outbackskier Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Alright so I'm back again. I just replaced the Head Gaskets, Spark wires, Spark Plugs and IACVS on my 97 Outback 2.5 ( I also pulled the thermostat because i believe that cause my engine to overheat in the first place, I'm getting a new one tomorrow from Subaru) The car ran fine during a 40 or so mile drive home with no over heating, however I can kind of hear a clicking noise when i accelerate, (due to my lack of experience I'm not sure if its clicking or just a louder sound like the sound a car with a loose or cracked exhaust system would sound like a lawn mower almost) and i also noticed that the car would almost miss while i was accelerating like i would hit the gas and it would slowly speed up and then catch and accelerate normally. Yesterday when I was driving around town I realized the engine began to overheat, so i pulled to the side of the road immediately added coolant and the overheating went away. until later on my drive home it happened again and i needed to add more coolant. (Obviously there is a coolant leak somewhere) So while looking in the Haynes Manuel troubleshooting I realized that under the problems: Pinging or Knocking Engine Sound During Acceleration or Uphill, Overheating, and Engine Misses Throughout Driving Speed Range, all have the common cause of Bad or Wrong Ignition Timing. Is this possible? or do I simply have a coolant Leak somewhere? or could my lack of a thermostat right now be causing this problem? I am kind of stuck again and I need some help as I will be leaving to go home from college next week and need a car to get there. PLEASE HELP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Donated broknindarkagain Posted December 11, 2011 I Donated Share Posted December 11, 2011 If your coolant is getting low, its leaking somewhere. If you can't find the leak by looking at the engine (from under too), then its probably an internal leak. Did you clean both the surfaces on the block and heads prior to mounting them? What kind of gaskets did you use? What torque sequence did you follow? My first impression is that there was some kind of assembely error when you put the engine back together. Do a compression test on the engine. -broknindarkagain My Current Project - Click Here COME AND TAKE IT "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackskier Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 If your coolant is getting low, its leaking somewhere. If you can't find the leak by looking at the engine (from under too), then its probably an internal leak. Did you clean both the surfaces on the block and heads prior to mounting them? What kind of gaskets did you use? What torque sequence did you follow? My first impression is that there was some kind of assembely error when you put the engine back together. Do a compression test on the engine. I torqued according to the Haynes Manuel. I forget what type of gaskets I used but it was like a gasket set and i used gasket sealer on them and i did clean both the head and the block with a stone thing that my friends dad told me to use. I didnt see any cracks on the head and someone told me that this could possibly be caused by not properly purging the coolant system could this be possible? just wondering Thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackskier Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 could gasket sealer cause a clog in my system? I dont have a cracked block do I? help please i have to go home this friday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackskier Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 and its not ignition timing my exaust is cracked causeing a lawnmower sound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulzcow Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Dumb question, but do you have fresh oil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackskier Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 yes i changed it after i did the heads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackskier Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 sooo update is I purged the system, went for a drive, no overheating, opened the hood and found coolant around the battery. Revved the engine and saw coolant squirting out from under the rad cap. So i need a new rad cap right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stasis Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 ^I'd say so. Couldn't hurt to replace it to eliminate it as a problem since they're so cheap anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 FYI: gasket sealer is not recommended for these engines. and subaru head gaskets are. but it sounds like a new rad cap will put you back on the road. if so, sell it. unless you want to do them again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackskier Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 yea the heads are blown again or the heads were warped or cracked and i dint get new ones or anything because i am now getting air bubbles in my overflow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennyfvholla Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 The ONLY thing I would ever use as a gasket sealer is aviation permatex. It works wonders. What gasket sealer did you use? And have you gotten a new radiator cap yet? I'm guessing you did and it didn't work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackskier Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 yea i did it was after i got this that is started to get bubbles in the overflow and i used indian head i believe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennyfvholla Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Did you re purge the air from the system? If it has overflowed any since you to last purged it and you've had to add any coolant you should do it again. Then see if you're still getting air bubbles. But if it's still overheating, you definitely have a problem with the heads or gaskets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackskier Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 i got steam coming from the exhaust too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackskier Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 what are the signs that you would see if you had a crack block or cracked cylinder as opposed to the signs you would see from cracked head or bad head gasket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennyfvholla Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 A cracked block would cause oil to be in the anti-freeze, anti-freeze in the oil, low engine compression, engine smoke, possibly a visible crack, or over heating. I honestly don't think you have a cracked block. A cracked head is more likely, but may not be the case. Symptoms would be oil leaks, low compression, coolant leaks, engine head smoke, or misfiring. More than likely the head gasket wasn't put on properly or the surface of the cylinder head wasn't flat enough. Do a hydrocarbon test and you'll know if the gaskets has failed again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackskier Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 alright will do, ill be doing all this stuff next week thanks for the help everyone ill keep you posted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TbirdMan Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 could also be a warped head. it is always a good idea if at all possible when you have the heads off to replace gaskets, to take them in to a machine shop and have them inspected and a valve job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 the head gaskets go on dry, NO SEALANT. the head gaskets should come from ''subaru''. and at this point the heads should be ''checked'' for flatness. (tell the machine shop a buddy has heads if needed, but you want them checked. you can always say later that he sold them and you now need them re-surfaced. ) and last, install the head gaskets DRY, and torque to spec. the torquing is very important. (it never says 132 ft. lb, it says 132 INCH lbs.) good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennyfvholla Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Is there any particular reason the gaskets should go on dry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 that's the way the engineers designed them. it took them a while to get them right, but they finally did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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