EmmCeeBee

I could use the $20.... but I'll turn it down just to show this is "unbiased". Take the advice of the others here: you've got a clogged radiator. All the symptoms you describe line up with that diagnosis. Been there (except for the jumping snowbanks part). Follow the above link to the two-row radiator recommendation. Best long-term cooling fix you can do for an EA82. -- Mark

I think tizzle nailed it -- I was thinking vacuum leak, too. My cat used to have the habit of getting under the hood near the warm engine (it doesn't take much to cure 'em of that....) She somehow pulled off the vacuum line to the accumulator on the passenger-side fender. Engine idled like crap till I discovered it. There are a half dozen vacuum hoses, check to see if they're connected and not brittle. A can of carb cleaner can help find a leak, too; spray it around the base of the carbeurator/intake while the engine's running and see if the idle changes. Of course, it could be somethin' else, too.... -- Mark

Sorry, "bypass" hose was the wrong name. I meant the short hose (a 90* elbow) that connects from the water pump to the heater inlet line. It's completely hidden, underneath the bolt-on stuff on top of the engine. Which is why it's impossible to get at unless you're doing water pump work. Murphy's Law says this is the first hose to go when something leaks. My take on the "heats up with electrical load" is that the additional load on the engine simply puts more heat into the cooling system. You'd be amazed how much energy it takes to generate that much electricity (try it with a hand crank -- you'll heat up fast!). Any time the engine has to work harder, the cooling system sees higher temps. A cooling system in good shape will shed heat as fast (or faster) than it's generated. Either you don't have good coolant flow, or the heat exchange properties have deteriorated. A clogged radiator will do both these things (and lots of experience on this board points to this). A bad water pump is a possibility, but not as likely in my book. -- Mark

Actually, I'm certain the recommended interval is 55,000 miles -- but that's close enough. Can't remember what the source is, either the Sub owner's manual or a Haynes. I was assuming 60K, too. But last time mine broke, it was exactly 55600 miles since the previous one (at a Subaru dealership before I got the car, so parts shouldn't have been suspect). I was already to get ticked off when I discovered I had exceeded the recommended interval :-\ -- Mark

From your description, I can't tell if you're certain it isn't coming from the front of the engine. The oil pump would be a likely candidate for the leak; either the shaft seal fails or the shaft itself gets 'unround', or the micky mouse gasket dies. It's really tough to pinpoint this leak with the timing belt covers on, and it tends to weep all over front of the engine and come out where you'd least expect it. -- Mark

I read through all 9 pages of this and I have to add my voice to the chorus. At least 6 people have advised you to get a new radiator. Add my vote. While you're at it, put in a new water pump, and the short bypass hose. It just makes sense because to do these you gotta take out the radiator anyway. In my mind, it's 90% certain you have a clogged radiator. I'll give 8% to the bad water pump theory, 2% to a bad radiator cap. Hey, your Suby is 20 years old!! Original radiator, water pumps and bypass hose? That's more than double the life that most people get out of them. New radiator! Do it! -- Mark

One thing I haven't seen mentioned much here is a hydrocarbon test on the radiator. I "sniffs" gases in the radiator while the engine is running; if hydrocarbons show up, it's proof that combustion gases are getting into the coolant system. Ergo, leaking head gasket. From what I read, it's virtually foolproof. Sure, you can have bubbles in the coolant, or coolant in the oil, but unless these are REALLY obvious, you usually second-guess whether what you're seeing is what you're dreading. For this reason, I got a hydrocarbon test kit when I suspected a leaking HG. The test detects even minute levels that show up long before any other signs. Turns out I didn't have a leaky HG, so I don't have that much experience with diagnosing them.... But from what I figure, since combustion pressure is so much more than coolant pressure, a leaky HG would surely cross into the coolant on the piston upstroke. (On the downstroke, it would suck in some coolant, which shows up as oil contamination. I suppose it's remotely possible for a flaky HG to act as a "check valve" for a while and allow a one-way leak. Seems I've even read about that here.) The condition that a hydrocarbon test couldn't detect is a leaky HG between cylinders. This isn't so uncommon. Compression test would show this. I picked up a hydrocarbon test kit for $25 online at some tool store. I think Napa also carries it. Or a shop should do a one-time test for about the same amount. -- Mark

