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New timing belt, then oveheating started!


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'97 Outback Legacy.

 

I recently had to have the crank seal replaced on this car. The timing belt was over due so I had that replaced at the same time.

 

Low and behold, first drive after having the work done the engine runs fine for about 40 to 50 minutes on a cold day, and then it overheats and starts overflowing from the coolant reservoir. When I look in the tank there is now a thin film of oil. After getting it checked it is confirmed to have exhaust in the tank.

 

I am not a believer in coincidences. I find it hard to believe that a car that has never overheated, as a matter of fact I have never seen the temp gauge go above the halfway mark (or even move once up to temp) suddenly has these problems after having a timing belt changed.

 

How about some expert advice? Does anyone see a relationship between the two events? Or is this just a case of being unlucky?

 

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I am wondering if the radiator was removed to replace the seal and belt and they didn't burp the coolant system. Try this:

 

Take the radiator cap and bleeder screw (top of radiator on pass side)

 

Fill the coolant if it isn't already

 

Start the car

 

Turn the heat and fan to high

 

let idle untill it reaches normal operating temp and T-stat opens

 

If the fluid goes down fill it with more coolant/water mixture

 

If your T-stat does not open then I would highly reccomend a new OEM unit. DO NOT USE PART STORE T-stats! Be sure you install it the correct way or the results won't be good.

 

Hope this helps. Please try this and get back to us.

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Colorado has a good point I would try that first. I am also wondering if the timing is off by one or two teeth if it might make it run hot, I know on some older model cars like Chev. and Ford I have heard they will run hot if timing is not correct.

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Thanks...I guess I was thinking along the same lines. Is there an way to check timing belt placement without removing all the pulleys? They said the didn't open the cooling system to get at the timing belts(no hoses removed), so I was thinking along the lines of the belt being off by a tooth. Maybe that could be enough to blow an already weak gasket...Thoughts anyone?

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I thought the timing being off by a tooth would cause the car to operate in a strange matter but josh said that it shouldn't make that big of a difference. If it is way off I could understand. Perhaps not allowing the exhaust gasses to leave the engine properly.

 

 

He said the car is running good thought. Try the "burp" before jumping to any other conclusions.

 

Hope this helps.

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The following is a post from somewhere..

 

"I work at a dealership and the number ONE reason phase ones are blowing gaskets, not because subaru sucks at making engines as I've read above. But people working with the coolant system and not knowing how to BLEED the system correctly. These cars have to be bled properly!, pouring coolant into the rad or overflow tank and driving will do nothing for it. Air pockets in the coolant are what make these engine blow head gaskets. to bleed it properly you have to start the car, making sure your overflow tank has the right amount at cold coolant level. then unscrew the rad cap, AND on the passenger side of the rad unscrew that small plastic phillips bolt THIS IS WHAT BLEEDS THE SYSTEM. Now fill both the rad through the rad cap opening and the little hole where that plastic bolt goes into. Wait a few mins, then top both up again. The problem is nobody knows this, they either work at home on their car alone, or they take it to a corner garage which has no clue how to bleed a phase 1 2.5L's."

 

Is it only phase 1 block engines that have an air bleed screw? If not,this post wouldn't account for the fact that premature headgasket failures are disproportionately 2.5 DOHC ('97 '98) engines. A german magazine indicates h/g failure rates of 20 percent in these engines.

However, this could account for at least the cause of the initial overheating.

 

If you have exhaust in your coolant you have a breech in the h/g.

It concerns me that these engines might be that sensitive, that you could blow a head gasket with one incident of even mild overheating.

 

Info:

http://www.troubleshooters.com/tpromag/200005/200005.htm

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The following is a post from somewhere..

 

"I work at a dealership and the number ONE reason phase ones are blowing gaskets, not because subaru sucks at making engines as I've read above. But people working with the coolant system and not knowing how to BLEED the system correctly. These cars have to be bled properly!, pouring coolant into the rad or overflow tank and driving will do nothing for it. Air pockets in the coolant are what make these engine blow head gaskets. to bleed it properly you have to start the car, making sure your overflow tank has the right amount at cold coolant level. then unscrew the rad cap, AND on the passenger side of the rad unscrew that small plastic phillips bolt THIS IS WHAT BLEEDS THE SYSTEM. Now fill both the rad through the rad cap opening and the little hole where that plastic bolt goes into. Wait a few mins, then top both up again. The problem is nobody knows this, they either work at home on their car alone, or they take it to a corner garage which has no clue how to bleed a phase 1 2.5L's."

 

Is it only phase 1 block engines that have an air bleed screw? If not,this post wouldn't account for the fact that premature headgasket failures are disproportionately 2.5 DOHC ('97 '98) engines. A german magazine indicates h/g failure rates of 20 percent in these engines.

However, this could account for at least the cause of the initial overheating.

 

If you have exhaust in your coolant you have a breech in the h/g.

It concerns me that these engines might be that sensitive, that you could blow a head gasket with one incident of even mild overheating.

 

Info:

http://www.troubleshooters.com/tpromag/200005/200005.htm

 

My 96 Brighton 2.2 L has such a bleed screw on the top right side of the rad.

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ALL Legacy's from 1990-1999 have an air bleed screw on the radiator. The 2.2L dosen't have the head gasket problem that the 2.5L does. The 2.2L was in production for 9 years, the 2.5L for 3:rolleyes:. There were changes made to the DOHC produced in '96, and they either aren't as troublesome or there is just less of them out there, so I'm not counting '96. It's pretty obvious that somone in charge at SOA knew somthing about the 2.5L DOHC engine problems, and not just the cooling system problem there were other problems. They stoped production of them for one reason or another. The currant 2.5L SOHC has been in production longer and they had a headgasket leak from the get go.

 

 

The oil in the coolant recovery tank probably didn't show up after the engine overheated. It most likly developed over time. This is the first sign of failing head gaskets. The recovery tank can get very nasty before there is an overheating problem.

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