Honestly, guys---- I dont know where i should start this off, so i'll just ramble and ramble until some progress is made...

I have a 99 DX hatch (EJ6) in the shitty blurple color.
stock d16y7 engine, automatic transmission (yeah, ouch- i know)

Heres me issues....
I car drive the car fine.... in fact, i got her up to about 115mph on I95.... engine is all stock, with the exception of the new header/cat and a few misc parts that do not really affect performance.

Problem #1.
If i drive more than 20 minutes, which is every day, i lose significant amounts of coolant. No signs of a headgasket(*)
oil is clean,, no white smoke, however, after driving for a long time, my reservoir is filled to the very very top, and it bubbles constantly for 5 mins, as if it were a bong... sounds like one too.
The engine has reached the highest point of the temp gauge multiple times, which could very well be a warped head, or a HG
-Going further into this issue, is the smell of coolant in the car.
Turn the heat on; coolant smell.
Get out of the car for 15 minutes, and you can smell coolant from 5 feet away. ZERO puddles, visible leaks.
-Ran a radiator compression test- found a small leak where the previous owner did not correctly clamp a heater core hose. sadly, the tool was broken, and did not hold air for long enough to continue looking.
I want to go on a whim and say that this smell is caused by a heater core, but im not sure.
-AC blows extremely hot, when cranked up, and cold when set to cold. fan can be turned off, but i still feel air flowing through it. temp depends on where the needle was left off at. (its a very light breeze)
-Car will also start overheating when at a stoplight or in traffic after driving for 20 mins, but will go back to regular temps while driving.

i got so ******* sick of spending 10 bucks to fill it with coolant every other day, so im literally running 25% AF / 75% water. no, this is NOT why im overheating. it was doing this long before the ratio was changed.

NEXT problem #2:
Driver side grinding noise after anything over 2500rpm when the engine is hot.
nobody has had a remedy for this.
-I have checked my brake dust shield, which are rusty and very bent. bent them back, no resolve.
I've checked between the rotors for rocks- nothing-
-I DO want to say that my inner tie rod has lots of back and forth play, and is sepperated from the boot (i can manually twist it)
I have not received a confirmation that this is the cause of the noise.


Timing belt/pump should be changed very soon, as its been something close to 70k miles. sadly, im in a kind of tight spot for money, so ive been putting it off.

can water pumps make grinding/scratching/whirring/ old HDD spinning noises when theyre old?



Either way, there is a lot of help i could use help with.

I am planning on swapping to a b18/b20 within two months.
desperately need more HP, and i feel a full swap will solve most of my current issues.

 

I can post video of the noise in a little bit

 

Rent a block tester kit from AutoZone and check whether the radiator fan runs when the engine is hot.

Does the grinding noise only occur when the car is moving?

 

Radiator fan does indeed run while hot
-changed CTS, fan switch, thermo, and the radiator itself (which is probably clogged now from that "professional leak fix ****") -whatever, 1 year warranty from AAP

Yes, grinding only happens while the car is moving.

another noise i make note of, is when i first start the car in the day, about 15-30 seconds later, i hear a whinny / groaning noise... "WEEEEEEEEEEE----- WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

the grind itself is a rattling/grinding/scraping noise. its VERY audible, especially in tight corridors / driving by parked cars. its quite embarrassing. I changed my old catalytic converter (had a p0420) which rattled and had broken catalyst, and that took the code away for good.

Ill check my dust shield again

 

Get the block tester kit.

The front brakes have a wear indicator. Check that. Could also be a bad wheel bearing. But do check for a bent wheel splash guard first.

 

made a video
actually, i made two....