Finished putting a 2.2 in for a buddy. Started up easily,HLAs quieted down as the motor warmed up. Puffed white smoke for a good while (Water in the exhaust I'm pretty sure from sitting for a year before he bought it - didn't smell anything like coolant) and that has gone away.

 

Took a good 15 minutes to warm up and the temperature creeps its way above the halfway mark. Radiator and reservoir were full. Was squeezing the upper rad hose to work air out of the system. Rad hose filled with hot water and got good and firm. (This should confirm good water pump/thermostat right?)

 

So far I have topped it off twice and squeezed the upper rad hose until I can no longer get any bubbles out. Symptoms are

 

Slowly heats up past halfway. I turn it off when it reaches 2/3 on the gauge.

 

No heat. Blower is good but just getting cold air.

 

Upper rad hose pressurizes but seems to get hotter than it should.

 

Previous owner said it may need a new radiator. Is the car telling me so? It's my first suspect but I want to eliminate as many possibilities before I throw any parts at it.

Edited November 14, 201411 yr by AdventureSubaru

did you fill the block? if not detatch the top radiator hose going into the engine fill to a brim and reattach your heater core is totally empty having sat for that long keep it on hot fans on high it will eventually fill and blow hot. if your water pump is bad it wont do this. if you have a huge air pocket this might not happen, FILL THAT BLOCK! 

 

CHECK THE bypass hoses going to and from the heater core the lower one above the thermostat likes to leak and gets really hot....

this comes up so often,

i keep track of how much coolant i add to the system.

it only holds 6 qts.

so if you only added 5, you need to burp it.

 

did you remove the vent plug when you filled it?

if no, you need to burp and fill.

at this point disconnecting the top hose may be your best bet.

 

just a thought and there may a ton of good reasons not do this,

but if air locked, a coat hanger down the top hose and cross over pipe may unlock it.

but just filling the top hose and block may do it.

 

if it is air locked,

it may not burp.

does it blow hot air from the heater when it is over heating?

if no, it needs burping.

 

if you cannot burp it,

drain it back down to nothing and start over.

catch the coolant in clean plastic tub, 2 gal., and strain if needed.

 

this is how i do it:

how to fill and burp your cooling system. - burpcoolingsystem - Subaru Legacy Forums

 

 

if it is the rad, the start is to use a laser guided temp gun to test the rad.

but if it does not blow hot air from the heater,

it needs to be burped.

Edited November 14, 201411 yr by johnceggleston

Is the heater core already bypassed?   Just sayin.  If previous owner bypassed a leaking Heater core... you will have no heat.

If the previous owner was saying the radiator was bad, then why didn't you replace it? If the previous owner used tap water (a BIG NO NO), it will over time clog the radiator cores with lime or deposits. Basically the same thing that happens to a shower head. Need to use distilled water to prevent. 

 

Next question is did you reuse the old coolant thermostat? Cheap ones will fail in the closed "shut" position. This means coolant won't flow. Check your lower radiator hose. Is it cooler than the upper hose at the 1/2 way temp mark? Is so, the thermostat isn't opening. Lower hose will be a few degrees cooler than upper once the thermostat opens. It'll remain MUCH colder than upper hose until it opens.

 

If it were me, I'd remove the thermostat and put it in a boiling pot of water. Does it open eventually or stay shut? If it never opens, replace it. If it does open (I'd replace anyways as they are like a $7 part), pull the upper radiator hose and inspect the actual cores to the radiator. There should be NO deposits on the core ends. If there are, then the radiator is clogging.

 

Is the engine fan kicking on?

Edited November 15, 201411 yr by Bushwick

 

No heat. Blower is good but just getting cold air.

 

it needs burping.

the coolant is not circulating.

 

it could be the t-stat but i would burp it first.

Edited November 15, 201411 yr by johnceggleston