87 Subaru losing coolant

I have a stock, 2wd 87 Subaru wagon, manual, SPFI with 225k miles on
it; the blue bomber -- she just keeps running (though the valves are
getting clackety).

Lately though I've been having to put as much as a gallon of water in
even after short city drives. There is some white smoke coming out of
the tailpipe but not *clouds* of it... and it's been cold here in
Seattle this year (hasn't hit 60 yet).

I've had to replace some heater hoses in the past, and the radiator
even, so I know my way around finding even an occasional leak, but I'm
stumped on this one. Can't locate a leak for the life of me but I
really don't want to believe the head gasket finally went. Is there
anything else I can check? Not sure this car is worth the R&R cost at
this point but I sure could use another season out of it...


thanks in advance for any help!!

Elijah

> wrote in message news:e4519c6d-2e05-4419-9ae6->
> thanks in advance for any help!!
>
> Elijah

That white smoke coming out your tailpipe is typical of
a blown head gasket or cracked or warped head or block,
as you already know.

Areas where you can leak water and it can be difficult to
spot include leaky Welch plugs (cc "freeze plugs"), water
pump or fittings, etc. But normally if you can get a view
from below the car with good lighting, you can spot pretty
small leaks.

A compression test or cylinder leak down test would
be a cheap and easy place to start if you cant spot an
obvious leak..

Exactly which engine do you have in this vehicle?

On 04/23/2011 07:01 AM, hls wrote:
>
> > wrote in message news:e4519c6d-2e05-4419-9ae6->
>> thanks in advance for any help!!
>>
>> Elijah
>
> That white smoke coming out your tailpipe is typical of
> a blown head gasket or cracked or warped head or block, as you already
> know.
>
> Areas where you can leak water and it can be difficult to spot include
> leaky Welch plugs (cc "freeze plugs"), water
> pump or fittings, etc. But normally if you can get a view
> from below the car with good lighting, you can spot pretty small leaks.

well, duh. if you hadn't snipped the pertinent bits of the o.p., maybe
you'd have seen that the guy was already on top of that bit.


>
> A compression test or cylinder leak down test would
> be a cheap and easy place to start if you cant spot an
> obvious leak..

not reliable for had gasket detection unless it's large enough. early
stage leaks can only show when the engine is hot. the much more
reliable test is to run a chemical test on the coolant.


>
> Exactly which engine do you have in this vehicle?

chevy 350?


--
nomina rutrum rutrum

On 04/22/2011 08:45 PM, wrote:
>
> I have a stock, 2wd 87 Subaru wagon, manual, SPFI with 225k miles on
> it; the blue bomber -- she just keeps running (though the valves are
> getting clackety).
>
> Lately though I've been having to put as much as a gallon of water in
> even after short city drives.

shouldn't use just water - doesn't contain corrosion inhibitors. you
should also not use tap water, only distilled or properly deionized
water with your antifreeze. if mixing is not convenient, just get the
pre-mix.


> There is some white smoke coming out of
> the tailpipe but not *clouds* of it... and it's been cold here in
> Seattle this year (hasn't hit 60 yet).
>
> I've had to replace some heater hoses in the past, and the radiator
> even, so I know my way around finding even an occasional leak, but I'm
> stumped on this one. Can't locate a leak for the life of me but I
> really don't want to believe

no room for "belief" with this stuff - deal with the reality.


> the head gasket finally went. Is there
> anything else I can check? Not sure this car is worth the R&R cost at
> this point but I sure could use another season out of it...
>
>
> thanks in advance for any help!!
>
> Elijah

head gasket. with a leak this bad, you'll almost certainly be seeing
bubbles in the coolant when the motor is running. look in the expansion
bottle. if it's not obvious, buy a chemical test kit and test it that way.


--
nomina rutrum rutrum

> wrote:
>I've had to replace some heater hoses in the past, and the radiator
>even, so I know my way around finding even an occasional leak, but I'm
>stumped on this one. Can't locate a leak for the life of me but I
>really don't want to believe the head gasket finally went. Is there
>anything else I can check? Not sure this car is worth the R&R cost at
>this point but I sure could use another season out of it...

Wash the inside of the engine compartment with soap and water. Put coolant
into the thing. Then watch with a UV light in there... the dye in the
coolant fluoresces and (if there isn't huge amounts of other crap all over
everything) you'll see it very clearly.

BUT... the honest truth... if you are losing water by the gallon, and
it's not squirting out of something fairly obvious in the engine compartment
or under the dashboard... then it has to be squirting out the tailpipe.
It's hard to miss that much coolant.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."