Funny noise. Funny problems.

[BAC5.2]

With the Forester.....

There is a grinding and scraping noise under the hood. The noise is RPM dependant, and it increases in frequency as RPM's increase. The radiator fans seem to ALWAYS be on. At idle, the car will overheat. Increase engine RPM and the temp will drop. The radiator cap is always cold, though though it holds pressure.

Very weird. At first I thought blown headgasket because of the odd overheating. Now, I'm not so sure.

I think it may have been that the water pump has failed, but I am looking for input.

I must have a coolant leak somewhere, as it almost always needs coolant, every time I check it. It never overheats while driving.

I couldn't trace the noise, since it's 10pm I have no tools and just a maglight. Sounded like it was from under the timing belt cover. Belt tensioner maybe? But that doesn't explain the overheating. Car has 140k, and I don't know the major service history (timing belt, etc.).

I don't know how safe it will be to drive the car, and I have a 60 mile daily commute.

Any ideas? Input?

[skid542]

If it doesn't overheat while driving then there must be some sort of circulation, whether thermally induced or from the water pump so I'd be inclined to think your thermostat was fine. Water pump sounds like a good place to start, you said it was coming from under the t-belt cover. Isn't the water pump located on the front of the engine block like ours?

I'd be hesitant to drive it too much but if the weather stays cool and you keep plenty of extra fluid with you might be alright as long as you don't get stuck in traffic.

That's my .02 though.

[555BCTurbo]

My vote is the waterpump...

1) it is located under the timing cover

2) Before mine went out completely it started leaking coolant

3) my car would overheat randomly before it went out, hasn't since

Kinda makes sense too, since you say it cools down when you rev it, as the pump would be moving more coolant=cooling better

[BAC5.2]

The noise is startling though. That's what is concerning me most. It's awful.

[BAC5.2]

I wonder if it's about to sieze? I might have to start riding my motorcycle for a few days until I can get it fixed. I won't have the time to do it myself I don't think.

[douglas vincent]

Use your section of garden hose to locate the noise!

I vote for water pump.

[legacy92ej22t]

That sucks Phil.

I vote for the Water pump too. Do you ever have fluid under the car after it's parked? Or if the car sits and idles does it drip coolant from the timing belt cover area?

The sound could also be one of the tension pulleys for the timing belt too. maybe a bad bearing?

[Legacy777]

Yeah....water pump.....and don't drive it dude!!

[BAC5.2]

Diagnosed it this morning. Definately the water pump. Ordered a new one and a timing belt this morning.

I'll do the repair at the shop on Monday after I get out of class.

Definately a bummer. Decided to drive it from the shop to school, and I'll take it from school to my house where I'll borrow my sisters car for the weekend.

I contemplated driving it home from the shop, and then ride my motorcycle today, but it's 30 degrees and I didn't want to do that.

Hopefully this will be the final major repair that needs done on this car.

I have the best boss in the world though.

Thanks for all of the input guys!

[Legacy294]

Ditto on the water pump..

It's a good idea to swap out the thermostat/gasket, idlers, oil seals and the tensioner while you are in there.

If after the pump is fixed it still heats up, you know what's next.. With 140k it's close to time on the head gaskets if they haven't been replaced already.

[Splinter]

Shit.. I hope this isnt whats going on with my coolant leak.

The cap is hot and everything, and it doesnt overheat normally, but I lose about a litre of fluid per day, and Ive looked EVERYWHERE for a leak. Seems like it might be coming from the front of the block area.

How much did the pump run you?

[Legacy294]

Front of the block would most likely be the pump..

Usually they run $60-75. A WRX pump will work too. Plan on replacing the bypass line and t-stat as well..

[Splinter]

Radiator, reservoir, and now the water pump

What I'd do for an air cooled VW engine right now...

[evolutionmovement]

Yeah, a Legacy would be fun with 65 HP.

The WRX pump will need an extra nipple capped on an N/A, but will work there also. I always change the water pump with the belt about every 60k. I'm going to start doing tensioners every other time, too since the last one went. Not good.

Steve

[Legacy777]

Actually the WRX pump will require two nipples capped for the n/a, and one nipple capped for the turbo, unless you have a 91 with oil cooler.

[BAC5.2]

Wow, so I pulled the fans and the timing belt cover today, and found something odd.....

The water pump was fine, and in fact had been replaced before I got the car!

What was NOT so fine, was the EXPLODED timing belt idler.

The sealed bearing the idler rides on had become unsealed and had shat it's bearings ALL over the place. There was rubber and metal debris all up in the timing belt cover.

PLUS, my timing had jumped 2 teeth. So the cams had some valves open while combustion was taking place. The car was overheating, because the belt had been slipping on the water pump. Why? Because with the idler explodered, the tensioner was at it's maximum extension, and I could still jiggle it around. It was so loose (how loose was it?), we could almost have taken the belt off.

In fact, this fiasco with the idler had destroyed my tensioner as well. I mean FUCKED it up. We put the new timing belt on, a "new" idler (from another EJ25), and the tensioner back on. Didn't tighten the belt at ALL. Got the tensioner from the same EJ25, and back on I went.

Put it all back together, timed it correctly, and voila! Not only was the motor MUCH smoother and quieter, but it was more powerful as well (because the valves were now in the closed position when combustion was taking place).

So all is well, water pump was not replaced, and we'll see how it goes.

It's scary. I was a cunthair away from catestrophic engine failure, due to the lazy, ghetto fuck of a mechanic that worked on this car in it's past life.

A funny note: The previous owner, whom I am now CONVINCED was an idiot, had busted the bleed valve off of the radiator and tightened a bolt into the radiator in it's place. Also, the radiator is so clogged with shit, that when I unscrewed the petcock, NOTHING came out. Not a DAMN thing.

After a few days, I'm going to actually pull the radiator and clean the living shit out of it. I also want to install a block heater. I'm tired of waiting for heat in the morning, and I'd like the motor to last forever.

[rallysam]

Wow

That sucks. I hate when you realize the previous owner was a lazy idiot (or his mechanic was). Lazy idiots do something shoddy to save him 1 trip to the auto parts store, or saves him a few minutes of doing his work the right way, and then ends up almost costing the next owner his engine.

[Legacy777]

Just be glad the idler GEAR didn't seize, or you would've been looking at something like this

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8 ... ddedtbelt/

[legacy92ej22t]

Wow, I was right! I'm starting to think I'm very intune with Subies. From now on I think I should be reffered to as "The Subie Whisperer".

Glad you got it fixed Phil before it got to a point that would have been much harder to remedy.

[BAC5.2]

Me too!

The noise and actions sounded exactly like the impeller of the water pump had begun to seize. Towards the end, you could feel the timing belt and hear it go "whap whap whap whap whap whap whap" as the loose timing belt was flailing around without tension.