Why didn replacing the water pump and thermostat on my 1996 Subaru Outback solve the problem?
My car was leaking water because of a leaking water pump. Yesterday I had it replaced with a new water pump and a new thermostat. It ran well afterwards. But since disassembly caused some transmission fluid to leak; I took a drive to the parts store afterwards to pick some up. On my way back to the house from the parts store, less than ¼ mile, it got really hot, and quickly got to the limit. Since I had only 2 blocks left I drove it to the house and then shut it off. I called the mechanic to come back, we started it a few times, the temp was normal at first. But after letting it run for a while, or revving the engine a little bit; it got hot again. Each time, about 3 times, when the indicator was ¾ way up on the gauge, we shut it off. We let it cool for the next 5 hours, and the mechanic came back to investigate the situation. The car would not start. And based how the water was churning with the radiator cap off, he concluded that the head gaskets needed to be replaced. I would apprec
