I’d like to share my experience with the refilling of the engine cooling system after we fitted the Gates blank mechanical water pump (part 43548X1) and Davies Craig Pty Ltd EWP®130 Electric Water Pump Combo Kit to the EJ25 Subaru motor.

With the radiator up front and the engine in the rear it was important to ensure the cooling system was totally free of air. I ran the engine for approx. 20 minutes as I refilled and topped up the radiator. I allowed the engine to reach and indeed exceed the targeted/set temperature which is the factory setting of 85°C. I even elevated the front and then the rear of the vehicle on the scissor hoist.

The Davies Craig Pty Ltd EWP®130 Combo Kit and the Davies Craig 14” HP Thermatic® Fan operated within their parameters and kept the engine within the 8°C ‘window’ (80° to 88°) perfectly! I then road tested the vehicle travelling about 20klms. On return I allowed the engine to cool down then checked the coolant level. To my surprise I placed about 500ml of coolant into the radiator.

I road tested the vehicle again for a number of kilometres and on return and after the engine cooled down I checked the radiator yet again and still managed to place another 300ml of coolant in the radiator. I stress there was no coolant in the overflow bottle. In my view, the cooling system still had air in its system and it took these extraordinary efforts to expel all the air from the system.

Is there a moral to this story? Yes, we are all around cars, engines, EWP® installations and can take for granted some aspects of the engine cooling system. We discuss coolant levels etc. on a regular basis and from my personal experience it’s vitally important to check engine coolant levels regularly, regardless!   

John Benson

Sales & Marketing Manager

Davies Craig Pty Ltd