Subaru radiator additive

[bucko]

After performing the rear brake job on the 84, I noticed the perverbial water drip coming from the right side head. I removed the right side engine tin, and can see that the blue gasket is allowing a drip in it's center. There is a quarter sized puddle on the ground. Very small leak. I removed the valve covers and checked the torque of the head bolts; all were good.

I did the search, and did not see if there was a general aggreement as to if adding the Subaru additive might help stop this slight leak. Any testimonials?

Or do I replace the seals?
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Current VW drives: 1984 Westfalia

Past VW drives: 1967 Beetle, 1973 Beetle, 1977 Bus, 1971 Military Type 181

[kenmag]

I don't think that additive is applicable in your case.. I believe it was made to help stop corosion of aluminum (electrolysis), not to stop existing leaks. Though it would not hurt to use after the leak has been fixed.
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87GL Westy/suby ej22
87GL tintop/suby ej22
05 Golf TDI
95 jetta GLX

[Tomasz]

[bucko]

[[email protected]]

[K58]

Hey Bucko,
I noticed the same "drip" almost a year ago
added the 2 Suby blue and it's been great ever since
you can't go wrong for the price

expect the usual naysayers who do their own headwork and engine rebuilds in their garages on the weekends

[bucko]

Still a toss up; I just read up some replies on this doing a serch. There are many including those that have a respectable opinion that say don't use it, and others also with respectable opinions that have used it with grat success.
I plan to take this vehicle to Texas soon to be used as a "daily driver".

I don't have the time for this repair, so I'm contiplating taking it to the local VW dealer and having new heads installed, as pitting on the head surfaces is the cause for leaking, along with the 2 cylinder ring seals. GoWesty article also mentioned lack of flushing and lack of using non-phosphorous coolant. All of which I can assume previous owners ignored.
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Current VW drives: 1984 Westfalia

Past VW drives: 1967 Beetle, 1973 Beetle, 1977 Bus, 1971 Military Type 181

[Petervw]

subaru puts the "blue bottle" in every one of there new cars now....for the older models to Maintain the warranty, it is Required to add this coolant conditioner when changing out the coolant ...if the subi head has an external leak like the vanagon ( not entering the combustion chamber) then 2 bottles are required and this service should be done every 12000mi as conducted by subarus research(this can be a pain)...any "all metals" coolant will do, but I prefer "Peak"..there is absolutely no danger of plugging up the rad from this additive...because the vanagon has such a large cooling system 2 bottles would be recommended, maybe even three bottles..should cost about $1.35 per bottle...have the motor oil checked every once in a while to make sure that the coolant is Not entering lubrication system...if not, then everything should be fine, maybe even for many years to come

[kenmag]

wow, didn't know that stuff was so intense. I did add a bottle at the end of the
EJ22 conversion. Another one of those 'cheap insurance' to do's I suppose.

Thanks.
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87GL Westy/suby ej22
87GL tintop/suby ej22
05 Golf TDI
95 jetta GLX

[Volksaholic]

I'm going to weigh in on the side of the skeptics. When I replaced the radiator on my wife's '93 Loyale last summer I was gathering as much information as I could from the Subaru sites... especially NASIOC.org. It seems to me I stumbled across quite a few complaints that attributed plugged cooling systems to the Subaru additive, but of course Subaru was claiming there's no way it would cause a problem. I recall several folks on the fence as to whether to use it or void the warranty. Granted, a thread on an Internet forum is not a statistical sampling. I'm not saying it will plug up your system but if I decide to use it I'm going to do more research specifically on that subject on the Subie sites.

[kenmag]

[Terry Kay]

<<I tried just one bottle and kept the heaters closed>>

Huh.

What happens when you open the heater valve?

If your having heater core problems now ( little or no heat)--wait till you open up the valve.

If our Van still has the original radiator in it---
Well, plan on spending some Dracma's, and some time in replacing it.

Subaru uses the stuff in a new vehicle with all open cooling passages.

Wait till you drop some of this stuff n a 20 year old ( plus or minus a couple of years) ride.

You'll find out what's going to go bad in your cooling system pretty quick.
Keep an eye on your temp gauge--you'll know.
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T.K.

