SeaSpyder

My 2002 Forester has the coolant drip on the drivers side rear of head, I do have access to a lift, just would like to hear from those that have done in the car vs pulling the motor, this is an auto transmission Forester. My first Subaru and very mechanically inclined owner, just looking for opinions thanks all.

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whitrzac

External drip, or is it burning coolent?


For an external, just dump some leak stop in it...



If it's burning coolent, pull the engine. Do timing/water pump/shims/valvecover gaskets/etc while its out.

SeaSpyder

Thread Starter

External Drip no over heating issues, 120K miles the only thing I know is the orignal owner used Amsoil and wix filters fanatically in it, unknown timing belt mintenance the bolts look un touched but one can never tell. In car or out of car i will do the timing belt and and components. so your advice is to pull motor?

BigBill

1st.. pull it, dont even try to do it with the motor in cuz it suuuucks, trust me i did it
2nd.. if you put stop leak in it, might as well add a new radiator to your list of parts

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4eat w/full exhaust & 1000 grinds

SeaSpyder

Thread Starter

BigBill thanks for the advice, I will not use a block/head sealer in it there is a time and a place for it and its not in this guys car! I've thought all along I'd pull the motor then got to reading several stories about in car jobs being done so thought I'd ask the question.

BigBill

No problem, you end almost having to pull it anyway, because you need to undo the motor mounts to get the head bolts clear enough. Im happy to turn people away from doing it that way

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4eat w/full exhaust & 1000 grinds

Tau137

Let me disagree.

It is very easy to do head gaskets with the engine in the car for SOHC, so, unless you already have the means (crane, stand, etc.) and/or money to spare - do not pull the engine, it will not save you any time overall.

Also, keep in mind that external coolants leak on SOHC can most likely be cured (for awhike at least, until the internal leak develops, which will likely takes years anyway) by a simple stop-leak, so if budget is tight and/or you do not intend to keep the car for ten more yeas - start with that. $5 and 2 minutes is well worth a try (vs. $500+ whatever other problems you will discover while in there), and a proper stop-leak (e.g., Bar-S stop leak for radiators, NOT for head gaskets) will not clog your cooling system.

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'98 RUS 5MT
'10 XT Limited, hers

whitrzac

Or you buy the actual subaru stop leak fore $1.29...

BillyCorgi

if this is an opinion poll, then.......
If you are going to do the gaskets, AND you are so mechniaclly minded AND if you have the gear and space?????

Pull the motor.

With the other things being updated at the same time, it is just so easy.

Loscaldazar

If you want to use stop leak, use the subaru branded stuff. I haven't seen any problems with it gunking things up, and Subaru is on the line for any failures it causes (ie plugging things).

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2003 Forester 2.5XS Mod Journal

Inspector

I would pull it if you want the repair to last; however, I'm with others on not even replacing the HG's until you use the subaru "conditioner". You should have been running that in the coolant in the first place, heck it's even in the manual.

TECH MOD

I didn't want to reply to this but i have been using Irontite All weather product in my 01 for almost 2 years , i have an internal leak which wasn't really bad , but each week i would lose several ounces. I'm not 1 for additives , but i noticed another Forester owner had good results. So use at your own risk , i put in about 4 ozs. 1/2 the bottle. I intend doing the head gaskets , but i already have my 98 motor in the garage on the stand weeping for my attention.

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01 Silver LTD MT5/HI-FLO/ 98 S MT5

jgrote

The coolant conditioner really does work. I've fixed 2 external coolant leaks with it. One of them has 40k miles on it since the repair. But if you do have the means to pull the engine, do it that way. Mostly so you can check the rear main seal, oil separator plate, and other stuff. It's just easier on a stand.

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04 X a/t
00 L a/t w/ 200K!

SeaSpyder

Thread Starter

This is exactly what i was looking for, thanks for all the opinions everyone.