Next crisis: After changing timing belt, car running hotter

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

This thing (89 GL) always ran rock-steady on temperature, but after
changing the timing belts it runs hot under load. It doesn't overheat, but
it gets up to 3/4 of the way up the guage.

Prior to this I never ran the car in weather over ~40 degrees, so I have
no way of really telling if it did this before, but the day I broke the
belt it was running normal. I checked and double checked the timing before
buttoning the thing up.

Any ideas? One thing I did notice is that the fan does get stiffer when
the car is warm, but I don't think it locks up like it should at that
temperature...

 

[johninky]

May be just low on coolant. Remove the radiator cap, engine cold, and
check the coolant level as the engine warms up.

Any chance you installed the fan backwards?

Don't know if you have an electric fan but check to see if it is
plugged in.

Also there should be a thermosenser on the passenger side of the
radiator that nedes connected if you have an electric fan.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

May be just low on coolant. Remove the radiator cap, engine cold, and
check the coolant level as the engine warms up.

Yup. Done that. Radiator full, but overflow bottle empties daily. The car
had leaky head gaskets but I used some of that "gasket in a bottle" stuff
and it seemed to have worked.

Any chance you installed the fan backwards?

Nope. Only goes on one way!

Don't know if you have an electric fan but check to see if it is
plugged in.

There is an electric fan also; I believe it only comes on with the AC. I
left it out, but reinstalled it yesterday. If it ever stops raining here
I'm going to check it and the thermal switch that controls it...

Also there should be a thermosenser on the passenger side of the
radiator that needs connected if you have an electric fan.

Yeah, that too. I'm going to check the electrical side of things Saturday
and see if it's working. I also have an electric fan from a Toyota that I
bought specifically for converting this car to an electric fan. If I need
to I'll install that.

Next week temps are supposed to be in the 40's. Last winter I was always
concerned because the engine temp didn't seem to be getting up *high*
enough!

 

[johninky]

Yup. Done that. Radiator full, but overflow bottle empties daily. The car
had leaky head gaskets but I used some of that "gasket in a bottle" stuff
and it seemed to have worked.

Two problems here. One is the missing coolant. If it's going out the
tailpipe you would know that. Need to find where it is leaking. Get
the engine up to operating temperature and rev the engine up to around
4K rpms. Usually doing this will show you where the leak is at.

Other problem is the radiator is junk. All old Subarus with original
radiators have partially clogged radiators. Adding any sort of stop
leak just makes it worse. Have to admit I used the stuff years ago
but it always just killed the radiator and once even ruined the heater
core in an XT. Never again.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Two problems here. One is the missing coolant. If it's going out the
tailpipe you would know that. Need to find where it is leaking. Get
the engine up to operating temperature and rev the engine up to around
4K rpms. Usually doing this will show you where the leak is at.

Other problem is the radiator is junk. All old Subarus with original
radiators have partially clogged radiators. Adding any sort of stop
leak just makes it worse. Have to admit I used the stuff years ago
but it always just killed the radiator and once even ruined the heater
core in an XT. Never again.

This stuff had specific instructions to drain all the coolant from the
system, then flush, then flush with water. I did the water flush twice.

Then, you run the stuff through, drain and sit overnight, then flush with
water. I did the water flush twice. This cooling system is *CLEAN* !!

Actually, I went out with the car dead cold this morning and turned the
fan. The resistance was the same as when the car is running hot. Also, the
electric fan is not turning on. It works, so I jumpered it to have it on
whenever the engine is running.

The fan clutch can't be had anywhere but online for $164-192!!! I paid
$350 for the car! I went to AutoZone and got a fan clutch for an '86
Toyota and will see if I can 'adapt' it to work with the Suby.

Wish me luck...