Vehicle: 1989 Subaru RX

Engine: EA82T

 

Alright, so yesterday I did quite a bit of running around as I am moving into my new apartment, did about 200 miles.

 

2/3rds of the way through the trip, we stopped to pick up my check. I get out and notice fluid draining from beneath my car.

 

Sure enough it's coolant. At the time, the terrain I was parked on and the traffic, I couldn't tell where it was coming from. So I drove a few miles (Engine running hot) to the nearest auto supply store and put in about 2 quarts of coolant. Putting it in, the engine ran quite cool for the duration of the trip. I ended up stopping at the bank and all of a sudden, I come back out and there's a massive puddle where my car is again. (Where there had previously not been).

 

So, I put in more coolant and drove to another auto supply store. It ran cool that time as well, and didn't increase in temp.

 

I get there, and try and find the leak again. Still unable to find the source, but I know the general area now. (passenger side, right in front of the axel) I was fed up with it, and ended up buying a bottle of stop leak. From what I've been told on NASIOC, this was a bad idea. Yet, I didn't know it at the time.

 

It drives cool for the last leg of the trip, but upon putting it in park, it starts to drain coolant at an alarming rate again.

 

I got under the car with what little daylight I had left yesterday, but I still couldn't find exactly where the leak was, though I am suspect of two lines that are nestled between a bracket. One of them has its housing split, but the inner hose exposed. Another is up by the turbo, whilst it was not directly wet and green, the axle and whatnot below it were soaked.

 

I'll be putting up pictures later if I can still not locate the leak. But if I can locate it, I'll post up the images of what I found anyways.

 

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks everyone!

Alright, I got a few really high definition pictures of where I Think the leak is coming from.

 

Here's one for now:

 

http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/394/amiscrewedorwhatki8.jpg

It sounds more like the supply or return coolant line for the turbo.

The return line is between the turbo and head, and yes its a royal PITA to get to. Best way to check is to fill the system with water and let it run, then use a flashlight to find exactly wheres its coming from.

Thats what I had planned on doing. Also, did you see the crushed boot down at the bottom right of that image. I have no clue how that got that way as I haven't bottomed out or taken any corners hard.

Ok, I let it run and found the leak. Both lines there, are leaking.

 

Those are coolant lines right? (I don't have my repair manual with me, so I'm kinda lost)

You might be hard pressed on finding answers today with it being the 4th and all. If your absolutely positive its these lines and not the head gasked then keep searchin till you can pull them off. Are they just rubber lines or are they compression lines.

 

Ben

Hm... they are power steering lines? Why would they be leaking coolant?

 

And Rob, I found the lines that you are talking about. The ones going into and coming out of the Turbo. I can only see where they go into and not out of.

 

Though, I'll be looking and checking.

Nevermind! I found my leak. I'm gonna take a pic. I have no clue what the line leads to.

Hm... they are power steering lines? Why would they be leaking coolant?

 

And Rob, I found the lines that you are talking about. The ones going into and coming out of the Turbo. I can only see where they go into and not out of.

 

Though, I'll be looking and checking.

 

Yea i thought thats what they would be you nee to take a hose and hose off all that crap on the bottom then run your engine and im sorry to say that when you are checking out the engine check around the heads on both sides. Im sorry to say but the turbo engine is brone to head gaskets im affraid. Clean the bottom if you see nothing at first check out the heads.

 

Ben

yup, yopu pointed out the steering line. the most likely source is the short hose that goes between the front of the turbo and the back of the head. ive had that hose rip open on my rx while on the expressway. dumped all the coolant in like 10 seconds, the temp gauge went from not bad to below freezing, and about the same time, i couldnt see anything on the out of the passenger side due to the steam coming out the hood.

 

thankfully, i was able to get a friend to bring a length of hose and a few gallons of coolant, but yeah, that was fun trying to find that leak on the side of the road in the dark at about 40* out.

 

its going to be hard to see with the stock turbo, you will hve to pull off the heat sheild and the intake plenum to get to it.

 

good luck man,

yup, yopu pointed out the steering line. the most likely source is the short hose that goes between the front of the turbo and the back of the head. ive had that hose rip open on my rx while on the expressway. dumped all the coolant in like 10 seconds, the temp gauge went from not bad to below freezing, and about the same time, i couldnt see anything on the out of the passenger side due to the steam coming out the hood.