My impression is that this is pretty usual, since the horizontal design leaves oil to soak into the head gasket when the engine's at rest. After many years of this, it finds its way through... First of all, make sure it's the head gasket. If it's on the front corner of the head, it could be dribbles from the oil pump or camshaft seals. Scrub it clean (brake cleaner works) and watch it for a few days. Mine's been doing that for a few years. I re-did the oil pump seals, crank and cam seals a couple years ago, and now there's no drips on the garage floor. But if I crawl under the engine, I can still see a drop forming on the front corner of the left head gasket. It drips occasionally on the skid plate -- not enough to run off onto the floor. At the time I did the oil seal work, I retorqued the head bolts, a bit over spec. Some guys on this board will recommend this (maybe others won't?). It seemed to slow the drip down by about half. In all, a drop a week wouldn't be anything to worry about, as long as no evidence of coolant or compression leaks through the head gasket. -- Mark

If I remember right, last time I was up in BC, I saw some Napa Auto Parts stores. The ones in my neighborhood have Seafoam. Give 'em a try. -- Mark

>> After a certain speed its not as bad, but it will still pull to one side for a while, then pull to the other side for a while, then sometimes go straight for a while. If "a while" is "every revolution of the wheels", then this sounds like classic tread separation in a front tire. OTOH, if "a while" is "every 500 feet", then yeh it sounds like mechanical steering problems. -- Mark

I agree with the others, even about cheap oil and frequent changes. If the milkshake is only at the top of the filler tube, don't worry about it. Subarus have long oil filler necks, and they stick out away from the high heat of the engine into relatively cool air, especially in winter. That's exactly the spot you'll get any condensation. Every other car I've owned/worked on had the oil filler hole as part of the valve cover, so you'd never see condensation on the oil cap. Subarus are unique.... My first Sub in '76 did that to the oil cap, and I finally realized it was harmless physics. -- Mark

>> It usually happens going down the highway. Seems to boil the coolant out of the overflow tank but leaves some in the rad. Exactly the symptoms I chased a year ago -- the radiator cap, or the radiator, or both. The cap gets old an weak and can't hold 14psi, so coolant expands into the "overflow" tank, air gets sucked back into the radiator when it cools a bit, and it's a vicious cycle. But my radiator was 15 years old at the time, and I replaced that, too. The inside channels collect a layer of scum, and over the years that adds insulation so heat transfer suffers. If it's the original radiator, consider replacing it. Overheating at highway speeds points to the radiator. The engine's doing a ton of work, and it has to shed heat. The cooling system isn't overdesigned enough to allow for an inefficient radiator in that case. -- Mark

Hey moshe, keep 'em coming I'm learning a lot by reading the answers to your questions. I'll try this one: 1) Well, the PCV valve ("Positive Crankcase Ventilation") does suck air into the engine, but it's not exactly fresh air. It sucks gases out of the left side valve cover (driver's side in the US); fresh air is sucked into the right side valve cover (passenger side in the US), and the whole flow is right-to-left so that the crankcase is ventilated. The "fresh" air to the right side comes through a hose that's connected to the fresh air intake (either carburetor or fuel injected systems), so that it's guaranteed to be filtered. The PCV valve itself leads into the combustion path (below the throttle body) so that the engine gases can be burned. Result: cleaner emissions. That's all there is to it. Occasionally you might get oil sucked into the left-side hose (1993 models should have a design that prevents this). Of course, after a few years the hoses get rock hard and plugged up with deposits. So it's a good idea to clean them or replace them. You can also soak the PCV valve in solvent, because it can get sticky and not open properly. A PCV valve should rattle when you shake it. There's more to it than that, though, the spring should let it open at exactly the right vacuum level. They're cheap, just replace it after a few years. I believe you can disable the whole PCV system and not affect the running of the engine (I haven't done this....) But it certainly will affect the emissions, and is probably illegal in any area that has emission standards. 2) For the same reason (that it won't affect the running engine), I bet you can plug in any PCV that fits. But why? They're only a few dollars (in the US anyway). Most people on the board swear only by an OEM part for the PCV valve. You can do an internet search to see if the part numbers are the same for 1993 Leone and Impreza, but I bet they're not.... 3) Cars before the 1970's just dumped crankcase gases to the atmosphere, so that's what your new setup is doing (if I understand your description right). Shouldn't give you any problems, except excessive emissions. Just plug the fitting for the hose in the "air cleaner box". DON'T connect any of the PCV hoses to the fuel filter.... Don't even think of it, I don't see how you could do that anyway. Don't leave the "air cleaner box" fitting open, or you'll have a huge vacuum leak and screw up the air flow metering. Hope this helps. edit: Oh, if you take all the PCV stuff off, you'll have to plug the hole where the PCV valve itself was mounted, too. -- Mark

