JimBriggs

As many of you know, I own a 98 Subaru Forester S with a 2.5L DOHC EJ25 motor with 126,5xx miles on it.
I've dropped a little over $600 into in the last month on repairs and still having problems.
After I spent all the money to fix my car, I put about 1000 miles on it, and it started having problems again.
For instance, tonight I drove roughly 30 miles and then my car would overheat, so I stop, let it cool down and check all the fluids, then go off on my way.
Well tonight, which would be the 2nd time this car has done it, I was driving, it overheated and I pulled over, well there was smoke coming out of the timing belt cover on the drivers side of the motor, where the water pump is located.
My mechanic and I took everything off the front of the motor, and checked the water pump about 2 weeks ago, and noticed we could spin the pulley on the front side with our bare hands with the timing belt on, so we looked inside the water pump and saw the blades were moving on the inside. So we started looking at the idler pulleys and trying to find the tensioner pulley, and once we found which pulley it was, we noticed when we pushed down on it, it would tighten everything back up and the water pump couldn't be easily spun, so we went ahead and replaced the hydraulic tensioner pulley while we had it all apart and replaced the timing belt and a couple idler pulleys since the bearings were really loud. After we did that, it ran great as if it had no problems. But now, I can't drive the car more than 2 miles without it overheating and smoking out of that timing belt cover.
Could anyone have an idea of what I would need to look at to have replaced? I really don't want to have to keep throwing money into it and not fix the problem since this is my DD, and I really need it to go back and forth to ITT-Tech all the way in Tampa.

Thanks a bunch,
James.

SlowZ32

Was your origional problem an overheating issue? What in all did you replace before this?

JimBriggs

Yes, the original problem was overheating, since I got the car, I've replaced the thermostat, both hoses, fan relays, timing belt, timing belt hydraulic tensioner, idler pulleys. The radiator was replaced a couple years ago, and the fans are fairly new. The only thing on the cooling system I have not replaced is the water pump and the radiator cap.

JimBriggs

Update:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]180289[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]180290[/ATTACH]

I figured out where my car is leaking from, I just don't know what is causing it to leak.
I attached some pictures above of where the only wet spot is on the entire motor.
Sorry for the upside pictures, my iPhone does that when I send the picture.

burgy240

Hopefully it wasn't the same problem I had. after blowing the second headgasket in a very short period of time It was determined that I had a crack in th block. Replaced it with a recycled motor and it runs amazing again.... G/L

SlowZ32

^ this
i think the overheating might have caused some warpage or a crack. if you didnt replace the head gasket yet, i'd say start there and thoroughly check your heads

JimBriggs

I just replaced the water pump and the radiator cap, the water pump was leaking radiator fluid out of it. Since replacing it, I haven't smelled any coolant after the car has been running, I'm going to be driving 20 miles round trip tonight to see if it does overheat.
This overheating problem has had me invest $800 into it so far.

JimBriggs

949.7 miles later after replacing the water pump, car overheated again, but not in the way it was before, this time, when I'd hit the gas, the temp gauge would go up, and let off the gas it'd go back down. So I stopped and checked all the fluids, was all good. So I started the car without the radiator cap on, and really thick steamy smoke was in the neck of the radiator, and the RPM gauge was bouncing from 0-1,000rpms really fast, while the car was running..
Attached some pictures of the neck of the radiator to show what I saw, maybe someone could help me out with this...
This car is really becoming a money pit for me.[ATTACH=CONFIG]181787[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]181788[/ATTACH]

kirbykirb

Your headgasket is blown.
You most likely have a cracked head.
I would recomond a new engine swap; LKD locally has engines you pull it for about $400.

I would be willing to help you swap in a engine, you're lucky you don't have an EJ25D.
I would swap in an EJ22E, 20hp loss, but you will have a more reliable engine. I've sold two in the past for less then $300 for a long block; and you can pop them out of a earlier pre 95'/obd2 legacy and swap it over to your 98 as long as you swap the engine wire harness over. :] It will also give you about 10-15% increase in gas.

Good luck on what you decide to do with your subie!

Huntingcorn

I might have what you need sell you the whole package for dirt cheap...block or heads are NOT cracked.
99 legacy 2.5 Engine parts!! block, heads, crank, rods, more! NEW stuf