Hi, brand new to this site, so I apologize in advance if I'm posting in the wrong area...
I have an 87 Suburu Legacy that a couple months ago began getting really high on the temp gauge when the engine is under a load, such as highway driving. When the temp starts getting way up there, I just rev the engine up to the RPM redline for a 5-6 seconds to get the coolant really pumping through, and the temp gauge will usually quickly fall back to normal, only to start climbing up again almost right away. The problem seems worse after a cold start or when the weather is excessively cold. I've changed the thermostat and the sensor that runs the electric fan, and can find nothing else wrong. It ain't losing any coolant at all, aside from a slight leak around the block heater, but it is burning through a quart of oil every 300 miles.
A coolant test did not indicate a blown gasket, and just 15 months ago, I had brand new heads installed on it when I found out they were both cracked, yet I did not have similar problems then like I have now. A couple techs in my area I have asked told me I most likely have a seeping head gasket anyway, and my little blond brain just can't work out how my problems could be caused by that.............any ideas?? Thank you!