Radiator cap
 

My radiator cap looks odd. It looks oval shaped and the top rubber piece is larger than the metal cap that is spring loaded. Others I have seen have the rubber slightly smaller than this metal cap. Maybe I damaged it when troubleshooting my old temp gauge problem?

Anyone have luck with third party caps? I won't be able to get one from a subaru dealer on Sunday.

Re: Radiator cap
 

I replaced mine with a "Stant" branded one the other week and it is working fine. Be careful though, I bought another brand before that should have fit but the inner grommet didn't seal properly. From what I gather any cap for an early to mid 90s impreza or liberty should fit.

Re: Radiator cap
 

Yeah, I got a Stant. Looks very different from the existing cap. The rubber on top of the spring loaded cap is smaller than the the cap itself. The one that was on the car had a rubber seal that was much bigger than the metal cap. I'm thinking they screwed up and put the wrong one on. I wonder what damaged that may have caused. It looked like the coolant was moving in and out of the overflow tank so I didn't think much of it until I looked at it the other day. I was getting a slight coolant odor and it looked like I might have lost a small amount of coolant over the last couple of weeks (couple of ounces). I was looking at the coolant in the radiator when I noticed the odd cap.

Re: Radiator cap
 

Also, I noticed from other pics that I am missing the cover on the back of the engine. Here is a pic:

http://i51.tinypic.com/2qcl5l2.jpg

Do I need this cover or is it just for looks?

Re: Radiator cap
 

My original corroded cap had a wider inner seal as well, the new one seems to seal ok though, the other one I tried had too short a spring and was overflowing into the reservoir.
Mine is missing the H6 cover also, I'm guessing the screws must break easily. It's purely for looks though.

Re: Radiator cap
 

I will only get the Subaru caps.
No problems, carry on.

Re: Radiator cap
 

Which one are you calling an inner seal? Look at the cap in this link:

http://www.smart-service.com/blog/20...u-head-gaskets

The seal I am talking about is the top one in this picture. It is the smaller one and sits on top of that metal cap and below the little metal rivet looking part. On my cap, this rubber seal is oval shaped and way bigger than the metal cap where, I believe, it should be slightly smaller and round. I think I got the wrong cap. The Stant one should be OK until I figure this out.

Re: Radiator cap
 

Here are pictures of the cap I took off today. This really doesn't look right.

http://i52.tinypic.com/14nkak6.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/343rwgg.jpg

I know what happens if the cap doesn't provide pressure to reduce the boiling point of the fluid. What happens if the pressure is too high?

Re: Radiator cap
 

Glycol can cause swelling of the rubber in the cap after long periods of exposure (years). It is best to replace the cap. Stant makes a 16psi cap that can be found at most auto parts stores. If possible have them test the cap before you buy it to make sure it holds the rated pressure

Tom

Re: Radiator cap
 

This was the "new" cap the mechanic put on when he flushed the system and changed the thermostat. I take it, it doesn't look right to you.

Re: Radiator cap
 

I've had more than one cap develop elephantitis.

Re: Radiator cap
 

That is not a new cap

Tom

Re: Radiator cap
 

Is it possible they got the wrong cap from the dealer? I don't think they would have said they installed a new cap when they didn't. These guys seem pretty honest. Of course, they could have screwed up and put the old one back on by mistake or they could have gotten the wrong cap.

Re: Radiator cap
 

No it's your head gasket!






















I'm KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just bustin your bearings!:p

Re: Radiator cap
 

They also added a carquest branded anti-rust and water pump lubricant additive when they flushed the coolant. Maybe that stuff swelled the rubber. They added that when I told them to add the Subaru stuff per the dealer's recommendation.