Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[martin42]

would it not be cheaper to source a replacement engine??

[Sparks]

Hi Martin. I am not very good mechanically so would have to pay someone to fit engine so that cost plus cost of engine would still make it uneconomical which is a shame becuse I love the car and I have had it for about 9 years. Regards, Keith.

[Gaffers]

£800 for a HG? 

I know garages that will do it for £300.  A competant mechanic can do it in a day

[Marks DTM Calib]

Much less than a day for a four pot.

Your cam cover leak will have been due to either/both of the following:

1) Blocked breathers (mechanic should have cleaned them)
2) Pattern gasket

[Gaffers]

Get it down to Aldershot in the New Year and i'll cost you much less than £800

[Sparks]

I had the head gasket done about 7 years ago and cost was about £700. I will see if  this sealant does any good. Keith.

[Sparks]

Put the sealant in yesterday but had to drain off water from the expansion tank 1st. Did as the instructions said on bottle but when i drive car now there is no hot air coming from heater. A friend told me I have probably drained off too much water and got an air lock in the system. Followed the instructions on this site for clearing airlock but no joy I am afraid. Drove car tonight and temp gauge going to over 3/4 whereas it never goes above 1/2 normally. Also notice there is a lot of condensation on the windscreen and now all dashboard lights have just gone off. I think I am gonna struggle to go to work in morning as it is a 20 mile journey. I am seriously thinking it is now time to get shut but I love the car but can't do with all this hassle. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Regards, keith.

[ffcgary1]

My guess is that the gung you put in the rad has blocked the heater matrix, try flushing the matrix  on its own, ..............these quick fix treatments do more harm than good. there should be a sticky on this site to try to warm others of the danger.

[Sparks]

I will try flushing matrix this weekend but a friend has managed to clear some of the air by squeezing hoses and we are now
getting some heat but not as it should be. My friend has advised me to do the following after every journey.
When stopped leave engine running and slowly release expansion tank cap and when removed squeeze hoses and then turn off engine
and replace coolant and cap when engine has cooled down. I have done this about 4 times and with no significant improvement.
I wondered if the knowledgeable guys on this site agree with this method because some one has told me it could introduce air into the system.
I await some advise on how to proceed and thanks in advance. Regards, keith.

[Andy B]

....
When stopped leave engine running and slowly release expansion tank cap and when removed squeeze hoses and then turn off engine
and replace coolant and cap when engine has cooled down. I have done this about 4 times and with no significant improvement.
I wondered if the knowledgeable guys on this site agree with this method because some one has told me it could introduce air into the system. .....

I wouldn't. I can't see how that could help in any way ............ & besides, you're more likely to scald yourself than improve things on your car.
I don't think you have an airlock anyway ....... the car should self bleed any air in the system to the header tank quite quickly. I think you've got a blocked heater matrix. 

[ffcgary1]

Heater matrix flush and a compleat coolant change to get rid of the crap stuff you put in to CURE the head gaskit issue..

[Entwood]

Heater matrix flush and a compleat coolant change to get rid of the crap stuff you put in to CURE the head gaskit issue..

and that probably won't work .. that gunge put in is designed to go hard to seal the "leak" .. it has probably "thought" that all the little pipes in the matrix were small leaks and has "sealed" them....

my guess is a new matrix, and probably a new radiator in the near future as well ..

These "solutions" rely on the fact that a "leak" usually has a very slow liquid movement speed, all the small pipes in both the matrix and the rad also have slow liquid speeds, it is the sum total of all the pipes that gives the matrix/rad a decent flow rate .... the "seal" will try and solidify to stop the slow speed liquid movement ... permanently blocking the tiny pipes .... and no amount of flushing will move it once solidified.

[ffcgary1]

Not good then.

[Entwood]

Not good then.

All these "sealants/leak stoppers/rad welds etc etc" are rubbish and have no place in any garage .. if it's leaking it is faulty and needs rectifying ..not bodging

[Sparks]

Whilst wife was driving car it started running rough and smoke/steam coming out of exhaust so I can assume that the head gasket has gone completely now. Got someone to tow me home and cant contact mechanic to confirm cost of head gasket replacement due to holidays. Car sat out side now and looks great pity it doesn't bloody go. I think I will be cutting my losses and scrap it
which is a shame because I love it but there hasn't been a month go by this year without something going wrong and costing me money. Will let you know outcome. Regards, keith.