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My Subaru [EJ22 phase 1 engine] started overheating a few months ago, so I pulled the thermostat to 'band-aid' the problem.

Despite running cold most of the time, it worked well until I got milkshake in my coolant.

Pulled the engine, installed new head gaskets and a new thermostat.

Still trying to overheat. I parked when it started to get hot, the coolant resevoir had built up enough pressure to pop the cap off, and my upper radiator hose was sucked in. Let the fans cool it down, then drove the mile back home.

I got home and drained the water from the lower hose, the water that came out of the radiator on that side was cold. The upper hose was hot to the touch.

Boiled the new thermostat in a pot with water and it opened.

When I fill up the radiator with the bleeder valve open on the opposite side, it fills up just fine.

A friend thinks I have a clogged radiator, but I've heard of water pumps going bad.

I'm currently driving around sans thermostat again, but it's about to get cold here and I need/want a heater.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Maybe the heads were warped when you swapped headgaskets?

Yikes.

Crankcase oil is fine, and there's no oil in the coolant.

I guess I could do a compression test. I really think this is a coolant system issue, it's the only way I can explain the cold water in a car that's overheating.

My guess would be same as what your mate said Clogged radiator.

If your water pump went bad you would be able to hear the bearings make a grinding noise.

Another vote for clogged rad.
A bad H2O pump doesn't always tell you so. But it wouldn't be circulating coolant, and you wouldn't have heat.

Yaaay. I bought a new radiator yesterday. Coming in today.

Thing is - I don't think that's it. With the thermostat out, the lower hose is warm after the car finally heats up. I'm goign to buy a Subaru thermostat, if that doesn't fix it, I'll install my new radiator.

Put the thermostat back in when I swapped radiators today and voila - fixed.

I wish I would have done this about two months ago, but hey - now I have fresh head gaskets.

Also installed a Group N tranny mount and kartboy polyurethane shifter bushings tonight. It feels like a new car!!

Good Work!

You figured out your problem.....a non-subaru thermostat will cause nothing but problems on these cars. You MUST use a Subaru thermostat. Been there...done that.

Except that I'm using a sh***y VatoZone Thermostat and it works fine...

The Legacy radiator was clogged. Swapped in a OEM replacement GC rad and it's A-OK

If I have problems with it, I'm going to swap in my old Subaru thermostat which I know now was not the problem. I have a pure water mix ATM and need to drain it again anyways, so I'll do it soon.

I'd highly recommend putting the subaru thermostat back in. Do you recall if the autozone thermostat looked the same as the subaru one?

Typically the Subaru thermostat is deeper than the aftermarket ones and have a different response (opening/closing) to temperature.

Legacy777 wrote: Typically the Subaru thermostat is deeper than the aftermarket ones and have a different response (opening/closing) to temperature.

I boiled the A/Z one and it opened before boiling.

I'll get a side-by-side photo when I pull the stat.

It's not that the generics don't function, it's that for whatever reason, they don't work well at all in Subarus and the difference in appearance between the OEM tank-looking one and the less substantial generics might be down to more than just trying to impress a mechanic. It's the only Germanic thing I can think of with these cars, but for the un-German like part price. It's just annoyingly not one of those things you think need to be OEM and I'm sure most of us have probably learned this lesson through trial and error. Luckily for me, I started with the thermostat so I only wasted the $5 bucks or whatever for the generic, but if I had bought the car with a generic installed already and not been able to question the OEM/generic differences when I swapped them, I don't know how much aggravation I would've gone through before figuring it out.

Legacy777 wrote: You MUST use a Subaru thermostat. Been there...done that.

i like stant thermostats! they allow me to buy asian cars with "blown head gaskets" on the cheap. that's how i got deb's crv for $2600, KBB was $5500 at the time.

at any rate, Josh is spot-on... only use OE thermostats in Asian cars!

Well The thermostat I pulled had the Subaru parts logo, the circle with the 'boomerang' in it or whatever that's called.

I still have it.

MY HG was definitely blown, I had oil in my coolant. So I did not do it in vain.

Beck Arnley Thermostats are just as good as oem btw, they look just like them and they have a lifetime warranty. i picked mine up for $3o bucks because a lesser generic one didn't work for me. Beck Arnley seems to have a lot of deece parts for our cars i notice. Not huge selection, but what they do have is nice. May be the OEM's supplier? idk

B/A is usually just a reboxing company that either buys NOS stuff or the non-manufacturer stamped stuff from the OE supplier and throws it in a B/A bag/box. Have seen MANY a Kia/Hyundai part in the B/A bag.