What do I do.... have a crack on the plastic bit of the radiator. What are my options..... new or repair...... and where ????

 

new one is about £200ish, not sure how much to get it repaired etc, try grade a subaru

 

Had the same problem not so long ago mate. Rang Subaru for price on rad and they said if the rad has split in that area then 99 percent sure the head gasket has gone. Tried everything under the sun to repair it but it kept bursting. Rang round repairers and they said new one needed. So got a new one (Midland Impreza £140) fiited it myself in an hour. Have no idea with working on cars but this really was a piece of ****. Once fitted kept pissing water out the overflow pipe from the expansion bottle when hot. Sure enough turned out the head had gone! Not cheap!

 

Sorry to hijack but...

I got one from these guys also. Unfortunately they are now closed.

http://www.midland-impreza.com/

anyone know of any other radiator sources / impreza specialists in the midlands?

 

Mine went about 3 weeks ago and i paid £152 for one from a company called nissens, they were in the yellow pages, price included VAT and Delivery, A blown Rad doesnt always mean its a blown head gasket does it? Surely a pipe would burst before the Rad, and wouldnt i have problems again by now?

 

Couldnt tell you mate Im not that clued up on these things im just going on what they said and they were right. A good check I was told is to get the car warm but not hot, take off the expansion tank cap and rev at about 3000 revs for 5-10 seconds. As you do this get someone to look in the expansion bottle. If its bubbling and fizzing away (as mine was) then the heads gone. Totaly true or not I dont know. Also as I said before water was pissing out the over flow pipe when thrashed. The coolant water wasnt circulating either so the bottom/right side of rad was warm but the top left by the expansion tank was freckin hot.

Keep an eye out coz it aint cheap.

 

Try 'grade A Subaru' - 01663744114

I had the plastic section on mine split, and i had mine re-cored and the endcap remade in copper, by a company called 'Desert Radiator Services' in Widnes, Cheshire.. cost me around £100

Frank

 

Stooboy, tried your 'inspection' trick last night, no bubbles or fizzing after 15 secs of hard revs, still think the heads are gone.
911

 

Why do you think they have gone? Apart from overheating my car ran fine for a month or more. No shake, no power loss or anything, no water in oil, no oil in water etc. Didnt know why it was over heating, changed the thermostate and all sorts until I was told about the rad by subaru and then found out about the bubble test.

 

Think I may have found my answer, called around and found a genuine rad for 121.75.... not bad if you ask me. If the head/s were gone, there would surely be some mixture of oil & water. No power loss etc. Just a slight crack in the plastic bit of the rad !
Thanks for all the info guys !!!!

 

Gari, hope you are right.
good luck with it all,
911

 

I'm having problems with my 94 STi overheating at the moment, but there is no sign of any leakage and the oil is fine, infact the water in the header tank level stays about the same but it is literally boiling at times.
My battery is also just about dead but don't think the two will be connected, any ideas?

 

I'd say it's a /blockedknackered thermostat.............

 

Way back when I responded to this thread (above) I can now say the head gasket was gone. I changed the thermostat, no difference, so the engine came out, heads done, back in 2 weeks ago, and all is well.
I used API Engines in the end as they are close and David there is arrow straight.
911

 

Had a similar split rad on my uk 96, it was replaced under warranty, no other problems before or after!

 

New Radiator for Impreza from us £140.00 plus VAT exchange - 2 in stock right now.

David API Engines / APi Impreza

 

I've taken the car back to the dealership where i bought it from, it appears the radiator is blocked, and as they made me drive it about 40 miles with a blocked radiator to get it back to them as they wouldn't pick it up the head gasket may have gone too. luckily it's all being repaired under warrenty, as it should be as i've had the car under a week!