Head gasket Hawkeye WRX

[georgehawkins27]

The old temp needle moving around on me today on track at Snetterton...Coolant overflow\reservoir overfilled at least twice, feel like I noticed the initial signs at Brands Hatch in June.

Pretty sure my head gasket is in need of replacing...At least I've had 35K miles and spent a load of money first 😅

Recommendations, experiences, repair horror stories all welcome. If there are a few old threads you recommend on here I'd love to read through!

Based on limited intel, I believe if I do pay to get the job done, I shouldn't have any issues with after market head gaskets which are stronger than OEM ones.
Is this anyones experience\understanding too?


Notes (for those interested):
No discoloration in oil (dip or lid).
Intermittent problem (reservoir was at its normal max when hot in between during morning track session).
There was some very mild brown sludge in reservoir tank, but wouldn't have said it was oil.
Coolant was boiling (bubbling) when hot off track (only checked on the 2 occasions the temp needle moved though).
No leak from lower hose visible (had that not long after buying in 2017).
OEM radiator fitted Q42017 after above issues with lower hose.

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[Bolesroor]

1996 Sti wagon HG woe back in 2014. Symptoms were overheating and coolant bubbling in the overflow.

(Thread under general mechanics page 6 'Wayne's World').

Good luck with getting it sorted.

[georgehawkins27]

Originally Posted by Bolesroor

1996 Sti wagon HG woe back in 2014. Symptoms were overheating and coolant bubbling in the overflow.



(Thread under general mechanics page 6 'Wayne's World').



Good luck with getting it sorted.

Thank you!

If I don't want to go down forging route and just want to replace head gasket with something like a cosworth would you be worried if it was you? Looks like you went forged route but I'm not as interested in spending that kind of money on what is already a big old pit 😅 I've already spend a fortune uprating brakes this year 🤦🏻

Would you say a sniff test is pointless to confirm? My garage (Extreme Scoobies) is 2hr round trip and he doesn't have space to keep it until he can do the job (approx 3 months wait), so if it should be confirmed I would have to go to a basic local garage first as I don't know any others locally...

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[Steve_PPP]

Sounds like similar symptoms to what I had on my old engine. Pushed coolant out the top of overflow bottle when it was at the Ring, bit of bubbling in there too, and the temp needle when up high during a lap. Only had an issue on track on hot days (I'm guessing it was pretty warm at Snetterton yesterday!)

Not sure I ever got to the root of the problem on it though. Worth getting it sniff tested, mine came back OK. I changed the radiator, thermostat and a few other things and did another full day at Bedford and no overheating issues, but ambient temperature was much lower than a hot summers day. So not conclusive either way.

My original radiator at 14 years old was knackered - I swapped it out in 2016. All the fins were turning to dust and flaked off if you ran your finger down it. I guess your hawk will be at that same age now if you're still on the original rad. Not sure how much the radiators efficiency drops when its like that but it can't help. Worth changing if you haven't already.

This was my old one:

[Steve_PPP]

Originally Posted by georgehawkins27

Would you say a sniff test is pointless to confirm? My garage (Extreme Scoobies) is 2hr round trip and he doesn't have space to keep it until he can do the job (approx 3 months wait), so if it should be confirmed I would have to go to a basic local garage first as I don't know any others locally...

I'd definitely get it sniff tested, its an easy job and any half decent independent garage should be able to do it. At least you'll have confirmation if its definitely failed head gaskets

[Bolesroor]

As Steve said get it tested first. When mine was at Carnetix, it was stripped to confirm their diagnosis.

I was lucky I guess in I only had to have the heads skimmed and new bearings plus gaskets etc. Pistons and crank were good so not replaced.

Happy to dig out costs for you but at 2014 prices guess in won't help much?

[Steve_PPP]

My bad, I just realised you said you'd already changed the radiator in your first post So ignore that part of my reply

[georgehawkins27]

Originally Posted by Steve_PPP

I'd definitely get it sniff tested, its an easy job and any half decent independent garage should be able to do it. At least you'll have confirmation if its definitely failed head gaskets

Thanks Steve! Definitely thinking to get it tested, just don't know who to trust. Local garage seem willing and doing head gaskets (non scoob)...What used to be\is Cambridge Subaru is local..Would a main dealer be worth a shout at all on this??

