rlsimpso Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Some old story: Overheating, bubbles in the overflow, oily residue in the coolant. I did the flush and fill, thermostat, hoses, burping, etc. My favorite is when the heat goes out and temp goes all the way up. Pull over, crack the rad cap open bit, and watch to bubbles in the overflow bottle. Once the bubbles stop, the heat works again and everything is happy for a few more miles. Any suggestions on headgaskets for an EJ25 in a 98 Legacy GT? This will be the second time around. I am going to do it myself this time. What could possibly go wrong? I am wondering if there is a better alternative to genuine Subaru gaskets. Has anyone heard of/used graphite gaskets? I seem to remember turbo guys using copper gaskets on Supras. Also, does anyone know if the Subaru coolant conditioner actually works? Searching other posts seems to say, maybe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlsimpso Posted November 13, 2006 Author Share Posted November 13, 2006 I forgot to mention that the fans works and the water pumps is fine. I replaced the rad caps about a month ago. This is that same car that I discovered the retainer pin still in timing belt tensioner when I replaced the timing belt a few months ago. I suspect the HG work was done very poorly. I love the smell of coolant in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Good morning Vietnam! Wow sorry to hear about that. How long ago did you have the HG's done the first time? Maybe you actually got old stock OE gaskets that time rather than the updated multilayer version? Wow the pin was still in the tensioner? Fortunately it didn't jump any teeth then I guess? The coolant conditioner is actually the holt's radweld from the UK. I don't think it's too unlike a lot of other stopleak products; I think it's better at sealing those small external leaks on the HG's than at preventing an HG blowout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlsimpso Posted November 13, 2006 Author Share Posted November 13, 2006 They were done about 4 years ago. It was in December as I recall. 80K miles ago. Got to love a car the overheats in the winter. I have no faith that anything was done correctly on it, so I probably have whatever was laying around at the dealer. Better speeches: Bill Kilgore or Adrian Cronauer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 i see you already looked over it, but make sure it's the headgaskets. subaru gaskets are the way to go. use the new design and the issue is not recurring if done properly. might want new heads or at the very least have these tested and resurfaced. some people try to get by without having the heads milled, they may have done that expecting the problem wouldn't come back any time soon (and they were right!). assuming the heads and block are good the new subaru gasket design will solve your issues. a 2.2 swap could be easier and cheaper with fewer worries about the block and heads being bad. the conditioner subaru uses is an alternative for the external leaking later head gasket issues, probably not applicable to your vehicle and probably not warranted now if your issues are already headgasket related. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Boncyk Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 The coolant conditioner is only a stop-leak that prevents the "external" HG leak of coolant to the outside. It won't help your problem, where the HG blows between the coolant jacket and a cylinder. You're unfortunately going to have to re-do the HG job in order to fix the problem. Make sure that you have the heads checked for flatness -- a warped head can result from too much overheating -- and make sure to use the newer replacement HGs. If you do the work yourself you can save a significant amount of $$, as you probably already know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlsimpso Posted November 13, 2006 Author Share Posted November 13, 2006 The plan is run this car for a while longer. As long as I can get another year or so out of this car I think I will have done alright. I have ~165K miles on it now. My goal is 200K miles. I should hit that by early 2008. By then any problems with the newer SOHC EJ25s with high miles should have manifested. When you say 2.2 swap, you mean the entire engine right, not a 2.2 block with 2.5 heads. I have read several posts about swapping engines and hybrid engine combinations. I am not sure if it is worth the trouble with this car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 no, i meant a 2.2 complete engine swap. they can be had for cheap if you look...$200 or so isn't that hard. the entire engine will bolt up, plug up and can be cheaper than a headgasket job depending on many factors. TONS of information here about doing it as well as success stories to go with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 no, i meant a 2.2 complete engine swap. they can be had for cheap if you look...$200 or so isn't that hard. the entire engine will bolt up, plug up and can be cheaper than a headgasket job depending on many factors. TONS of information here about doing it as well as success stories to go with it. you can probably sell your 2.5 for as much as you pay for a used 2.2...so the parts costs could be very minimal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlsimpso Posted November 13, 2006 Author Share Posted November 13, 2006 Hmm... Less power, but more reliable, and better economy. That is something to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 The problem with a used engine, even a great engine like the 2.2, is that you are never certain of the condition of the engine. I know a number of people who have installed used Japanese engines only to have them blow up a short time later. Rlsimpso KNOWS the condition of his present engine. Except for the blown heads gaskets , he has taken care of it. He has every reason to believe that the blown head gaskets are the ONLY problem with the engine. So, if he replaces the blown gaskets with the