This had me completely stumped for a while............

[wildturkey]

after noticing a coolant leak dripping from bottom of engine on the front passenger side........i got to work tracking it down..........couldn't find the frakn thing for the best part of a day.....just couldn't find the damn thing. There was coolant splatter all over the front of the battery and it had even worked its way to the steering arms and wheel arch. After a short trip to repco i decided to see if i could see anything.......popped the bonnet and was looking down the side of the radiator when a very fine spray of mist shot out the side of the radiator...........pure fluke. On the blower to a mate who had one and a few hours later all fixed. All part of owning a 20 year old car lol :-)

http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu253/legman_nz/WCC002.jpg?t=1238821851

http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu253/legman_nz/WCC001.jpg?t=1238822262[/img]

[BC5RA]

Very common fault, thank plastic end tanks for that.

[Guest]

now thats a decent size crack well done

[Guest DVNT]

lol good thing you caught it early otherwise mighta been looking at a ceasd engine

[subieboy]

Lucky catch there.

Did you use a newer alloy version one?

[wildturkey]

nope..........but I'm saving up for one lol

[wildturkey]

Hey subie boy........i found some alloy radiators on TM

http://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=211553609

but he didn't have any listed for BC5 series. I pm'd him and he said they don't make them for that model. Can you point me in the right direction of someone you definitely knows makes and stocks them cheers :-)

Oh I've also got to be able to bolt my fans onto them too so there's that as well

[sickmatesick]

im onto my fourth radiator and 2nd engine because of this. (always cracks on the drivers side) have a sneaking suspision the heaters blocked so i will be putting one of those H shaped hose adaptors on the heater lines before i get my car back on the road

[wildturkey]

damn......looks like i was very lucky then to have caught this in time b4 it did sum real damage

[BC5RA]

I wouldn't worry about it too much, don't feel like you have to rush out and buy an alloy radiator (they have there fair share of issues) Replace the end tanks with OE one and you'll be good for another 100k.

If you can find a alloy radiator that will bolt into a 93-95 GC8 chances are it will fit a BC5.

[subieboy]

 wildturkey said:

Hey subie boy........i found some alloy radiators on TM

For auto parts just select year of Manufacture.

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/replacement_sm/subaru~radiator~replacement.html

Or better yet here is one for 90 -94 NA Leggies:

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/details/QQSubaruQQLegacyQQReplacementQQRadiatorQQ19901994QQP1183.html

Here's a pic of what MRT can do:

http://www.mrtrally.com.au/performance/photosubaru.htm

Also try PWR or any of the following ones:

http://nationwideradiators.com.au/ They cover most of the manufacturers (you might even be able to visit your local specialist rediator guy and ask for different brands...

NatRad (National Radiator) even make their own...

[BC5RA]

 subieboy said:

Here's a pic of what MRT can do:

http://www.mrtrally.com.au/performance/photosubaru.htm

This is MRT's now discontinued Larger heat exchanger for Gen 1 Legacy WAIC, they sold that in conjunction with a high flow waterpump.

[Guest]

 subieboy said:

Here's a pic of what MRT can do:

http://www.mrtrally.com.au/performance/photosubaru.htm

*dribble* would luv to get *dribble* me hands on one of these *wipes dribble*

[nickmcgill]

I had the same thing happen with my plastic factory top tank, Had been leaking out of a small crack for a week or so just kept topping the water up daily and checking on it daily to make sure it wasn't losing to much.

Then one day I was driving along, Looked down to check my gauges to notice the water temp one up maxed out in the red. Very quickly pulled over and shut down the car. Opened the bonnet to have water spraying out of the crack and the whole engine soaked.

Was extremely lucky that it didn't seize.

Apparently is quite common on most cars with plastic tanks after about 10 years or so.

[RSB]

Yup. I got home after giving my WRX a cane one night, got out of the car and smelt the radiator water. I looked behind the car and the driveway was soaked.

Filled her up and it just dumped it all back out. Had cracked just at the bottom of the pipe the top hose clamps on to.

[Guest]

my mazda mpv had a plastic radiator, my fan belt snapped on the wainuiomata hill, so the radiator took all the stress, suppose it coulda been worse, head gasket maybe? All good tho pulled over straight away with steam pissing out all over the place..

[THUNDA]

are we talking about header tanks here? because yeah, one flaw subaru made was making plastic header tanks (where the radiator cap is) i got told to replace mine by my co-worker as soon as i bought it, upgraded to an alloy one, was only $50 trade price from isuzu & subaru bits