morandpeter

iTrader: (5)

just replaced the rad on my95 wrx.

I've had it idleing for 45 mins now and the airlock aint clearing. top hose hot but the bottom hose is cold with no pressure behind it.
The fans kick in, I replaced the stat. but keep topping with water then it all just flows out the header tank. the header tank then goes empty, so i refill and after a few minutes water flows out the header again!!

heaters are blowing cold still, anyone know of a good way to de-air? or am i looking at a dodgy pump?

cheers

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

The way I was taught to do it was as follows:

Refill S L O W L Y via the metal header tank, preferably via a funnel down the rearmost pipe attached to it. DO NOT allow it to gurgle. It took me 30 minutes to fill it.

Make sure heaters are on "hot" while filling.

Once it will take no more, start car but leave header cap off, watch for bubbles or overflow, top up or mop up as required.

Once it gets hot, replace cap and drive round the block, heaters still on hot.
Once cooled, top up again as required, at header tanks and expansion tank.

Job's a good'un.

L.J.F

iTrader: (31)

keep squeezing the bottom hose and that will push the air lock around the system til it reaches the header tank. Also have blowers on full blast hot as already said.

morandpeter

iTrader: (5)

managed to get the airlock out, went for a blast then the heaters went cold again! when i pulled over the little soft pipe that runs over the rad to the expansion tank in the wing has a split in it. It is really small but is this enough to cause air lock?
I mean it just overflows water from the header tank along the rad to the expansion tank.
I'll fix it tomorrow and check again.

morandpeter

iTrader: (5)

Is it safe to assume that the water pump will be working fine if i get heat to the cabin and bottom rad pipe?

If this is the case and once aired, am i to assume i could be looking at HG failure?

morandpeter

iTrader: (5)

ok jst fixed the pipe and ive got heat to the cabin and top hose, however the bottom hose is still cold.
Temp is on normal so im guessing that will be 90degs so the stat should have opened. Would this still be an airlock or wp fail? i'll go out and keep squeezing the botom hose.

i have no bubbles in the header tank nor smell of combustion gas

jesus if i didnt love the car as much....

dunx

iTrader: (3)

From cold let it warm up with the filler cap off, carefully squeeze the bottom hose and top hose ( beware of rad fans starting up ! ) heater on fully "HOT" ( blowers optional ! )

Once warm force the remaining air out of the system and top up if required.

dunx

P.S. The radiator is supposed to cool the water, the bottom hose is cooler than the top...

The Rig

iTrader: (13)

If the bottom hose is cold, the stat hasnt opened yet

morandpeter

iTrader: (5)

ok just went for another test drive with nice hot heaters, when i pulled over to check the hoses, water was coming out of the overflow pipe (wing expansion bottle) and spilling on to the road. So this is where the loss of coolant is coming from. with the engine up to temp and switched off there is a pressure in the hoses, i.e they are hard and squeezing them is fairly difficult.
Surely it still not airlocked? although once i got home the heaters went cold again due to loss of coolant.

I gather the sign of sucessful filling up is heat to the cabin?

if this is the case and i have normal operating temps, fans go on and off as they should, heaters inside are toasty. why does water seek to overflow out of the expansion tank??

could it be there is too much water in the system?

what are the symptoms of wp failure?

cheers .....one frustrated scooby owner

musso2010

Sounds like headgasket failure to me. Why dont you take it to be sniff tested? At least then you can cross HG off the list. Failing that, remove the water pump and check it out.

morandpeter

iTrader: (5)

just put my hand beside the thermostat housing to check for leaks and got creamy looking oil which has dripped on the wp return hoses at the back of the stat housing. I'm now gathering that this must be dripping from where the head bolts on to the block. I reckon it must be HG fail now.

Heres the thing should i now take a week of work. fit a new wp and hg kit and timing belt kit or should i call it a day and break the bugger.

morandpeter

iTrader: (5)

just bled and run again for a 10 minute run. All temps etc are fine, when i pull over the top and bottom hoses feel like they are solid should it be like this?
And yes water pissing out expansion overflow.

morandpeter

iTrader: (5)

just an update to all, took advice from the local garage and they confirmed nearside hg FAIL! oh dear.

I've been umming and ahhing about breaking but just can't bring myself to do it!

I'm clearing space in me garage ready to strip down. my first thoughts are just to skim the heads and replace gasket................BUT i know whats going to happen. while the IM is off i'll no doubt want it repainted, i might as well upgrade the injectors, turbo.

How the hell are you supposed to show self restraint in this kind of situation and more importantly what will the wife think with all those nights in the garage and deliveries to the house.

anyway thanks for all the advice. Onwards and upwards

musso2010

Thats bad news mate, but at least you know what your dealing with, and can add some extra goodies during the rebuild...

MK2VTR8VALVE

Think I might have the same bother with mine. Out of curiosity, what sort of money are you chatting to replace headgasket?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

There are lots of things you CAN do when replacing the hg's, of course.

But there are TWO things you should do:
1. Replace headgaskets as a pair, and,
2. Replace big end bearings.

musso2010

Just for my own reference, when replacing the big end when doing a headgasket change, do you need to re-grind the crank or is it ok just to stick new bearings in?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Scoob cranks don't like to be ground. If there is damage, it's a new crank. Otherwise, just new bearings.

musso2010

Thanks for that!

morandpeter

iTrader: (5)

hmmm im looking at a 3-4 hundred as i'll be doing it myself and that should allow head skim, gaskets, and timing belt.
I'll probably throw in a new wp and op at the same time. i'll start making a baffled sump since the engine will be out. replace the up pipe, wrap the headers, redo my rack ends, probably instal an 18g christ the list goes on.

most of the stuff i'll do free, like give the thing a damn good clean.

anyone know where i can get a thicker head gasket from as i'll be skimming heads and block etc.

musso2010

Are you going to do the big ends aswell?

morandpeter

iTrader: (5)

wasnt planning on doing the big ends.