sprite

Has anyone ever had dealings with American Engine Installation Inc.? They install refurb and used engines. If you are familiar with them, I would appreciate your comments... Thanks. http://www.engineinstallation.com

I can drive the car around town (short trips, less than 20 miles) with the temp gauge normal. The car runs and sounds normal, although, oil consumption is apparent (ending up in my radiator). It mostly sits until I decide on a course of action. Cheers

Seasons Greetings, This is a continuation note from an earlier thread, "98 overheating" from 12/13/05. With symtoms of the "head gasket problem," the Subaru service dept. determined that my Forester had a cracked cylinder sleeve. The diagnostic procedures performed were a compression test (one faulty cylinder) and a cooling system pressure test (no external leaks). Can one tell the difference between a cylinder problem and a head gasket problem without removing the head? Curious... Thanks for any comments, Sprite.

Thanks for all the info... FYI, there were two tests performed: compression test (which failed one cylinder) and a pressurized cooling system test (no external leaks). I will perform tests and inspections as suggested from the responses and look into a replacement motor...otherwise, you may see some of this car on ebay. Thanks.

To my knowledge, they did not. They informed me that there were no external leaks and that the radiator would also need replacing because of oil. The inside of the radiator overflow container does have a slim coating of oil. The oil on the dip stick does not appear to show water/coolant in the oil but I will have to drain to inspect.

Greetings, I came to this site looking for answers to a resent overheating problem I was having with my 98 Subaru. I was thinking that I may need a new thermostat, hoses, and radiator flush. But, after reading some of the logs, I thought the worst-case may be a head gasket...The car runs great, except for this overheating problem. On the 25 mile trip to work, I noticed the temp gauge rise (not to the red) and then fall back to normal. At about 20 miles, the engine overheated, at which point I pulled over to allow the engine to cool (engine off-cooling fans running). After 5 min., I could continue on to work with engine temp normal. Same senario for the return trip home. I scheduled an appointment with the local Subaru dealer, hoping for the least costly solution but expecting the worst-case...at least thats what I thought. The diagnosis was a cracked piston sleeve...that I need a new short block with the trimmings. Any suggestions on options, other than spending what the car was worth on repairs? Thanks, and Happy Holidays.