[Petervw]

That is a very good point made here...many years ago when I first bought my van the previous owner or whoever put in some Silver stuff??...the thermostat was all gray in color and slightly caked up...I can only imagine what the heater core/rad must of looked like inside....shortly after that time the motor was replaced ...regular coolant changes will keep it fresh looking

[Tomasz]

we'll keep you all updated as to what happens with our cooling systems,

so far Markus traveled at least a few thousand miles with no issues

I on the other hand only covered 600 miles in Florida heat with nothing to speak of

by adding this stuff I really had nothing to lose and possibly postpone head gasket replacement for a year or two

if you have money to spend then yes why bother with some cheap uncertain fixes, just replace the head gaskets and while at it I would just send the van to gowesty and have them go through it just in case, however if you're tight with the money then go with $1.81 fix to start with

[[email protected]]

[SVYOLO]

We take apart Subaru motors for a living. Some have a "jelly like" coolant substance in a few places in the engine. The additive solidifies when it contacts air.
Please take this post for what it is worth, as my opinion. The Subaru coolant additive may help with leaks short term, but might trash your engine and entire cooling/heating system long term.
Subarus cooling system was vastly simpler/less leaky than a waterjunkers. Their leaks were external head gasket leaks. Waterleakers are internal head gasket leaks, and leaks everywhere else, which is 10 times more connections than a Subarus'. The Subaru product helped on Subaru's, but might actually cause more harm on Vanagon engines.

My opinion,
John
East Coast Vanagon

[bheck]

I put 2 bottles in last summer. I am not having any overheating problems.

[Terry Kay]

<<<Plus it sure beats pulling the heads if your not quite ready to do that.>>

This line is pretty funny, and I've been thinking about an anology.

It's kinda like applying oral gel to a tooth when you've got a tooth ache.

It'll dampen the immediate pain down, but sooner or later your either gonna have to go to the dentist, or if you wait long enough the tooth fairy will be visiting you when you have to have it yanked, or even visiting the root canal quack---and spending big money. $$$$$$

Why prolong the inevitable?

If the heads leaking, take the lumps, and get the job done and over with.

It isn't that bad of a task, and by the time your all done, you'll probably have changed a couple of rotten hoses you've found, replaced a few leaking exhaust gaskets you didn't know were bad-- and the Van will be fixed and good for another 125,000 miles.

All of this without the possiblity jepodizing the rest of your cooling system with the Wham Bam, magical Oral Gel stop leak.

I would think you would want to do your treasued Van right rather than short cut the job, and possibility of screwing more things up in the process.

The thought of yanking the dash to change a plugged front heater core really would make my mind up real quick against using a miracle in a bottle--
I'd rather do the heads than yank the dash--

Think about it.
_________________
T.K.

[Petervw]

I think "good for another 125K" would be wishful thinking without having too deal with the leaking problem all over again ...perhaps I am wrong here but I believe that many vanagon owners do not think the headgasket replacement is a permanent solution...I have met many people who's headgasket issues, for whatever reason, remained with them....the worst case senario would be 4 motors (1 from the factory and 3 remanufactured motors from VW Canada..the rebuilders of past time)..all this with having only 60k on the van...Oh by the way, the 4th motor started leaking almost immediately...he simply got tired of the situation and sold the van...the motors were all under warranty but the install labor costs were starting to really irratate him....it really all depends from where one is coming from...for ex., if one is waitng for a better time along with more money to install a better solution, then the "blue bottle" semi-solution would be the best option

[Terry Kay]

<<I think "good for another 125K" would be wishful thinking without having too deal with the leaking problem all over again>>

Not really.
It depends on who did the head resealing job.
If you don't know, then I'd have to agree--it's a crap shoot.

I do know this--and this is how I put it to the list.
When I'm done with the job,I will, and can expect another 100,000 miles outa the head seals.

If you hire the wrong doctor--well this is your poor call.

<<perhaps I am wrong here but
believe that many vanagon owners do not think the headgasket replacement is a permanent solution>>

For what?
For the heads leaking again?
It's not the head seal's fault that somebody did a crummy job, and used the wrong, or the garbage sealer that came in the gasket kit.

If the head surfaces wern't checked out to be true--is this the engine's fault?

I don't think so.

<<I have met many people who's headgasket issues, for whatever reason, remained with them....the worst case senario would be 4 motors (1 from the factory and 3 remanufactured motors from VW Canada..the rebuilders of past time)..all this with having only 60k on the van...Oh by the way, the 4th motor started leaking almost immediately>>

This whole picture reads to me --buy cheap, have problems.

<<he simply got tired of the situation and sold the van...the motors were all under warranty but the install labor costs were starting to really irratate him....it really all depends from where one is coming from...for ex., if one is waitng for a better time along with more money to install a better solution,>>

Sounds to me like the choice of a Vanagon for this guy was the bad solution.

If ya can't afford the price of the toy--get rid of it.
This sounds like a Chevrolet kinda guy---

<< then the "blue bottle" semi-solution would be the best option>>

There ya go--

if the wound on the finger is deep--throw a band aid and some bag balm on it.
It might heal, or then again--wait long enough and just go get it cut off.

The doctor is way too expensive to get it done right the first time--
short cut the repair--patch it up.

I agree, be frugal.

Good idea.
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T.K.