Why do i keep blowing coolant lines?

TheSubaruJunkie · Post by **TheSubaruJunkie** » Thu May 03, 2007 1:57 am

So on saturday, the line that leads from the resivoir to the turbo blew. I replaced it and then Monday there is a coolant line that runs under the intake manifold that blew! WTF!?!?! This sucks, i rigged it at work today by cutting the line in half, and using a copper tube and clamping the 2 ends back together. On my way home from work, that piece blew apart and now im fuct.

It looks like Im going to have to remove the intake manifold to replace that line. And i have no idea where im going to find coolant line like that to replace it with.

This sucks

-Brian

PhyrraM · Post by **PhyrraM** » Thu May 03, 2007 2:25 am

Make sure the radiator cap is not stuck closed. That could lead to very high pressures in the system.

On some cars a stuck thermostat can do the same. Not sure about Subarus in that regard.

Lusus3 · Post by **Lusus3** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 6:19 pm

Sounds like a "path of least resistance" problem. Like what was said above, if your cap is stuck close the excessive pressure wants to escape somewhere. Its going to find the weakest point of course and since you just replaced the old weakest point it found a new one.

TheSubaruJunkie · Post by **TheSubaruJunkie** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 6:54 pm

Well, after all this I have replaced my radiator cap. Everything seemed fine for a few months. About a month or so ago, the car would start to overheat... i would check the coolant and it would be low. So I would refill and all would be fine. For about 2 weeks, then it would start to over heat again.... so I check, yup... coolant low, refill and go at it again. So I knew there was a small leak somwhere and just dealt with it.

Sunday my car started to overheat again. I filled the coolant, all was good, until monday when it started again, checked and it took another gallon of coolant. I drove home from work monday after filling it in the morning and the overheating was still a problem. When I got home, i lifted the hood to look for a severe leak and found it.

My coolant fill tank was cracked. Split right down the middle in the back. Looks like it was bowed out, as if it was under pressure. The cap I bought is rated at 13psi. I'm not sure what happened, if the system is still building too much pressure or maybe if running hot with lack of coolant could cause this problem.

Any insight would be greatly apreciated.

-Brian

dzx · Post by **dzx** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 11:23 pm

if a headgasket is messed up or the heads are warped, it will create a lot of pressure in the system. To crack the coolant fill tank would be pretty tough though.

TheSubaruJunkie · Post by **TheSubaruJunkie** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 12:18 am

Well, its cracked. Need a picture for proof? Looks like the split is about 3" long and runs vertical down the center of the back of the tank.

dzx · Post by **dzx** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 1:31 am

I'm sure your eyes work just fine, I wasn't questioning if it was cracked or not.

If it cracked, it probably wasn't from too much pressure inside of the tank. I'm sure other things would have blown first. maybe it just got old and had a weak spot where a crack got started.

scuzzy · Post by **scuzzy** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 4:44 am

well, excess pressure in the system plus overheating + blowing coolant lines leads me to believe that you've got some sort of headgasket problem.

TheSubaruJunkie · Post by **TheSubaruJunkie** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 8:14 am

Yeah im thinking its a headgasket now too. SO im shopping for gasket kits. Do I need EJ22T Specific head gaskets? Or will EJ22 work?

tahiti350 · Post by **tahiti350** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 6:36 pm

has it been way cold there recently? If you've just added water to the recovery tank it may have frozen and split... Otherwise I'd be looking for a headgasket...

scuzzy · Post by **scuzzy** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 6:54 pm

TheSubaruJunkie wrote:Yeah im thinking its a headgasket now too. SO im shopping for gasket kits. Do I need EJ22T Specific head gaskets? Or will EJ22 work?

EJ22T specific, since the deck is different.

TheSubaruJunkie · Post by **TheSubaruJunkie** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 7:14 pm

tahiti350 wrote:has it been way cold there recently? If you've just added water to the recovery tank it may have frozen and split... Otherwise I'd be looking for a headgasket...

haha i live in California... it doesnt get THAT cold. Cold enough for frost on the windows, but not cold enough to freeze standing water.

I priced it at Subaruparts.com and i can get the engine gasket kit for like $230. Looks like thats what im going to have to do.

tahiti350 · Post by **tahiti350** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 7:07 am

Damn, should have looked at location first... To see the whole post I have to slide the screen over a little, and it blocks the user info... Good luck on the gasket swap, and let us know what you find...

dzx · Post by **dzx** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 1:30 am

an engine gasket kit involves a lot more than headgaskets. Headgaskets are generally around 30 dollars apiece. And not using ej22t headgaskets will mess with your compression.

TheSubaruJunkie · Post by **TheSubaruJunkie** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 1:57 am

Actually, the head gaskets alone are $54 a piece. Then I need to buy intake manifold gaskets, exhaust gaskets. Valve cover gaskets. I can get a head gasket kit, but the entire engine gasket kit only cost me $206 (and that is from Subaru, bro-discount from a friendly fellow T-Leg owner).

I know whats involved. I ordered my shit today, $216 for the gasket kit overnighted from some warehouse. Then another $120 for a timing belt kit (belts, idlers, etc) overnighted from Washington. I should have everything I need tomorrow... go home with a hoist from work and spend my upcomming 4 day weekend pulling the motor and resealing it.

chochocho · Post by **chochocho** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 5:44 pm

are there any part numbers for ordering the many different coolant line hoses?

damn, i am also springing a leak somewhere and keep replacing/fixing them.....just going to replace all of them suckers with new ones being that the car is 17 years old.

thanks in advance.

Post by **Legacy777** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:10 pm

I ordered a lot hoses when I did my turbo engine swap. I posted the parts catalog in the stuff you need to know forum. You can browse through and get all the part #'s you need.

chochocho · Post by **chochocho** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:15 pm

any aftermarket applications for those coolant hoses? i doubt it though.

Post by **Legacy777** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:22 am

probably not.

chochocho · Post by **chochocho** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:30 am

josh, where do you get your parts? subarugenuineparts.com?

i priced out pretty much all the hoses and it'll cost me like $260. 30 set of those small little hose though.

Post by **Legacy777** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:36 am

Yeah....subarugenuineparts.

That's the cheapest place I've found. Plus Jamie doesn't gig too much for shipping.

Carbix · Post by **Carbix** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 8:29 am

um from the looks of it that little tank is splitting for a lot of people... in the past it may have not been a problem but after 15 years of heating and cooling i think they are all starting to die for us.... i just broke mine and i have seen at least 2 other people in the past month...

asc_up · Post by **asc_up** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:49 am

Add another. Mine split about 2 months ago...

chochocho · Post by **chochocho** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:07 pm

i "burped" the coolant flush and it drove fine this morning to work (50 mile commute). i'll check before i leave if i've lost any water in the coolant tank.

RJ93SS · Post by **RJ93SS** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:15 am

i cracked that nipple on my rad and fill tank

to say that the pressure would not cause that crack in your tank is stupid, especially for someone in fifth gear

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Why do i keep blowing coolant lines?

Why do i keep blowing coolant lines?