nextinstant39

Hey guys. Well i think ive finally figured out whats been going on with my car. Its gotten very annoying, and i think as long as you guys agree, its time for a new headgasket. Symptoms of the car that arnt normal:

When starting in the morning, the car will fire, and run at around 1500rpms with a WRX idle, after a few seconds, mabye 5, it will go away and idle perfectly fine.

Driving down the road, car runs fine. Sometimes the coolant temp never goes over 3 bars. Completely randomly it will shoot way up, and ill have to pull over and shut the car down. When i do this, i hear bubbling coolant.

If i shut the car off, and then come back out 5 min later and start the car, i get a TON of white smoke that smells very sweet. It will just blow clouds and clouds. Then stop and blow a little smoke(kinda hard to tell if its cause its cold outside or coolant)

Sometimes when i start the car when its warm, it will do the WRX idle as well, then go away after a few seconds

Eats coolant like its job. It ate about a gallon last week of coolant, which at first i thought was just because i just did a new thermostat and it was getting air bubbles out and such. But it eats coolant badly.

Lastly...the coolant system stays pressurized for a very long time. Shut the car off at say 8 at night, come out noon the next day, and it still has pressure in it.

I have the inline pro 3mm headgasket with ARP studs...

So what do you guys think? Is my headgasket leaking and washing my cylinders? Im about to go outside and check for the mayo under the oil cap, i guess that will be a final deciding factor. I was planning to take the car apart soon, but i guess it will have to be a bit sooner than i thought.

ChefJ

how does your dipstick and oil cap look?? Also check the top of your coolant in the radiator for an oil slick.

With all of your symptoms and one of the above its pretty much guaranteed.

Soul Coughing

sounds very much like a blown headgasket to me. change it sooner than later to protect your bearings and cylinder walls.

nextinstant39

Just went outside to check my oil cap and dipstick, oil looks a little milky, not toooo bad though. I can see a little white film on the dipstick and there is a little mayo build up on the top of the oil cap.

Now next question...Assuming my headgasket is blown/leaking...would it be smarter to get lower compression pistons and a stock headgasket or another Cometic/IP 3mm gasket?

EDIT:Forgot to add, the car has been turbo with the headgasket for around 20k miles i believe.

rob!

yeah sounds like its blown pretty bad. Ive blown one and it wasnt nearly as bad. As for the pistons and rods. You would have to do a complete shortblock which will run you between 3-4k for sleeving, pistons, rods bearings, assembly etc... Sure thats the better route to go if you can afford it.

ChefJ

If you have the cash and another car to drive go ahead and build the motor. If not get another IP 3mm and OEM bolts.

nextinstant39

So you think i should ditch the ARP headstuds? Im getting intouch with a few places now to see what kind of price im looking at for a motor. I did plan to build the motor...just not this soon. Thanks guys.

jwa4378

I am going from OEM bolts to ARP studs... I don't think there is a huge difference between the two (provided correct install... stock bolts and studs have proven to work when installed correctly and both fail when not installed correctly), but I have read that ARP studs are less likely to stretch due to their composition... Studs are also apparently easier to use, and are preferred if you might be removing the head again and again...

John

AusS2000

How does the 3mm headgasket actually blow? It's a stainless snadwich between two pressed metal sheets.

I'm sure it can leak from head bolts not being tight enough but does that actually damage the gasket? Or would you just need to retorque the bolts?

ChefJ

My cometic blew between cylinders. If you are careful during removal you can look and see a trail of where the coolant or oil was going. I am assuming if someone was putting alot of pressure i.e. standing on the valve cover or leaning on it you could potentially crush the gasket?? I think most of the time it is caused by head lift due to stretching or undertorqued bolts/studs.