see if there it comes back positive. I can't think of anything else to do. Correct me if I am wrong, but it should not be dumping into the overflow this often especially when it is so cool/cold outside?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you just need to accept the fact that your engine needs the head gaskets replaced.

 

I got it in the shot getting that done as we speak. I'm trying to figure out which gasket manufacture to use. Do you or DC have the brand that is known to last longer?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Correction, I have it in the SHOP and trying to work out the gaskets. As far as I can tell they have MLS gasket kits with all the gaskets right down to the oil pan for $440 which I am thinking of using but I have ordered some Fel-Pro Head Gasket set from Autozone that doesn't come with all the other gaskets. Boy this is stressful. The dealership is trying to work with me to keep the cost down and the quality high. $2500 is the quote provided they don't have to machine anything.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

at the very least the heads should be resurfaced, especially if your motor has gotten hot. do not use felpro head gaskets. felpro gaskets are okay in most locations but they didn't get the 'failpro' name for their great quality. Stone is gonna be the best you can get and most OE like.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

at the very least the heads should be resurfaced, especially if your motor has gotten hot. do not use felpro head gaskets. felpro gaskets are okay in most locations but they didn't get the 'failpro' name for their great quality. Stone is gonna be the best you can get and most OE like.

 

Oh yeah, they called and told me the heads were not warped but had indentions from the original gaskets so I'm paying another $500 to have them machined. They are using their new improved MLS gasket kit. I appreciate your input. Thanks DC and Silverton.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still in the shop, should be done today or tomorrow. Getting a new radiator now because a nipple snapped off. $150 installed. Already agreed to new hoses. The bill is stacking up, just hope it equates to peace of mind in the long run.

 

If I can just get the vibration from 20mph-30mph solved it would be golden. Here is what I know.

It didn't have it before the shop put in the new CV axles in which case they installed wrong ones first before getting the right ones in. I have no excess play in the steering wheel, the tires have been balanced over and over and the alignment has been checked and double checked.

 

Any idea of what could be damaged by putting the wrong axels in and test driving? Could the autozone axles be defected in such a way they create a vibration like that?

 

I could have paid $155 to get the Subaru dealership to try to diagnose it. The other dealer who did the work on the cv's couldn't find the problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have an auto, many new aftermarket axles will vibrate out of the box.

Generally need reman OEM or OEM.

Along with thermostats, O2 sensors, and a few other things that aftermarket never got right for these cars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have an auto, many new aftermarket axles will vibrate out of the box.

Generally need reman OEM or OEM.

Along with thermostats, O2 sensors, and a few other things that aftermarket never got right for these cars.

 

I'm reading that they do seem to cause a lot of vibration, especially while in gear and stopped witch I do have some added vibration in that situation but I don't see a lot of talk about vibration at certain speeds.

 

I suspect I need to pursue this so does anyone have a some suggestions on where to purchase some OEM CVs that are not $400 each?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have had good success with axles from https://www.cvaxles.com/ CV of Ocala. They manufacture axles for all sorts of industrial machines and reman auto axles. They used to have stock of Subaru axles so you don't even need to send one in.

 

 

They even used to give a discount if you read the site and find the name of the owner's dog. That might still be valid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have had good success with axles from https://www.cvaxles.com/ CV of Ocala. They manufacture axles for all sorts of industrial machines and reman auto axles. They used to have stock of Subaru axles so you don't even need to send one in.

 

 

They even used to give a discount if you read the site and find the name of the owner's dog. That might still be valid.

 

Well dang, they are no longer carrying automotive CV axels. Say they can't compete with China.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had some automotives installed for around 30k miles, they worked great for me. At this point if you just want to keep the car going, find a set of the oem green cups at a wrecker and just rebuild them with new grease and boots doing that should get you pretty far.

 

Ive held onto 2 sets of green cup fronts that just need a grease and boot rebuild just as shelf spares incase.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Fellas, been meaning to update everyone but life has been busy.

 

The dealer did the head gasket job for $2500 which also included a new radiator because one of the nipples broke off the old one. They failed to put the OEM thermostat in, leaving the 140 degree thermostat I had put in a month earlier. FYI, I didn't notice any change in fuel mileage with the 140. All is well with their work and my overflow coolant stays steady without any overheating.

 

As for the vibration we believed might be due to the new aftermarket axles, I went ahead and bought the trakmotive and installed them myself. It took care of the vibration. The driver side roll pin from the dealer job was a short pin and had no chance at reaching the outside drive sleeve so that might have been the source of the vibration and not a defected Napa axle. The used car dealer I bought the car from who put the short roll pin in gave me a new set of axles only.

 

All is well now. I did put in new window guides in my driver door because the window was lose. It is still lose. I plan on retightening it assuming the felt as packed a little but am concerned that there is something else in the raising mechanism that might be lose.

 

I've been taking some trips with it and if I put 150-200 highway miles I am getting almost 24 miles to the gallon where when I am in town driving only it does close to 22.5 MPG.

 

I sure appreciate all the help you fellas offer. Thanks again for everything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use