ok im in need of some advise, im having my engine rebuilt and its in the final stages now. but i have been told that the steel water pipes from the engine are rusting.

can someone help me out with some options please, and tell me if they do rot and if i can replace them?

 

The link pipe that runs across the lower front of the engine between the oil cooler and the water pump is well known for rusting. The others running up from the pump over the block underneath the inlet manifold can go too.

All can be replaced - you don't really have any options, as the consequence of one of them rusting through is an overheated engine. The link pipe is currently about £24 from your nearest Subaru dealer. The ones that go over the top are dearer, but if you're going to change them, the best time to do them is when the engine is already drained of coolant - i.e. now.

 

thanks mate im guessing im looking at around £150 mark for the full set than

 

Wouldn't be surprised if it ends up over three figures, but hopefully will be a bit cheaper than £150. You may not need all three so have a word with whoever's doing the engine build before you order the parts.

 

ok, after speaking to splitpin, i thought to myself i'll buy some new steel pipes from subaru. well i called subaru leicester and they hit me with a 4week wait! cos 'subaru uk' doesn't stock any they would have to order them form japan

i cant wait that long, i need it back next week. can anyone tell me if there is a company that does these or is there a subsitute option to the 3 steel water pipes on the ej20's? or does anyone have a engine with these on that they would sell me. have to in good condition tho

 

WIP, have you actually seen the pipes in question? Ultimately decisions on replacing them are all down to how badly corroded they are, and whereabouts it is. If the pipes have deep rust in them, then you want to renew. If it's just a bit of very light surface bubbling, then you might be able to get away with stripping them back, rust inhibitor, prime, paint and they'll be good for years.

Are IM out of stock on all three of them btw? I'd be amazed to find they don't have any of the front link pipes in as they're a pretty common replacement item. If there are any third party alternatives to the standard ones I'm not aware of them. You could try getting some used ones from a breaker but, depending on the age of your car, you might find it difficult to get some that are good enough to be worth buying. Worth a call to some of the specialists too to see if they have any suitable for your MY of engine.

First thing I'd do in your position would be to gauge exactly what's wrong with the current set. If you can get away without replacing all of them, all well and good. If they're really knackered, or soon will be, then you'd be taking a risk putting them back on.

 

well i haven't actually seen them yet as im away so what i'll is get the and post some pictures. but in the mean time could you tell me how i would clean them up? and what to paint them with? thanks mate

 

How best to clean them off depends largely on how far gone they are and what kit you have access to. You may be able to get away with giving them a bit of a go with a wire brush. If they're worse, then wire brush in a drill, abrasive or, if you know someone who does, blast them clean and start again. At least then you can see exactly where any material has been eaten and make an informed decision on whether to replace.

As far as recoating, if you want to keep it simple and use aerosols, go to Classic car restoration, kit cars and motorcycle restoration tools and equipment - Frost Auto and get some of Eastwoods rust encapsulator (if you have to coat over remaining rust), chassis black primer and chassis black topcoat. It's far, far tougher stuff than the acrylic cr*p you get in Halfrauds, worth paying extra for.

 

can't you use a normal hose instead?

Without knowing what the pipes in question actually look like, you might be able to salvage the ends of them and join them up with e.g. steel braided hose?

Alternatively, if they've got banjo fittings at the ends, then you could possibly just get some banjo hoses made up from stainless steel braided hose.

Again, don't know what the pipes look like, but that's the way i did it on my saab turbo when I needed some custom pipes.

 

ok i now have the pipe in my hand. however i am have trouble getting pictures up.
the pipe in question is the small that sits on the top of the engine. its bad so im gonna replace it i think, but as for the others there fine infact perfect. thanks for all your help

 

right i have up loaded the pictures to show you the damage of my steel water pipe







notice the hole and corrosion

don't suppose anyone has one?

 

If that is the only one of the three that's really bad WIP, you're doing okay as those are only something like £24 new.

I'm amazed Subaru UK don't have them in stock, as these are well known for rusting through. If I were you I'd first of all check with again with your local dealer that they got the right part. The part number you need (assuming you have a classic or early newage) is 21328AA011

If you're still drawing a blank and you can't wait for your dealer to get stock, I'd try Zen/API/Grade A and the other usual suspects to see if they've either got a new, or a good used one they can sell you.

 

thanks mate your a good man!