Read on another forum it could be hot turbo cooling...OP first entry and then the final couple posts around 2020 where OP agreed with someone who suggested it. Get the impression they never "fixed" anything. Guessing by what you've said, except new rad, you've also not done anything??

https://www.scoobynet.com/engine-man...t-failure.html

Looking at getting an OBDII device and Android app to try and monitor temperature and take it for a drive...Any experience there? I'm hesitant to take it out again, in case it is the head gasket, as I don't want to cause more damage (if it is).

Local garage can sniff test Wednesday..

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[Steve_PPP]

I tried the obvious things first and didn't do much else for 4 years as it never overheated again. Maybe I fixed it, maybe I didn't push it as hard on a hot day afterwards. It went back to the ring the year after and didn't overheat but I only got a few laps in due to a different issue (stuck actuator killed boost )

I changed radiator, hoses, thermostat and header tap cap in case that was leaking or the spring knackered. And then stopped there until I decided to engine swap last year. The old engine is still on a stand (thanks Dave ) in my garage, not got round to taking it apart to have a look at it further.

Originally Posted by georgehawkins27

I'm hesitant to take it out again, in case it is the head gasket, as I don't want to cause more damage (if it is).

If it is the head gaskets, then i doubt you can cause any more damage unless it overheats on normal driving. Check coolant levels are topped back up depending on how much got pushed out the reservoir. And if it does overheat on normal driving, then its a lot worse than mine ever was... Hopefully you'll get more info on Wednesday!

[georgehawkins27]

Head Gasket confirmed by sniff test, it'll go in for surgery in a month or so! 😅😁

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[asperformance]

we carry pretty much everything required from gaskets to uprated parts as required
0191-4103770

[georgehawkins27]

Fast forward over a year and I've just found out my garage (Extreme Scoobies) never even got started with the work. I can't say indefinitely, but I would recommend steering very clear unless you know better. Paul's been very reliable over the years and I'm really upset my faith and patience in him has been taken for granted 🙁

I don't wish anything bad or to spread rumours, Paul has had some mental health issues (which he told me about) and so as we get by with just my partner's car I have given him space to try and get well. What I didn't know however is that he has also been lying to me about what he's been doing and about my car in general.

Spoke to the guy in the unit next door today for the first time and sounds like my car is still running (Paul had told me before Dec2021 the engine was already out & work started).

Paul hasn't been working since Dec2021 and I knew of this but wanted him to get well without putting more stress on him. Won't go into more detail as you never know exactly what someone is going through, but I've been waiting for 12 months and it would turn out it's just been sitting doing nothing in someone else's garage 😭

I'm now lost what to do with it....do I just break it, drive it until it goes bang on the road...or take it somewhere else...

Obviously it's a big job to trust someone with and so I'm worried to take it along to someone new and be taken advantage of again.

I'll give you a call Alyn if that's okay, it would help to weigh up my options with what I want to do with it etc. @asperformance

All thoughts & opinions welcome!!

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[Big Kas]

Very sorry to hear your cars been off the road for so long! I definitley wouldnt break your car or give up on it.

My 1993 wrx had a bad HG , at the time I had no money so used a £40 sealant from halfords (which did actually work suprisingly) and I drove it for a whole year just like that. Untill I could afford to get the HG replaced from Slowboy racing. (Job took 10 days and was booked within a week)

Personally I would just send your car to another specialist, or get a used engine and drop it in.

[555_Si]

Use a scooby specialist that people recommend, travelling a but is worthwhile to get it to a trusted person.

Rich at fbtuning, princess risborough?

Brent at smd, newhaven area?

Loads more these are just off too of my head.

[Frenchie]

I don't really know any others,but Brent at SMD is a top man. Looked after my works van and my WRX and I even take my STi over from France to him for any specialized works. Worth giving him a call,good luck.