Gris, whatever you do, don't put bar's leak in the radiator. There's enough testimonials on this board to that stuff leading to the death of your radiator and/or cooling system. I don't think any external 'permatex'-type stuff would do anything, either, although it might get you a couple miles before it lets go. As said, it's really easy to replace an intake gasket. All you need is a couple hours with a wrench and scraper (use a hardwood stick, not metal...) Plus, you get the satisfaction of knowing it's done right. -- Mark

>> Am I to understand that I can drive it without power steering fluid? No, no, no! oobnuker was saying you can drive a sub just fine without a *power steering system*. If you leave the p/s pump hooked up and spinning, it'll probably self destruct after a few miles of pumping air. So the comment was, you can take off the p/s steering pump completely, along with its pulley, too, and use a shorter belt. If you decide to go this way, you should cap off the p/s lines (to keep out contamination and make it possible to rebuild someday). I haven't done this...... just arm-chair designing here. I'm not sure about '85 subs, but the later ones specify ATF in the p/s pump. Check the p/s cap, it'll say what fluid to use. Don't mix p/s fluid with ATF! -- Mark

If the engine is level when you take off the covers, you should only get a couple tablespoons. A rag or two under the mating surface will take care of it, plus newspaper on the ground while you do the cleaning. If you park leaning right or left, you might get more, but not more than 1/2 cup... -- Mark

Maybe the "screwdriver in the hole" works for other people, but I always used a breaker bar on the crank pulley and kicked the starter. Why strain muscles when 90 HP can do the job??? If I were you, before I unhooked too much stuff, I'd try to get the crank pulley off. If you have to resort to the breaker bar, you might have to rebuild what you took off so you can crank the engine. It's not tough, really. If I remember, it's a 22mm bolt on the crank pulley. I used a 22mm socket, a 1/2" socket wrench, and a length of pipe (about 3 ft??). Slip the pipe over the socket wrench handle, rest the other end of the pipe on the ground. The engine turns CCW (that's looking forward), so the pipe should rest to the left of the engine (looking forward; that's under the battery). Just be sure nothing will get destroyed if the pipe flops around..... Disconnect the coil-to-distributor wire. You don't want the engine to actually run!!! Then turn the ignition key to kick the starter, for less than 1/2 second. All you want to do is break loose the bolt, you don't want to completely unthread it. Don't crank like you're starting the car, just 1/2 second. If this seems too drastic (for some reason it gives some people the willies...), then try the "screwdriver in the hole" method, but do it now before you have stuff hanging all over the engine. All the pulleys will have to come off to get clear access to the timing belts. -- Mark

Don't use the old gaskets or grommets. They'll never seat tight, and you'll be leaking oil again. You can get entire sets (Autozone, Napa, etc.) with all the gaskets and grommets. Autozone has 'em for less than $15. The grommets individually, though, run about a buck a piece. Go figure. After a couple hundred miles, the rubber cooks hard (it gets hot in there!!!). If you remove the gaskets/grommets for any kind of maintenance, trying to reuse them just guarantees a leak. If they're 5 or 10 years old, it's worse, they're harder than a rock. What I do is buy 2 or 3 sets at a time, 'cuz you never know when they're going to discontinue them. Not that expensive, considering the value of a clean driveway/garage floor. I might use one set every two years, or two a year -- depending on if I'm working on my sub. Be sure you clean out the gasket channel on the valve covers. Use a soft stick of wood to scrub it clean, and degreaser to dry it. Wipe a thin coat of oil on the rubber gasket. If not, you'll get drips -- by the time you notice it and get around to it, the new gaskets will be cooked hard and you'll have to get a new set anyway. You don't need a torque wrench, assuming you can pretty accurately gauge the weight of a small watermelon by picking it up. Seriously. I can't remember the torque spec on these bolts, but put about 5-10 lbs of weight on a 10" wrench and it should be OK. (Don't try this for critical bolts such as head bolts...) -- Mark

