Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

Totally not understanding this one... My heat gauge reads PERFECT while my Radiator boils. I recently replaced both the Water Pump and Thermostat with New Subaru Parts from Tom. I put the stuff in myself, so maybe I messed something up, but its all pretty fool proof from my angle. The springy side of the Thermostat faces toward the water pump and engine block, right?

I drove it a mile or so and the radiator cracked a bit on top. It started peeing out the grill... and no I have not driven it very far. I doubt the Head Gaskets are bad, they have been checked and rechecked including by Tom (He said they will fail at some point due to age, mine seemed fine in Feb 09, or 60 miles ago)... but what is it then? could I just have a bad radiator, its probably factory original. (1992 LS-L 112k Miles pretty good shape though she's 18yro, legal to vote)

I have no strange sounds, and absolutely no gurgling in the reservoir bottle... Help?

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

how did you bleed the air out of the coolant system after you drained the coolant?

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

I don't want to step on Tom's toes here, but my vote goes to head gaskets.
since the exact same issue happened in my SVX, and the car is sitting in the garage waiting to be fixed... never declared that though on the forum

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

Huh... I just filled it and then checked it later to make sure it was still full. basically I didn't and you know it seemed really odd to me that it didn't need more then what I put in (less then 2 gallons total in a bone dry system). I forgot about that since I fixed the car in march but have had no time with it between then and now...

Once upon a time I used a hill to angle the radiator higher then the block, and when the Thermostat opened I'd just add more fluid. What would you recommend (anyone)?

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

I had a problem with an airpocket in my coolant system which would cause my thermostat not to open all the way.

Dave (Hocrest) walked me through the process (which isnt too complicated).

You just fill up the radiator like normal, unhook the top hose from the radiator and fill the block until the coolant comes up to the hose, then reattach the hose.

Start the car and let the thermostat open and add more fluid as needed.

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

Check the top and bottom hoses for the radiator. If the top hose is hot and bottom hose is cold, the thermostat may be faulty. In which case I will get you another to replace the bad part.

Tom

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

<<Huh... I just filled it and then checked it later to make sure it was still full. basically I didn't and you know it seemed really odd to me that it didn't need more then what I put in (less then 2 gallons total in a bone dry system). >>

yeah, you have air in the system. oem thermostats are dead on. you need to "get the air out", then you'll be fine. do this before you drive it anymore, as you'll cook the engine in no time.

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

To bleed the air out:

1. Remove the rad cap
2. Fill with water/antifreeze mix
3. Start car
4. If/when coolant level drops, add more.
5. Squeeze upper rad hose often to get air pockets out
6. Keep an eye on the temp gauge every minute or two
7. Let car idle up to full temp (until rad fans come on). This may take a while, mine took about 20 minutes today.
8. Add more coolant, squeeze upper hose
9. Grad throttle and rev engine a bit to purge any more air
10. Put climate control on max heat to get any air out of the heater core.
11. Recheck level, add as needed.

Subaru's, and flat engines in general, are usually a pain to get all the air locks out of.

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

It is common practice to pour coolant into the upper radiator hose until it spills out on Subarus if you drain the block. Usually if you just drain the radiator you won't have to do it. I'm with the guy who suggested that earlier.

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

Thanks to everyone for the tips. Its a brand new problem that occurred right after install, so I'm pretty sure I just have air in there. I really didn't let it idle cuz I'm a noob. :o

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

since i already have this post about a similar issue, I'll just use it rather then creating a whole new one for this:

Does anyone know an adhesive (Bonding agent) that goes well on the Radiator. I was thinking JB-Weld, but hey, why not just ask you folks before I screw it up royally right?! Mine is obviously plastic, and I have a very fine dry rot kind of line running across the seem of the top of my Radiator. Basically where the box like area that contains the fill tube and cap, rises up from the long run of the top of the radiator. (six inch by two inch rectangular hump on the top of the rad). Anyway, the split is pretty small, but it pees a little.

Before I go buying a second Rad and breaking it, I'd like to see if the Radiator itself is just old and weak. The pressure seems fine since I got the air out, and the Radiator is definitely the original 17 year old Rad, and the crack was definitely a weak spot in the radiator which might have helped let air inside, and coolant out.

Any way, any good adhesives you fine folks are aware of? i tried all purose apoxy, but it ends up being brittle and pealing away from the plastic radiator after about 40 minutes of driving. (that's a lot of trips around the block though... and the pressure and temp were otherwise great)

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

I've tried the JB Weld and a few other patches that claimed to work but I was never able to successfully seal the crack near the neck of the radiator. I ended up getting a new radiator to replace it.:o

Re: Engine Cool, Radiator overheating?!
 

No matter how strong the adhesive or how thorough the prep, no such repair will last for long.

dcb