latest rev genuine Suby head gaskets, he can be pretty certain of having a reliable engine. The head gasket job can be done with the motor in the car. It can be done by a compentent amateur. It will be a PITA, but not a whole lot in actual cash outlay. Plus no manifold, exhaust, ECU, or other compatibility issues. The 2.2 may be close to the 2.5, but it ain't exactly plug and play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlsimpso Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 I had a suspicion the 2.2 may not be a direct swap. From looking around the exhaust manifold is different, and what I have found in the sub $500 range is just the engine, without any of the electrical bits. I am confident that there is nothing else wrong with the engine. If I mess it up, I am half way to a rebuilt engine, since I have to pull it out anyway. I hear good things about CCR. Does anyone care to comment on an experience with them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 with air tools there's little difference between pulling the motor and leaving it. with hand tools pulling the motor is super nice. only letting you know that the 2.2 is an option. i'm not saying you should, or that i would, or that it's the best option. in order to be as helpful as possible i try to suggest your options and let you decide based on your own $, time, space, ability, and access to parts. the 2.2 swap can be a cheaper alternative for some. I had a suspicion the 2.2 may not be a direct swap. From looking around the exhaust manifold is different it's a direct swap with no electrical issues. put engine in, plug connectors together and done. the exhaust is easy to address. grab a 2.2 manifold and it all bolts up or get a 1995 2.2 and there's no issue since it has the same dual port head set up as a 2.5. if i were looking for a new motor today, i wouldn't even look around, i'd buy one from CCR. you bring up a good point, i wonder if there should be a thread in the Product Review forum for everyone that has purchased a CCR engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Plus no manifold, exhaust, ECU there is no ECU issue. a 95 2.2 drops right in with no manifold or exhaust issues. later 2.2's work with swapping the exhaust manifold as well, very simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlsimpso Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 I am also planning on replacing the clutch, fork and bearings at the same time. I don't have air tools, so pulling the engine will work better for me. My "more tools" money went to put a new roof and gutters on my house and garage last week, so I gots to work with what I have. This project was going to be an excuse to buy all that stuff. Just look at how much money I can save buy doing it myself, kinda thing. A product review forum would be a good idea. It would make it much easier to get input from people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Boncyk Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 FWIW with respect to CCR, I have never dealt with them but in all the posts I've ever read on this forum, I've only seen one negative reaction from a CCR customer, and that was apparently the result of a misunderstanding that CCR eventually corrected for the customer. From what I can tell, they are a good, reliable, and consistent supplier -- hard to find these days! If I were in the market for a replacement engine I'd go there without hesitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 A product review forum would be a good idea. It would make it much easier to get input from people. there already is one, just no CCR entries. unfortunately CCR is a three letter acronym and the search function doesn't like those (it won't return any results on 3 letter words). you could search for "rebuild" and probably come up with some info on them. lots of threads mention them. Colorado Component Rebuilders is the full name, may want to search on part or all of that. when looking, be sure to keep an eye on the bottom left corner of the webpage, it lists similar threads and often has very helpful information based on what you're searching for or the thread you're currently on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 The plan is run this car for a while longer. As long as I can get another year or so out of this car I think I will have done alright. I have ~165K miles on it now. My goal is 200K miles. I should hit that by early 2008. Sorry but you won't make it that many miles with the engine in this state. If you fix it now you probably can avoid having to replace the shortblock...keep driving it in this condition and you will warp the block and I am certain you probably already have warped heads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 good point, i have a block and head that were driven a couple months with failing head gaskets. the localized overheating destroyed them. right where the breech was in the head gasket it ate away the aluminum, creating a gouge exactly where the leak was. with some stellar welding they could be repaired but i'd suspect some serious warpage due to that long term localized heating as shawn mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGBLUE1212 Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 when you replace the head gasket ask for the latest version of the gasket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlsimpso Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 Warpage is a concern. I stopped driving the car as soon as it over heated after replacing the thermostat, raditor cap, and houses. That is when the oily residue and bubbles in the overflow started. It was clean when I changed everything. I knew the problem as soon as I found that. I may be time for a replacement engine. I am considering doing a JDM turbo engine and transmission swap. I might get in trouble spanking ricers, up to the speed limit:grin: That is for a different forum of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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