The thermostat is mounted on top of the engine, right side (passenger side), in the elbow that connects to the upper radiator hose. But if I understand your story right, it might be something simpler. No overheating before the timing belt job; overheating right after the belt job. This is highly coincidental.... Could you maybe have left off the fan belt (it drives the water pump)? Or simply that you didn't tighten the belt enough, causing it to slip. Other things I'd check are things that you touched during the belt job -- like the radiator cap, as roxtar says. Or if you drained the radiator for the belt job, make sure it's filled with no air bubbles. -- Mark

You mean the tool to lock the camshafts while you tension the belts? I don't remember one to lock the crank... Miles' write-up gives a way to eyeball the tension, rather than using a tool. But it's easy enough to jury rig one up. I took a piece of steel plate (actually the square cover to an electrical box) and drilled four holes to match up the holes in the camshaft gear. Four short bolts mounted in those holes, to engage the camshaft gear. Then another hole in the center of the plate; this holds a large bolt which I use the torque wrench on. Total cost about $2, and it works flawlessly. Other guys here have mentioned similar homemade tools. -- Mark

Just a possibility for your coolant leak: I chased a similar leak for a few months, I could never find a hose or gasket that was the culprit. It would drip for hours after I drove it -- always from the left side (driver's side). I'd find a small puddle under the engine, in the parking lot and in the garage. Finally determined it was a faulty radiator cap. It wouldn't hold 13psi, so when the engine was hot it let coolant escape to the expansion (overflow) tank. I never saw the tank full -- the physics involved means as soon as the engine cools a few degrees, the radiator sucks back a cup or two of coolant. But when driving the car, the expansion tank would overflow, leaving little puddles of coolant around the battery shelf and inside fender. These puddles would drip in the garage.... A new cap (plus a new radiator), and she's as good as new. -- Mark

If the coolant is disappearing without a trace, and only on long drives..... It's your radiator cap. It's gotta seal tight up to 13 psi. As they get old and lose their seal, it will open at a lower pressure and let the coolant out into the overflow tank, enough to overflow onto the road. Then when it cools, the overflow tank will look low (or empty), as it's pulled back into the radiator. On a long drive (high speeds, climbing), more heat goes into the radiator, so that's when this will happen -- not at idle. If it's the original cap, it's due a new one anyway. Either that, or a leaky head gasket. But you can check for this like the other guys said -- white exhaust, bubbles in the radiator, or a carbohydron test. But a bad head gasket should be evident even at idle, I'd think. -- Mark

First things first. Did you check the coolant level, make sure the radiator is full? After you run the engine, is the radiator hot? 180* is just at the temperature where you can put your hand on it for 1 second before primal scream. If the thermostat is opening, you should feel the flow in the radiator hose. You can even start the engine with the radiator cap off (only take the cap off when it's cold), warm it up, and when the thermostat opens you'll see flow in the radiator. Checking the thermostat is the next logical step, you're on that one. Check it by putting it into a pot of water on the stove and boiling it, using a thermometer to watch when it opens. If it opens too soon, you'll run cold and your gas mileage will suffer; probably foul your plugs with rich mixture, but no major damage (at least as compared to overheating). If you really got a "cold running engine" -- one that dispels heat as fast as it generates it -- you've got something almost as valuable as cold fusion. The heat has to be going somewhere. If it's going into the coolant, then you've got a bad temperature sensor or gauge. If it's not going into the coolant, then your radiator is low, or you got worse problems..... :-\ -- Mark

The short (about 3") hose elbow that leads to the heater pipe. This is right above the metal pipe you mention. I can't remember if it's the heater inlet or outlet, but no matter -- if you're in there, you might as well replace it. It's just about the toughest thing to get to when it inevitably cracks. Is the pump still good? Replacements are easy to get, ranging from ~ $30 to $70. Do a search here, quite a few recommendations on where to go for replacement. Other than that, check the mounting bolts (I used stainless steel replacements) and the mounting surface. Not much else, as far as the water pump goes. -- Mark

Just a comment about "no-rust-heaven" in the Pacific Northwest.... This really applies only to Oregon/Washington. dominical1 posted from BC -- they salt the roads there. We all know what that does to old Subs. Too bad, it's the only reason I don't go up there every weekend in the winter :-\ -- Mark