Radiator Replacement

angrydan · #1 02-26-2020, 06:28 AM

Good afternoon!

I'm in quite the predicament and was hoping to draw on everyone else's experience here to see if there are any options that I've missed.

From a previous thread, I've got a crack in the top of my radiator that just won't stay patched. I've tried a couple different epoxy methods and, while they held up for a few days, ultimately, coolant still seems to find its way out!

Its no secret that Subaru doesn't make replacements anymore. I've been made aware that AMR Engineering has a solution but they don't respond to any methods of contact and it seems like they're only interested in bulk orders.

Other than AMR, the few other aftermarket vendors I found all indicated that they no longer produce their replacement models. So, beyond sourcing another used one from someone here and hoping it survives, are there any other options that I'm not aware of?

Has anyone successfully installed one from a different model Subaru? or perhaps a non-vehicle specific one? It is killing me that something so, relatively, simple is keeping my otherwise drivable SVX off the road!

Thank you all for your input!

-Dan

92Pearlie · #2 02-26-2020, 08:07 AM

How soon are you looking to replace your radiator? I will be replacing the stock one in my car with an all aluminum one as soon as the weather gets nice. I'm not that far from PA.

angrydan · #3 02-27-2020, 02:24 AM

I guess the easiest answer would be as soon as possible. Luckily, the car is not my daily driver. So, I'm not stranded because of this problem. However, I'd prefer to not have the car sit any longer than it has to.

Where are you located? I'm assuming the aluminum one you are installing is an AMR?

angrydan · #4 02-27-2020, 04:54 AM

I've also seen mention of using an Impreza radiator on a couple of parts websites. I realize there's a good chance this information isn't true, but says...
SKU: 218021
Brand: Radiator Express
Condition: New
This item has been discontinued. However, you can opt to use a Subaru Impreza radiator in it's place...

Blacky · #5 02-27-2020, 10:32 AM

The Impreza rad won't have enough capacity. My Claret 92 had an Outback rad in it when I bought it and it overheated because it didn't have enough rows. Unfortunately like many other parts for these cars, the choices are limited or non-existent.

angrydan · #6 02-28-2020, 01:15 AM

That makes sense... I didn't see how an Impreza rad would be big enough. Do you know if the Outback one was from a 4 or 6 cylinder? I would have thought that maybe one from a 6 would have the capacity... but maybe not!

I did come across this post on Facebook. I sent an email to the shop asking if they recall what parts they used and the overall complexity of the installation.

It seems like there are some alternatives out there, but they just might not be documented very well anywhere.