matrixops Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Hello fellow Sub owners! I wonder if some of you may be able to give me your opinion on this. On Nov 1st, I had the head gaskets replaced on my 2000 Legacy OB as part of the Recall. At this time they also replaced my waterpump and associated gaskets. Just this past weekend, Feb 4, I noticed coolant under the passenger side of the engine compartment. A quick investigation indicates that the radiator has developed a leak where the bottom tank is crimped to the aluminum part of the radiator. I, personally, believe that the two are some how related, but don't want to jump to conclusions. I know that there are weaknesses with this type of radiator because of the plastic tanks, but I wonder if something else could have caused this type of leak after a HG and Water pump replacement? Could this be caused by an improperly bled cooling system building too much pressure? Could the HG's have gone out again? Could it just be an age related failure? The coolant reservoir has not overflowed nor has the engine overheated since the repairs. Thanks in advance for any comments, opinions, or insights you may have. matrixops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 can you post a picture of where it is leaking. the repair would not have caused this. however carelessness can damage a radiator. a fair amount of people remove the radiator before major jobs involving the timing belt to avoid damaging it while removing/installing the fans, pulleys, belts, etc. all it takes is dropping one heavy pulley, or jamming of a fan shroud to puncture the radiator. but there is no way to prove the shop was at fault so while it may seem likely you really just don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
color-blind Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 With new head gaskets install you have put your finger in the dyke so to speak. So now anything that is weak will fail. This is common; more so on high mileage cars. Many times one will replace a head gasket then later the hoses start to fail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Check to see that the radiator hose is tight also. They can shrink a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrixops Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 Thanks for the information, I don't have a picture handy. But I can tell you it looks to be leaking where the plastic bottom tank is crimped to the aluminum part of the radiator. Right above the passenger side mounting "pin". I have investigated the fins as much as possible with the radiator installed, and see no evidence of coolant on the bottom edge of the aluminum part of the radiator or damage to the fins on the front or back of the radiator in this area. Perhaps it is just the failure of a weak part due to the recent replacement of other parts in the system. Not a really big deal, just untimely. Wanted to see if anyone else has had this happen after a head gasket replacement. I will probably order a new radiator and install it this weekend. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 where exactly is the leak? if it is the tank leaking because of a crack, the tank can be easily replaced it should be about 1hr labor, new tanks can be bought from northern radiator supply in MN if nothing is broken, you can try to re-crimp, large straight jaw vise-grips work well the gasket may also be bad check the drain plug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrixops Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 Subiemech, I don't know if it is a crack or not. Please see the description of the leak location above. The only issue is the fact that I can't "down" this vehicle for very long (wife's car). So, other than removing the radiator, inspecting it, repairing if possible or replacing if necessary, then putting it back in the car to test. I don't have a lot of options. I am still trying to find a local radiator shop, to verify whether or not they can fix it. Thanks for the info on the tanks. matrixops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 good call on checking the radiator hoses and clamps, that would be a much cheaper fix. if it is the radiator i'd go new myself. that being said, i did mail tanks to someone in new zealand that couldn't get a new radiator for his XT6 and he had his repaired no problems. that's a young radiator to leak already? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrixops Posted February 8, 2006 Author Share Posted February 8, 2006 I checked the hoses and drain plug. There were no leaks present at those locations. The OB has only 101K on it, so I would think that it is a young radiator to have a leak in it. Especially since the car sees fairly light use. Mainly heading to the grocery store, dropping the kids off at school, and the occasional 2 hour trip to the inlaws. And this is KS so no major climbs. I am planning on going with new, which reminds me. I better order it so I can get it installed this weekend. I'll make sure to use only distilled water and coolant when I refill the system. Thanks everyone for your help. If you want, I'll post the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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