I think I know the answer, but in a 2.2 transplanted into a 97 Legacy GT, can anything else cause bubbles in the overflow coolant container?

 

Story is it was a junkyard transplanted 2.2, we have put 40,000 or so on the car. The  daughter has the car in Turnersville NJ.  It was low on oil and low on coolant when i saw it today.  Added maybe 1/3 gallon of coolant and burped it out the vent plug in the radiator, level stayed OK after a heat and cool cycle.  Top radiator hose hot, so thermostat is working.  Both fans are running with the AC on.

 

Supposedly it did not get real hot, she said did not peg the gage, but the needle was well above where it normally runs, before the boyfriend shut it off but ?????

 

 

You may get lucky, and just need to replace the radiator cap. 2.2 motors generally don't blow head gaskets, but I had a 91 do so. The over heating also caused the radiator to leak, so had to replace the engine and radiator.

 

Bubbles generally results from blown head gaskets though.All 3 of my Subies have blown head gaskets, and all three were blowing bubbles.

Edited June 1, 201411 yr by Rooster2

One of the 95 subarus [2.2] that I owned started to bubble in the coolant reservoir at 210K.  So it happens even to 2.2 motors.  Change the HG using the OEM and you should be good for another 200K.

I did put a new radiator cap on it yesterday. With all the other things wrong with it, it is probably destined to be traded out for another car soon anyhow.  Just trying to figure out whether to sell it as is or pull the engine to do seals, belts and anything else that it needs.

Not unheard of for 2.2 head gaskets to go.

I have a 95 at 236k that's been slowly loosing coolant to I don't know where. Need to do a leakdown test to confirm but I'm pretty sure its a head gasket.

Typically the head gaskets don't fail unless the engine was overheated or run hot at some point, but there are also issues on older engines with corrosion around the coolant ports in the heads.

 

Fel-pro sells a gasket kit that comes with everything you need to do a head gasket job on these. Head gaskets, intake and exhaust gaskets, cam seals and o-rings, valve cover gaskets, even valve stem seals of you feel inclined to replace those.

Fel-pro head gaskets have the Fuji logo stamped on them. They are the exact same gasket you can get at a dealer but at half the price.

Decided I am not fixing this, no time, space, and too many other projects.

 

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