 

thankfully, i was able to get a friend to bring a length of hose and a few gallons of coolant, but yeah, that was fun trying to find that leak on the side of the road in the dark at about 40* out.

 

its going to be hard to see with the stock turbo, you will hve to pull off the heat sheild and the intake plenum to get to it.

 

good luck man,

 

I just shot off my car, and that damn line was spraying coolant all over the place. The one coming from the turbo.

 

Took these pics just before I shut the engine off:

 

 

 

I confirmed that the line does go to the turbo. I just didn't wanna stick my face under the car while it was spraying coolant everywhere. Lmao.

 

I'll let the engine cool a bit and wait till it stops dripping coolant. I do have about 10" of 3/8" hose. How will that work?

Just after I bought my car I had the turbo coolant return hose explode, blow out all my coolant, and then both heads cracked! Yay!

 

Get an original Subaru hose. It includes a metal heat shield so the turbo doesn't cook the hose so much. I think the hose might be made of silicone rubber as well because it felt different than a normal hose.

 

I also replaced every coolant hose in the engine bay, and when I get around to it I'm going to install something like this:

http://forums.bauchan.org/4x4/viewtopic.php?pid=8981

This photo is of the oil return line, so that's not the one. It's up higher and between the turbo and the head; that's probably the one that blew up. The other turbo coolant line is visible from the top of the engine and it's just a straight hose.

 

 

 

I confirmed that the line does go to the turbo. I just didn't wanna stick my face under the car while it was spraying coolant everywhere. Lmao.

 

I'll let the engine cool a bit and wait till it stops dripping coolant. I do have about 10" of 3/8" hose. How will that work?

So... How do I get to it and replace it?

 

Head shield is off, and I took my intake off. I can see almost all of the lines that go to the turbo.

 

Blah... I'm a total noob at this. Diagram anyone?

I'll see what I can find in the manual, but I've always removed the turbo to get to that line :-\

 

Nope. It's not the coolant outlet line. That isn't leaking at all.

 

Must be the inlet.

 

It only leaks drastically when the car is off.

Nope. It's not the coolant outlet line. That isn't leaking at all.

 

Must be the inlet.

 

It only leaks drastically when the car is off.

 

Oh yeah, I meant inlet hose. The hose part is not really in that diagram; it's not straight it has a couple sharp bends in it.

 

It might just be a loose clamp too, you never know.

Oh yeah, I meant inlet hose. The hose part is not really in that diagram; it's not straight it has a couple sharp bends in it.

 

It might just be a loose clamp too, you never know.

 

But the part is, I'm gonna have to take the turbo off to get to it?

But the part is, I'm gonna have to take the turbo off to get to it?

 

I didn't take my turbo off. But it was a big PITA, might have been easier to take it off.

If you've never seen the whole shebang apart, it could be hard to do with the turbo on the car. Once you've done it a few times it's easier to envision it all.

Better to do it, that way you learn how. Sooner or later you will be doing it. Upgrade, bad turbo, etc.

 

Get some PB Blaster and soak the nuts/bolts.

Remove the oil line on top, then the hard water line on the side.

Remove all the nuts holding the turbo to DP.

Remove the nuts holding turbo to up-pipe.

Theres a bracket that holds the turbo to the head, need to disconnect that. Then the whole thing should come out. The return line for the oil should just slide right off, but the water inlet will stay attached. This is where you need to use abusive language :-p

It will have a double clamp on it too, so twice the fun!

Yar! I lost the internet and phone for a few days. Tomorrow I'm going to be taking my Turbo off and replacing the line, and hopefully after that, I'll be up and running.

 

I've soaked my bolts and whatnot with liquid screw remover stuff on Friday, and then I'm gonna soak it again then start removing stuff.

 

I also got my intake installed finally. The pipe mapping is just temporary until I install the Intercooler and then it'll work a little better.

Do yourself a favor and start using SeaFoam Deep Creep. It is at least ten times more effective than PB B'laster, I say that it makes PB look like WD-40. Not cheap, but the can lasts at LEAST twice as long as a can of PB.

Woohoo! Got off the turbo and took the line off.

 

I found the culprit that was leaking. Just a small slit, no bigger than 1mm in length.

 

I'm actually replacing ALL of my hoses today, and hopefully, tomorrow the car will be drivable.

 

Gotta get a hood scoop ASAP though.