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EJ22 and coolant issues, dreaded HG?


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Hello all. I have a 95 Subaru Legacy with the EJ22 in it, USA, not California, with 230K on it. About 1 year ago it randomly overheated and I could find no explanation apart from the fluid was low, but clueless where it went. Topped the fluid, burped it, and went on my way. Repeat 3 weeks later. Now advance to now and I have to refill after every 20 mile trip I make to and from work to stave off overheating. Yes, I have twice overheated the engine during this accidentally, but not significantly before cooling down,  :o . I realize that each and every time I am topping off I am not taking the time to burp all the air out, but after repeating burpings this seems futile. At idle the system will pressurize and operate normal, nothing out of place. However, when I push the engine hard, on the freeway, at higher RPM's the issues begin. The coolant displaces in large quantities from the radiator into the overflow and turns it into a true overflow. One time so epic it blew the plastic cap off and it is now among freeway debris. Then begins the process of slowly losing the heater unless at high rpm's on to no heater and then onto overtemp. Last time it overheated the temp outside was -1F and I was traveling at freeway speeds. When I look at the overflow I can see bubbles slowly bubbling to the top, about 2 per second. I have attempted to test said bubble with the chemical hydrocarbon test and have never successfully got it to indicate it was in fact exhaust gases.  However it is hard because the radiator is still pressurized and I can't open it and the overflow is spilling over. Things I have tried: water pump x1, it failed after the first overheating experience. Radiator caps times 3, not oem, but motorad - I can tell the system is staying pressurized by squeezing the radiator hose. Burping numerous times, numerous ways. Thermostat x 2 - one the cheap stant then the fancier stant. Flushing. Stop-leak ( I know but the car is old enough to drink and has 230K on it), flush a couple more times. Also of interest when the car starts in the cold (-5 to around 25 average this time of year) it chugs like an old farm tractor. It clearly is not firing on all cylinders properly for about the first ten seconds, then to a smoother lope, then on to a fast high idle and all sounds normal. Is it the headgaskets? The absence of proving hydrocarbons has me worried. I can get a 20 dollar radiator from the pick and pull, should I try it or is it futile? Thanks for all your help on an issue hashed out many times!

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I had overheating issues much like the ones you are experiencing in my 93 ej22. I replaced the water pump, thermostat, radiator hoses and eventually my radiator. Once i replaced my radiator my loss of coolant reduced greatly and I did not have any more overheating issues for many months.The problem was my radiator and also my replacement radiator. The replacement one I put in must have had a small crack in it because occasionally when I came back to my car after it being parked for a few hours i noticed a very small puddle under the drivers side bumper eventually the level of coolant would drop so low that i would have air bubbles in my system and the temp gauge would spike then drop again. I bit the bullet and replaced my radiator again hoping that was truly the issue, its been over a year since then and I have lost no coolant at all nor have i had any overheating issues. 

-Mike

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