My radiator blew apart

[svx_commuter]

My radiator blew open on the way to work this morning! It would not have been that bad except for the fact I just it all back together. New cam seals, oil pump, water pump, thermostat, PS pump and timing belt. New covers for the timing belt also. I even made a tool to hold the cam sprockets so I could torque them.

I think the head gasket blew out and over pressurized the radiator.

I am not going to make to Lafayette. Heck I may even need a new engine. After I got flat bedded home I emptied the engine of coolant. Only a ½ gal was left. The over flow tank was full though. I made a by-pass pipe to connect the hoses, no radiator and started it up. I got some dark smoke at first and then it was white. I don’t see anything that looks like water in the oil.

Does any have any ideas? I am at a loss and I don’t know what to do.

[Aredubjay]

Originally posted by svx_commuter
My radiator blew open on the way to work this morning! It would not have been that bad except for the fact I just it all back together. New cam seals, oil pump, water pump, thermostat, PS pump and timing belt. New covers for the timing belt also. I even made a tool to hold the cam sprockets so I could torque them.

I think the head gasket blew out and over pressurized the radiator.

I am not going to make to Lafayette. Heck I may even need a new engine. After I got flat bedded home I emptied the engine of coolant. Only a ½ gal was left. The over flow tank was full though. I made a by-pass pipe to connect the hoses, no radiator and started it up. I got some dark smoke at first and then it was white. I don’t see anything that looks like water in the oil.

Does any have any ideas? I am at a loss and I don’t know what to do.

Jphn, you're sh**tin' me. You've gotta be there. Son of a gun, the "Meet Monster" is workin' over time for this meet.

AWAY! AWAY WITH YOU, MEET MONSTER!!!!

Drive something! Just be there!

[svx_commuter]

The MEET MONSTER ate my head and blew up my RADIATOR

I really can't afford to come. I am looking at $4,400 ($1550 labor) to get this fixed or sell it and buy something else.

We were thinking about taking the 91 Legacy and painting a refrigerator box to look like an SVX................

[Aredubjay]

Originally posted by svx_commuter
The MEET MONSTER ate my head and blew up my RADIATOR

I really can't afford to come. I am looking at $4,400 ($1550 labor) to get this fixed or sell it and buy something else.

We were thinking about taking the 91 Legacy and painting a refrigerator box to look like an SVX................

You can drive the Legacy to the meet, buy Lwin's Pearl for 3,500.00 and use the 1,100.00 you save to pay for the trip. Not only will you have a complete motor and radiator, but all those other bits and pieces.

[svx_commuter]

Is that the car he just bought in NJ? Is there a post on it somewhere?

I just really want to put in a new head gasket myself and keep on driving... I have put a lot of work and new parts to my car and I know it's history.

I plan on pulling the plugs and checking compresson tomorrow.

I think I know when I damaged the head gasket/s.

[Aredubjay]

Originally posted by svx_commuter
Is that the car he just bought in NJ? Is there a post on it somewhere?

I just really want to put in a new head gasket myself and keep on driving... I have put a lot of work and new parts to my car and I know it's history.

I plan on pulling the plugs and checking compresson tomorrow.

I think I know when I damaged the head gasket/s.

http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/show...&threadid=4897

[MoreIBNR]

John - I feel for you, buddy!! Are you sure that it's head gaskets? When you say the radiator blew, does that mean that it needs to be replaced? I don't see how a head gasket failure can cause the radiator to blow.

I think you could do the head gaskets, though it is a big job. How do you get to $4400? When I had my head gaskets replaced along with timing belt, water pump, cam shaft seals, valve cover gaskets... it only ran me 1500. What else is included in the $4400?

White "smoke" sounds like water (anti-freeze) so maybe it is head gaskets.

If I can be of any help, let me know.

Originally posted by svx_commuter
Is that the car he just bought in NJ? Is there a post on it somewhere?

I just really want to put in a new head gasket myself and keep on driving... I have put a lot of work and new parts to my car and I know it's history.

I plan on pulling the plugs and checking compresson tomorrow.

I think I know when I damaged the head gasket/s.

[svx_commuter]

I came up with the $4400 thinking that I would need a new heads and a new block. I agree that $1500 would be about right for the head gaskets.

I know when I did this damage. I went over a large bump and came down hard. The exhaust manifold scraped the pavement for about 3 feet. That was enough to move the head on the block. The head shields on the exhaust manifold are pushed all the way into the header pipe. The engine changed it's 'Tone" at that time. Sort of came up with a low beat.

There was another sign also. The car has been using a little coolant and I have heard what sounds like a running brook when I started the car in the morning. The noise was in the center console area.

Recently I changed the cam seals, timing belt, water pump, oil pump, PS pump. When I tighten the cam sprocket I think the head must have moved enough to open the gasket crack a little more.

The reason the radiator blew is because it could not get rid of all the air/fuel or combustion gas being forced into the coolant system.

I had just started up a hill when it blew and the coolant was all over the car. The overflow tank was full when I looked and the cap had blown off the overflow tank.

[MoreIBNR]

John - For what it's worth, this is what I would do. Get a new radiator (you need it anyway). Put it all together again. Have the car tested for combustion gases in the cooling system - it is a very simple test. They remove some coolant from the radiator, start the car. Then they have an instrument that sucks the air from the radiator through an indicator fluidwhich changes color in the presence of combustion gases. If it changes color, you most likely blew the head gasket. If it doesn't change color, just drive the car.

If you have to replace the head gasket, be on the lookout for evidence that there was antifreeze in the cylinders (there will be discoloration) and have the head checked for trueness. I think the chances that the block surface is out of true is more remote. \

Let me know what happens or if I can help in any way.

Originally posted by svx_commuter
I came up with the $4400 thinking that I would need a new heads and a new block. I agree that $1500 would be about right for the head gaskets.

I know when I did this damage. I went over a large bump and came down hard. The exhaust manifold scraped the pavement for about 3 feet. That was enough to move the head on the block. The head shields on the exhaust manifold are pushed all the way into the header pipe. The engine changed it's 'Tone" at that time. Sort of came up with a low beat.

There was another sign also. The car has been using a little coolant and I have heard what sounds like a running brook when I started the car in the morning. The noise was in the center console area.

Recently I changed the cam seals, timing belt, water pump, oil pump, PS pump. When I tighten the cam sprocket I think the head must have moved enough to open the gasket crack a little more.

The reason the radiator blew is because it could not get rid of all the air/fuel or combustion gas being forced into the coolant system.

I had just started up a hill when it blew and the coolant was all over the car. The overflow tank was full when I looked and the cap had blown off the overflow tank.

[SHISVX]

sorry to see...i saw your baby up...and wondered why...now i know...sorry to hear...

Kelli

[svx_commuter]

Originally posted by MoreIBNR
John - For what it's worth, this is what I would do. Get a new radiator (you need it anyway). Put it all together again. Have the car tested for combustion gases in the cooling system - it is a very simple test.

Gary- I got the radiator in I'll see if someone can do the test. Thanks.