OK, 'repairing' the headgaskets on the Subaru. Using some stuff called Bar's Head gasket repair.
All the car has to do is last until April or May. If this stuff works, fine. It's supposed to be permanent, but I'm keeping my betting money in my pocket.
If you want to try this stuff, be prepared to spend a couple days (or one good summer day; of course, the gaskets on my car couldn't wait for nicer weather...) I was also looking at K&W Permanent Head gasket and block repair
So, I spent yesterday draining, filling, draining, flushing, draining, filling, flushing until the water coming out of any open orifice was crystal clear. By this time it was 9PM and I had to eveict the Supra from the heated garage, since there was still some water and NO anti-freeze in the engine.
This morning I put the thermostat back in and placed a hose to bypass the heater core. This was a thought I had, and even though it is not mentioned on either bottle in the detailed instructions, both tech support people recommended this since the heater core has smaller passages than the radiator.
I mixed the stuff according to instructions; one bottle with 3 quarts warm water, and filled the radiator. They want to make sure the cooling system is full, so you run the car until the t-stat opens, shut it down ,wait and check. Refill and start again. Do this a couple times until the radiator is full.
Then start the car and run it at a high idle. This is where I am right now. I have to admit, the 'chuffing' sound the car was making is subsiding. You have to run the car at a high idle for 20-30 minutes. It also says if the leak has just started or is very small, to return the engine to normal idle and run of one hour. Since the gaskets just started going, this is what I'll do. I am almost at the end of the 20 minute high idle cycle now, and as I said, the chuffing noise is drastically diminished.
After this is complete, you cool the car again, and drain the mixture out of the car. My poor Supra is going to have to stay outside (first time it's seen snow in 5 years...) because you have to drain the colling system thoroughly and let it sit for at least 12 hours, and then flush again, then refill with regular anti-freeze.
Wish me luck...