legacycentral bbs

Ok, I looked around a bit here to find a sticky or thread documenting a water pump install and couldn't find it. I'm looking for a how-to because my friends car is in my backyard with some sort of overheating issue. Here is what it does:

starts, comes up to temperature about normal, then when you drive it for like 5 minutes (after reaching operating temps) the stock temp needle climbs and then the heat cuts out.

From what I know and what I've read this could be maybe a blockage in the heater core, radiator, or the water pump is tits, or a headgasket.

Can someone point me to a water pump thread. I'm having trouble with this websites search feature, or else there just isn't the thread I'm looking for.

The thermostat has been replaced, and the radiator was replaced semi recently (but he replaced it with a junkyard unit). Timing belt was done within 30k miles I believe. Would a reputable shop do the water pump at the same time as the TB?

Thanks for any help. I haven't ever worked on a subaru, and my friend doesn't work on cars period.

Has the radiator been burped properly?

You need to remove the burp screw on the passenger side of the radiator.

Also, was the thermostat a subaru thermostat, or one from a parts store? If it's one from a parts store, replace it with a subaru t-stat. It's been proven over and over again, that almost anything other then a subie t-stat will give you cooling issues.

OK, thanks Josh, for the verify on OEM T-Stat. I haven't changed out my cooling parts yet, but at 186K, I hope to get to 200K on the orig NA before I consider a turbo rebuild as a hobby car.
Anyway, back to the issue. Had the same issue - no warm air from the vent and cool air from the fans as they pull air through the radiator, but the needle is all the way. It started with a little leakage at the burp hole weeks ago, but when I added fluid, only a few oz filled it to the cap. So, when I do the pump & T-Stat, what should I look out for as far as block/head damage? I nursed it at the top of the temp range for a few miles & let it sit w/the hood up for best ventalation. Haven't touched it in 3 days. I hope the temp extremes were short enough to not do damage, what do you all think?
Also, what turns the water pump anyway? Is it the timing belt? If so, how do I do the swap and keep the timing intact? I haven't put the car up yet to look underneath so I have only seen the area from the topside.
Thanks, all.

Brian

ok correct me if im wrong guys but i know on the older legacy's 90-94 which may have the same problem in yours is the heater core is higher than the top of the radiator so it basically gets a big air pocket that can't escape. so you can try one of two options jack up the front right side of the car so the radiator filler neck is above the heater core...or take a piece of rubber hose that will seal in the filler neck and than put a funnel in the other end of the hose and fill it with coolant both of which will make it higher than the heater core allowing the air pocket to escape...again im not sure if they fixed that problem in your later era car but it just something to try.


Ben