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Ive bought a 2004 54 plate sti with 65,000 miles three weeks ago.

When i got it the rad was slightly leaking. Would need to top up the water every morning.

Ive since replaced the rad with on from am earlier model i think. It dodnt have a cap on the top of the rad.

Im not overly sure if i ever blead the system properly. But it lost the water after a while of driving. Ive since noticed the other rad i fitted has bowed out at the sides.

Normally this would say pressure in the system.

I have a noise in the engine in the mornings that i thought was a aux belt pulley.

Question is this. Could this be a waterpump issue. Or am i just putting off the fact my head gaskets knackred?

Car goes well. No smoke or steam. No sign of water in the oil system or anything.

Ive never had any of these issues with a head gasket problem on any other car.

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks cheers.

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

did the car overheat??

id say it may be an air lock, these cars need to be bled through the header tank next to the intercooler to avoid air locks in the system.

Version-9-STI

The temps went up a few times mate yes. I turn it off when i see that tho.

Ill be hunting out a new rad anyway. Pos an alloy one but id rather not damage an alloy one if the lrobs still there.

I never really ran it up to temp with the cap off.

Also the overflow on the back of the rad filled up prity much right away when i fitted the new rad. And when i noticed the rad was bowed out i left the expension bottle cap off so it had some escape.

The other rad i fitted is now leaking worse than the original. Plus ive got the thermostat removed right now.

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

no offence meant by this but you obviously don't know what you are doing.

my advice is take it to a specialist before some expensive damage is done.

imprezas need burping out of the header tank next to the intercooler, it sounds like you haven't done this.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Wrong radiator fitted
Incorrect bleeding procedures
Still leaking
No thermostat

Tick, tick, tick, tick,tick.

Expect things to go wrong very quickly, take it to someone who know what they are doing.

Version-9-STI

Ive never had a subaru before no. Ive been a vauxhall / vw man all my life and i know exactly what im doing with them.

Never had to take my car to a garage for anything other than mot. Engine changes conversions you name it ive done it. Im not about to start putting my car to a garage now.

I joined this site for advice and to meet and speak to some other subaru owners. Ive been honest in telling everything. ive not tried to hide the fact i didnt know about the water system.

Im ready to take myown engine out and strip it down send the heads away for pressure testing and maybe a port polish. Already got a price for the metal gaskets from subaru and uprated headbolts.

This thread was really to find out if anyone thought it cluld be a mix of a knackared waterpump and lack of bleeding the system properly before i remove my engine and spend hundreds of pounds only to find out the waterpump was the issue all along...

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

we are trying to help you.

id say the main issue is an airlock but running it up to overheating temps is going to damage the engine.

but as you say your not a Subaru experienced man and its easy to cause expensive damage.

Version-9-STI

Im greatfull for all the advice given even the i dont know what im doing part.... i didnt know what i was doing with it. Thats why i joined the site. To find out info etc.

I know using it as it is is going to do damage. I dont use the car any more ive got another car i use daily. Theres a receipt in the history for a gates cambelt kit last year but nothing about a waterpump which i found strange.

None of the issues as i say point to any head gasket issues ive had in my other cars apart from using water and rising temps.

And as i say the car still runs very well. Ill order a new rad (proper one) and a waterpump anyway and see how that goes before i take the engine out.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Advice is what you have received.

But running a car you know nothing about with the wrong radiator, no thermostat, with a continued leak is just asking for trouble.

The flat four is a different beast altogether than a straight four.

So back to the problem. Back filling through the top radiator hose is always a good starter, then take the return pipe off the turbo and back fill that too. But nothing will work right if the thermostat is missing.

Do the fans come on when the engine overheats?
Does the car have service history?
Was it bought from a dealer and how much did you pay for it?
Did you get money off due to the rad leak?
As it had any engine work done previously?

You may have bought a nail and this is the end result. I hope it's not and you get it fixed.

Oranges

+1 for airlock.

No offence meant but these cars aren't as simple as Vauxhall etc, no harm in taking it to a specialist for a check over, wouldn't want it to go kaboom.

Version-9-STI

Cheers for that mate.

Yup the fans kick in when the temp rises.they both work well.

Service history there is some but not full.

I bought the car local from a boy that works in the same company as me and has been around for a couple of years without these issues.

I pxd one of my cars for it. An audi s4 b5 . And i got it cheap enough that even if i had to buy another engine for it id still have got it cheap.

The car is in good condition theres a few carpark type dents etc the interior is immaculate and the rest of the car is in good order. It was ok for the first week apart from the obv rad leak.

Can anyone tell me what the usual subaru head gasket symptoms be ? Ill take it to the local garage so they can dip the system which will confirm if its gaskets issues.

Thanks for the info lads.

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quick pic