jamielove69

iTrader: (2)

hello people
i have a 98 STI with a recon engine thats done about 5 miles.
ive over heated it twice...
i got the airlock out yesterday, took her for a spin 2day and the water p****d out the overflow
i noticed that the large pipes goin in and comin out the radiator were extremely hard and looked like they were gona burst any moment soon so i released the pressure that had built up by loosening the header tank cap n let the water gush out n turn off the car...
is it a head gasket problem???
ive since flushed the coolant and will attempt to 'bleed' system again 2moro. i did notice that the coolant had oil in it... is this head gasket problem or just because its a recon engine?
please advise
fanks

Curtis450

Head gasket 100% if oil in water. I would take back to where you had it from!!!

jamielove69

iTrader: (2)

fanks mate
thats what i was dreading
i got the engine from Ideal engines,
im stuck with it now as im already taking them to court for the previous engine.

Splitpin

Ooops. Welcome to the forum Jamie, shame it's not on a more positive thread. On the face of it, Curtis is likely to be correct. If it has been sloppily reconditioned, it's possible that you could find a tiny amount of oil residue in the coolant passages, but if the engine has been properly cleaned during its rebuild, no way.

Where did you get this recon engine, and did you fit it yourself, or get a reputable specialist/dealer to do so?

jamielove69

iTrader: (2)

:-(
i got the engine through Ideal Engines
i havent got the tools to get the engine out myself so i paid a well known mechanic

Curtis450

Paid him to do what exactly? Did the engine come with gaskets fitted or were the heads seperate??? If your taking them to court over another engine, why buy another? !

Anyway... head gasket job is fairly big, few days work with a hoist or 2 strong lads.

jamielove69

iTrader: (2)

any ideas of a good mechanic that can do a good job in hampshire or close to?

Splitpin

Oh, blimey. The bad news is that Ideal Engines are well known cowboys. Unfortunately therefore, the likeliest explanation for your issues is that the engine you bought is a piece of sh*t. I wouldn't bother even trying to get the head gasket fixed, as anyone stripping the engine will likely find it's goosed in several other ways. Your best bet with it would probably be trying to get redress/refund, although as you will soon find out, many have tried that path before.

I'd have thought a mechanic with sufficient Subaru experience to be "well known" would have known about them too. More here: https://www.scoobynet.com/drivetrain...r-engines.html.

jamielove69

iTrader: (2)

the mechanic took the engine out and refitted another.
Ideal engines supplied my first recon, which head gasket failed, i claimed another on waranty but they took a month to get my engine back to me, saying they had lost it, then found it but was badly damaged.
the waranty has now ran out
look up SMR engines on here, or Ideal Engines... wish i did to begin with