dimka3186 Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 my 90 Legacy has a constant leak of coolant (a drop every second or so) The T stat does not show any like it overheating and it seems as the leak stop at some point i keep refiling the radiator every day or two with just a few ounces of coolant for a temporary solution i bought a liquid in Walmart to drop in the rad (it smells like eggs) it seems like its coming from the Gasket . where the Timing Belt plastic cover is and drip right where the bottom bolt holds it the car has 211k not sure how to approach this issues I hope one of you subie pros can point me to the right direction id like to know if i should be looking at replacing the Timing belt/water Pump and the whole deal or would it work with just buying a Gasket? Is there a simple way to stop the leak or do i have to take it apart?? thanks appreciate any help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbhrps Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 dimka3186, Your problem is the water pump. It resides behind the timing belt cover and has a small drain hole designed into its bottom casting for just this purpose. If the bearing or seals of the water pump go bad, they first start to leak out of this hole as a warning its replacement time. Don't mess around with it. Get it replaced, and maybe do the timing belt and tensioner at the same time? Its a wise move if you plan on keeping the car for some time. When it really goes bad you will be stranded and may do catastrophic damage to the engine. Changing the water pump and timing belt and tensioner on a Subie is a moderate job for the DIYer with the proper tools (usually only need a good torque wrench above what you already have in your tool box) and there are lots of YouTube vids on Subie timing belts to show step by step procedures. Good Luck! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 Stop leak is not a good idea. Won't work on moving seals [water pump shaft] anyway. IF you drive the car before fixing this, watch the coolant level like a hawk. As in check before every start. My experience has been this - if you let the coolant run low and the temp gauge runs above normal, the head gaskets are ruined. Maybe not instantly, if it's only a little over, but they gradually fail in that case. I have gotten away with running short trips in my older EA82 cars by topping off before every start, and using a modified radiator cap that runs zero pressure. The zero pressure is to slow the leak. I do not know if the newer engines will cool properly with zero pressure however. I managed to nurse one along with a cracked head long enough to rebuild a spare engine, which I then swapped in. The timing belts and idlers and tensioner should all be replaced at 100,00 mile intervals. Don't use cheapo parts for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimka3186 Posted April 8, 2016 Author Share Posted April 8, 2016 Hey guys thanks for the Quick reply!!! i really appretiate it for now i have been on the watch out before every drive and make sure there is enough liquid to fill it off the big concern is if its a pretty loong drive and i cannot just stop in the middle and fill her up... i guess the engine could overheat. the goal for now is to find decent quality replacement parts and DIY type of deal iv looked up on ebay and there are so many options for timing belt kits and water pumps how can one know what is a good quality one vs a cheapo?? would a cheapo not work as well?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Dont go cheap, you will be doing the job again soon. You need a quality timing belt, wter pump, cam and main seals, idler and tensioner. Someone already cheaped out doing it once (leaky water pump gives it away). They skipped the water pump last time, only god knows what else they skipped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Cheapo will work, but for how long? It's about reliability. When a timing belt fails, there is no warning. The engine stops running. If it is a non interference design, you are only stuck where you are. If it is an interference design, odds are, you end up with a bent valve or worse. OEM belts, idlers,tensioner will make it to the service interval. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikec03 Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Aisin is a good quality replacement for the water pump. Otherwise, the gates kit is widely used for the pulleys, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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