Subaru Repair: 99 legacy sus overheating, blown head gasket, coolant loss

Question
I have a 99 SUS that has been overheating. The thermostat was replaced when this first happened but did not solve the problem. I'm seeing coolant loss with no obvious external leaks. So I'm assuming head gasket. A pressure tester on the radiator shows an immediate 5 psi when engine is started but using the dye to verify exhaust gas in the coolant is negative. Is there anything else That could account for this 5 psi? Shutting of the engine and restarting will add a little to this pressure each time? Car has 160k on it. I'm contemplating replacing the engine but wonder about the transmission. I hear that the transmissions are not too reliable. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Answer
Unfortunately, you probably have a blown head gasket. The dye check isn't always 100%. Usually, if it says you have a problem you do, but if it says you don't, you still might. If you love the car, and want to keep it, replacing the engine isn't a bad idea, but you probably only need head gaskets. Check prices on both before you jump. And as far as the transmission, if you haven't had a problem yet, you probably wont. The most common thing with those is delayed engagement in drive, not reverse. That usually happens around 70-80-90,000 miles. If you want a price on a Subaru engine, either to buy from us, or to compare to you local garage, you can e-mail back here or at spwilkins@yahoo.com. Good luck.   Z