Jump to content
Ultimate Subaru Message Board

Recommended Posts

Is this really that hard?  I changed out a new radiator on an EJ22 today, I opened the bleed screw pouring water into the radiator while it was running.  1996 Brighton wagon, EJ22 engine.  I'm pretty sure it did not get cooked in the process of running it around, right.  I thought these engines are bulletproof.  I had the heater on full blast but no heat was coming out, so heater core was not getting circulated water.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw this instruction:  

 

 

Isn't there some other way?  This strikes me as unnatural, elevate the front of car, how much?  Jack it way up??  Which hose needs to be filled?  So you have to pull a connected hose off the radiator and actually pour water in??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I jack it as high as my floor jack will go.

Yes pull the upper radiator hose and slowly fill the block.

Once the block is full, put the hose back on and fill the overflow bottle and radiator about 1/2 way.

Start it up with the heat on full.

Once coolant starts to circulate squeeze the upper radiator hose to burp it.  Keep on doing that  until you have no more air bubbles in the overflow.

I've had one or two that were very hard to bleed.  I finally got them.

Good Luck.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

it does seem counter-intuitive - disconnecting hoses to fill the system, but because the thermostat is at the bottom of the system, filling from the radiator alone does not fill the block properly. you need to fill the block and the best way to do that is through the upper radiator hose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have a floor jack at my place; I guess I would have to use the tire change jack to do that, does it make that much difference, what about just filling up from the disconnected hose? Is the heater working indicative that the job was done?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've already cycled the car several times, running the car after putting in the new radiator, putting in as much water as it would take with the drain screw open.  Still no heat.  I tried lifting the car with the tire jack, but it didn't lift it that much.  Maybe park the car on a steep hill with the front forward and fill it that way?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/29/2019 at 9:00 PM, heartless said:

did you fill the block first from the upper radiator hose?

you have been here long enough that you should know about this.

 By the way I found the post rude.  I have usually tried to help and hope for the same.  

Edited by ThosL
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don’t sweat the comment. He means well. The 2.2 aqua bleed has been talked about a lot , but I’m like you and often just post before researching. Or my searches seem to produce less of a solution than desired.

And if you’re like me you don’t have time to read every post like an obsessive , so you also miss a lot of info... therefore you post. I do the same and if somebody needs to waste more time calling me out on it let them waste their time. It’s always been a great board and always cool , just some folks get annoyed with other people’s posts being what they feel is redundant. I’d rather converse here than the book of face anytime. 

 

I must be lucky because we own 3 1992-4 EJ22 cars and I’ve done engine swaps , radiators , intake , etc. and never did I need to remove the upper hose and also never needed any extreme nose lift. 

My method - fill the radiator as old school , run the engine , heat on is best , cap off and little filler open you slowly fill the bleeder and watch the radiator , it’ll balance out just stay on top of it. I’m sure I’m a hack but with several of these under my belt I’m still cruising. 

Just up the road from you but I’m busy like crazy lately. If I can get some time I’ll run down there. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes a steep hill will work as well, if you don't have a floor jack.

A couple I've had to run down the road a bit.  No heat coming out the vents, temp would go up higher than usual. but then temp would drop and heat out the vents.  

Air block in the engine can be tough sometimes.  Most go well and are easy fill and burp.  Heat comes out, temp stays solid 1/2 way up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, thanks for the help and sorry if I got too angry as these problems are very aggravating.  

 

I kept trying to do everything to burp it out and finally got the heat back in the heater so it is running well again.  Other challenges are things like the lower transmission hose to line without much clearance and the clamp broke and a larger hose clamp did not close out right but I shoved the rubber in well enough so it isn't leaking.  I thought I saw some bubbles coming up through overflow but they were small and hopefully not an issue.  I ordered the Subaru conditioner.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the advice.  

I have been driving it and watching it like a hawk for any overheating issue.  

No bubbles coming up in the overflow and I am still trying to bleed it out with the bleed screw on the passenger side.  It is still overheating, fan is kicking on, I did nothing with the thermostat, I don't know whether it is Stant (junk) or OE Subaru as needed.  Stuck thermostat can wreak havoc.  Heat is coming out heater OK.  Any other cause for overheating?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No bubbles sounds good.

Drive the left front wheel on to something that will raise the radiator cap a couple inches above the bleeder screw side. Leave the bleeder screw in place and remove the radiator cap. You will see if any air is left in the system.

You mentioned fan...

Does your 96 have 1 or 2 fans?

A/C should have 2 fans. If so, do both of them run at the same time? If they do, then that leaves the thermostat or water pump. The only water pump failure I have seen in our EJ22's has been shaft seal leakage. The impeller always looks good when I swap pumps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Two fans, they are working.  I changed out the thermostat with a Motorad Ultrastat 170 degrees unit.  Also Carquest coolant and Blue Devil pour and go which I will probably return.

 

No bubbles in the overflow, but engine seems to be running a little hot, needle of temp is in OK range.  Had to burp it out again.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do not use the Blue Devil Pour and Go in a Subaru. We sold it where I used to work and had no complaints from people that bought it. So, I decided to try it in our 95 Legacy EJ22 when I saw a slow stream of bubbles in the overflow tank. I knew it was a HG. The directions say you do not have to remove the thermostat.

Big MISTAKE. (or is it just my luck)

The water stopped circulating through the radiator and the temp gauge was going way up. The radiator was cool and the engine was hot. I thought ok thermostat. When I removed the thermostat housing I could not believe what I saw. I have pictures of it one of my computers. The bottom of the thermostat was coated with a light yellow material that looked like a hornet's nest that curved half way into the housing towards the lower hose. I could not see the t-stat at all.

The Motorad and Stant go for a year or two in our cars.

If you can borrow or purchase an Infrared digital thermometer check the temp of the coolant pipe that the upper hose hooks to on the engine.

I think the t-stat temp should be 192, it is in our cars. Putting in a 170 in the summer might cause the following to happen. It opens at 170 and will open all the way and lets the water circulate too fast through the radiator and is not cooled down by the fans. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Rampage said:

… and will open all the way and lets the water circulate too fast through the radiator and is not cooled down by the fans. 

That's not how heat transfer works.

The faster the fluid flow, the better the heat transfer.  And the slower the fluid flow, the worse the heat transfer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have seen vehicles run hot and others that barely warm up, when driven with the thermostat removed. I have never driven our Subaru's without a thermostat, so I don't know how they would react.

I agree and it makes sense, the quicker you can get the water to the radiator the quicker it can be cooled down. But, It takes time for heat transfer to happen in the radiator, it is not instant. The water has to spend a little time in the radiator in order to be cooled down. If the water zips through the radiator really fast not much heat is removed from the water.

Years ago we had triple core radiators and if the thermostat was removed the engine would never reach operating temperature. They needed the thermostat to stop the water flow so the engine could warm up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I drove down to Advance tonight to return the Blue Devil, the car overheated when stuck in traffic at a crawl but dropped down to where it should be when I put the heat on high.  So maybe the fans aren't kicking on in a timely way.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...