blew my rad today,knew it was coming,so I did this:

 

1-new 2 row rad

 

2-second electric fan,second thermo switch(160 degreees)

 

so,theres an extra port on the rad to put the thremo switch,which I did,so the first fan comes on at 160 and the second comes on at 180.OH yeah,I forgot the 160 degree thermostat.

 

I do a lot of mountain driving so I thought id try this,and it works really good.

Tried my hardest to overheat it or at least get close to the red,not a chance.Stayed dead certer the whole time with 3 people,two big dogs and three HEAVY mountain bikes on the back.

 

Now if I could only gat rid of the ghost in my suspension system!

I just swapped my radiator today. I found a two row radiator in a junk yard and the difference is amazing. I put in a 180 degree thermostat. All is well.

Out of interest, do Subarus normally run warm? I notice that if I sit at the lights or an intersection for an extended period, the temp gauge starts to climb. My car is going in for a service this Tuesday - worth them flushing out the radiator and having a look?

 

Seeya

 

Rod!

I only have experience with 3 different subarus. An XT6.......stays cool with a new radiator, a 1987 RX turbo, stays cool with a new(er) radiator, and a Brat with an EA81 motor that just plain runs cool. It appears that having a good, non clogged radiator seems to be the theme.

A 2-pass or better radiator will do wonders for any car. You should check your thermostat, water pump & keep an eye on the bypass/heater hose off the water pump (hose is cheap--headgaskets are not ) I bought my last Subie because the customer blew the hose & drove the car --after I put in a used engine all was well--there are also a couple of small 1/4 hoses around the intake that should be replaced--they get soft & blow easy--I tell my customers that the cooling system is the best way to keep your Subie alive--all of mine are over 200k---