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Overheating Subaru Legacy AWD wagon, part 2...(What a neat test!)

So...

I had today off since there was no work (thank God or whatever deity you subscribe to, since it was a MISERABLE day!) and spent the day looking for this:

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to check for the presence of hydrocarbons in the radiator/coolant. Autozone had it listed but at the store they never heard of it! CarQuest didn't have it, either.

I decided before dumping money into the car to get the inspection done. By state law it was supposed to be done today, and who am I to mess with state law concerning motor vehicles?! ;)

I knew it wouldn't pass because of the one little rust spot and an exhaust leak, but where else can you get a complete check for $29?

I mentioned the possibility of a BHG to the inspector, and told him to give it a good wringing out so I could decide to spend the $$$ fixing the motor. It passed everything but the rust and exhaust, and the emissions because the OBD-II didn't have enough driving cycles on it (battery keeps crapping out)

They said they had a testing kit there, but didn't want to mess with it because they stopped doing repairs years ago. I asked if there was another way to check and he said we can put the analyzer on it. "How much?" He said, "Start the car!"

We took the radiator cap off, and he took the Exhaust Gas Analyzer from the state's emissions tester and stuck it in the radiator filler neck! He said Rev it up! so I reached over the intake and hit the accelerator linkage and ramped it up to about 2500 RiPpeMs. We could see the screen from the front of the car, and in big black digits I watched the numbers:

51 at 900 RPMs, 125 at 1500 RPMS, and 172 at 2500 RPMS!!!! Yeah! I guess there are exhaust gasses in the radiator!

What a cool check! Others wanted to charge me $50-90 for this check, and we did it using the inspection gas analyzer!

So, obviously the bottom line is, there is a leak from the HG to the coolant. Autozone had this stuff "...guaranteed to repair BHG or double your money back!!" The only thing I'm wondering is, in addition to 'fixing' cracks in the HG, what else does it 'fix' besides? Cooling passages in the block and radiator?

Other than a BHG, the engine appears in good shape. I got an estimate of $580 for labor and $34 each for the gaskets, and while you're there do the seals, belts, etc etc. This guy is a Subaru whiz, so I know it would be done correctly, but the total will probably be ~$900.

Hmmmm...

Reply to
Hachiroku
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I still don't get this "No Rust At All" policy - the State puts the salt on the roads and then penalizes you when it rusts the car? The bill must have been written by the body shop owner's association and the new car dealers association and handed to their pocket legislator in exchange for a large "contribution"... ;-)

Get out the MIG Torch, the Bondo, and a rattle-can of Rustoleum and get to work.

I was going to gloat about Life in El Lay, but you've heard it. ;-)

Time to get either a battery, alternator, or both. Get to work.

Yeah, that is one way to do it, but most shops don't have the machine unless they're a smog station - damn things are north of $50K.

IMHO it is Guaranteed to "fix" all that spare money rattling around in your wallet by transferring it into the seller's. The cooling system is running at 15 PSI and the chamber pressures can go past

2,500 PSI peak (educated guess), do you really think a chemical, diluted in coolant and applied on the lower pressure side, is going to do very much for very long?

Any "Magic Elixir" you can simply dump in the radiator water is only going to be a very temporary solution to get you past an emissions test or the buyer's mechanic inspection - and when the Magic runs out and they find out they've been took they aren't going to be happy.

It's your money. But from everything I've heard so far, go for it.

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

Yeah, what state is it that I never ever want to set tire in?

Reply to
clifto

I know some want OEM parts, but do consider Fel-Pro Multi-Layer Steel (MLS) head gaskets (about $34 each on rockauto.com).

Reply to
johngdole

Bruce L. Bergman wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

It's more like 20,000 psi.

Reply to
Tegger

What's a tegger doing on a Subaru newsgroup? lol

Reply to
Devils Advocate

"Devils Advocate" wrote in news:474c20e7$0 $5285$ snipped-for-privacy@news.aliant.net:

Being a party-crasher. ;^)

Reply to
Tegger

Taxachusetts. Surface rust is OK, sharp exposure has to be covered. Urban Legend says 30+ years ago some girl got tetanus or lost a leg or something because of a sharp edge on a car...

Reply to
hachiroku

Normal in the UK too, no holes near suspension members and no sharp edges on exposed body - you can tape over it if you like, but if its possible for someone to cut themselves on it you should sort it. It'd have to be a pretty crapped out car to have sharp rust on exposed surfaces though.

Reply to
Coyoteboy

HEY! CB!!!! Where ya *BEEN*!!!!????

Nice to see you again.

I'm not sure you can use tape anymore here. I know they no longer allow colored tape over broken taillights/turnsignals.

Esp in my area, when the country is doing well, we're in a recession. I think they're trying to make it so car ownership is for the 'priveldged'...

Reply to
Hachiroku

I've used the liquid kits for head gaskets, but IF you have access to a 4 or

5 gas analiser that the best and most accurate way to look for exhaust gas in the rad.
Reply to
StephenW

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