Time to start saving? - headgasket 96 sti

[96sti]

Hey guys had my car for over a month now loving it and clocked around 3500ks already. Only worries is that the overflow tank has a strange smell and a slight oily-brown tinge to it. After driving it a little hard and popping the overflow tank cap the coolant can be seen bubbling. The car doesn't leak from anywhere or overheat, no smoke or residue in the exhaust. Doesn't seem to be any oil in water or vice versa and runs real well.

Also note i took it for a 40min drive on a real nice windy gravel road (old mountain road out near raglan if anyone is familiar) sliding through the corners etc and afterwards it had spat out about 500ml of coolant out the overflow. It was doing it excessively when i re-installed the restrictor pill after driving on boost but that was fixed when i replaced the rad cap with a new one.

Because of the smell has got me thinking my head gaskets might be leaking, dont have the cash to shell out for a 2.5k job or whatver it may be and dont have the tools or knowledge to do it at home. Thoughts?

cheers.

[96sti]

also car has done 147ks

[Firenza]

sounds similar to what my 96 sti did! when i drove a little hard, the car would spew coolant out the overflow.

Mine was caused by a knackered radiator, which in turn made a head go soft according to Highbrook.

I ended up fitting a second hand long block, which ended up costing me about 1200 fitted

[96sti]

 Firenza said:

sounds similar to what my 96 sti did! when i drove a little hard, the car would spew coolant out the overflow.

Mine was caused by a knackered radiator, which in turn made a head go soft according to Highbrook.

I ended up fitting a second hand long block, which ended up costing me about 1200 fitted

It doesn't spew it out anymore, it just bubbles. Occasionally a few drops will come out.

[Firenza]

its probably not gone totally then. Also, you might get more than you think, as i only noticed as i got trails of orange going down my wing from where the overflow hose ends up. Other than that there was often no sign of it.

It was only when I got stuck in some proper traffic and it over heated a little (3/4 up the gauge) that I put 2 and 2 together and realised what was happening.

Get something like a red bull can, cable tie it to the crossbar and leave the overflow hose inside it. then you can gauge how much is being pushed out in normal driving

[boon]

Get a leakdown test done... better to find out now than to have it sh!t itself in the middle of nowhere.

[96sti]

 boon said:

Get a leakdown test done... better to find out now than to have it sh!t itself in the middle of nowhere.

Yeah mate would this tell me for sure? should i get a compression test done as well?

cheers

[96sti]

 hate-evoz said:

As soon as mine leaked out of the overflow bottle i knew it was time for the headgasket, Who knows you just might get yours in time before you need a new longblock...

Ha nice name, for real did you get it done? what was involved and hw mch?

[96sti]

 hate-evoz said:

Yeah man, I Hate evoz hence my username...had bad experiences with them. Yeah headgasket blew but still drove it till it practically blew up had to get a full engine rebuild which costed heaps nearly 5k, regret rebuilding it, thinking back now, I would of saved more coin if I just brought a second hand STI long block and put my sh*t on to it etc

Or if you know your way around subi engines do it yourself ??

If your in Auckland I can put you in touch with someone that will fix your headgasket (if its just that) for 1k. If its anymore then that will be more though.

Cheers

In hamilton mate cheers though, im really hoping i wont have to do the head gaskets... might get another couple of thousand ks first. Im a student at tech at the moment so really limited experience as well as funds and tools, although i could get a good deal at my work experience and i would get to work on it. Did you rebuild it with forged internals and arp studs all the fancy stuff? cause thats alot. A second hand complete EJ20k from an sti is like 2.6-2.8k. Also by longblock you mean block, rods pistons crank as well as heads right? and shortblock is just block crank rods and pistons?

Is there any other reason I could have these symptoms?

[96sti]

Ok cheers man im getting a leakdown test done soon hopefully and that should help me will also ask the guys at the garage tomorrow. I cant really do any major major damage unless it starts overheating right?

[96sti]

 hate-evoz']

[quote name='96sti said:

Ok cheers man im getting a leakdown test done soon hopefully and that should help me will also ask the guys at the garage tomorrow. I cant really do any major major damage unless it starts overheating right?

/quote]

Yea try not to drive it constantly tho, keep filling water up before each drive. etc Yeah leakdown test will be good too. Id come check it out if you were local. GL man

Cheers mate appreciate that. Yeah well its my daily and don't need to top up water for sure but ill definitely get the test done and looks like i'll be needing new gasket. I can get a good deal on it at my work placement and i guess i'll start saving haha. Thanks again

[96sti]

Went and got a cylinder leakage test done and there was no leakage

[Wiretap]

 96sti said:

Went and got a cylinder leakage test done and there was no leakage

If you're blowing coolant this is erroneous. Nothing else can cause this.

[rex-leggy]

 Wiretap']

[quote name='96sti said:

Went and got a cylinder leakage test done and there was no leakage

/quote]

If you're blowing coolant this is erroneous. Nothing else can cause this.

a shagged radiator cap can

[Wiretap]

 rex-leggy']

[quote name='96sti said:

Went and got a cylinder leakage test done and there was no leakage

/quote]

If you're blowing coolant this is erroneous. Nothing else can cause this.

a shagged radiator cap can

While true it won't cause bubbling in the tank.

[96sti]

Doesn't usually come out just bubbles away

[Wiretap]

 96sti said:

Doesn't usually come out just bubbles away

Only for a bit when the car is warming up or just constant frothing?

[96sti]

Just bubbles once its warmed up and been driven on boost. kind of looks like a boiling jug

[Wiretap]

 96sti said:

Just bubbles once its warmed up and been driven on boost. kind of looks like a boiling jug

Then don't take the cap off once the car is warm. Having the pressure raises the boiling point of the water, taking the cap of causes it to boil instantly, which is why your radiator cap says 'Ne pas ouvrir a chaud' (aka really badly translated french for 'Never open while hot')

In order to check the headgasket that way you must start the car from cold and allow it to warm up to temp with the radiator cap off, you should get the odd bubble as it warms up, and yes the water will overflow a bit (water expands as it heats up). What you are looking for is frothing, you'll have a little bit if you insist on revving it (don't) but a blown headgasket will cause constant frothing.

Once the fans come on, you're done. If it hasn't started frothing and foaming by then there is absolutely nothing wrong with your headgasket.

[96sti]

It has a bit of froth in rad cap when running and revving it doesn't raise the level. The bubbling or boiling im talking about is in the overflow not the rad or expansion tank cap. The cooling system was very filthy before flush so it could be all the shit surfacing to that area?