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[Debs.]

Well, the snow stopped for an hour or two, so I braved the cold and tore into the pup-mobile`s engine bay looking for the coolant leak.
Got, the radiator out (eventually).....`lots of dismantling to get there though; such a fiddly job with the intake ducts and myriad hoses and wires....my hands are torn to bits!

I found the 'top hose' to be burst, underneath, just where it enters the block.....and completely out of sight (of course), not to mention the fact that the hose seemed to be 'welded' to the block spigot: eventually`had to cut it off, what a pig!:'(........I`ve pulled the rad out too, to inspect it, as I couldn`t see if that was damaged/leaking with it in situ....as you may see in the pics, I`ve grazed the 'fins' a little getting the fan assembly out, but the rad`s tubes seem ok.

Next step......
Clearly new hose/clips & coolant: but will the radiator 'pass-muster' after my slight heavy handedness in removal?.....how likely is the head gasket to have suffered?....after the leak became apparent, I drove only 70 yards up my driveway (at slow speed), turned and quickly reversed close to the barn and shut off the engine ASAP.

[tunnie]

does not look too bad, all those bits shoulds be easy to get. Condensor and cooling fans ok?

[Gaffers]

Debs,

Looks like a nice easy fix, call vx with the part number and get it ordered as they dont hold it in stock.

I drove for 4 miles with mine leaking from a similar sized leak in much warmer temperatures than you are experiencing right now.  Also mine went after a spirited drive and despite filling up and carrying on it's ok.  The emission test today proves that

[cem_devecioglu]

nothing wrong with the radiator,just fill up and wash you will see..imho 70 yards not a distance to damage the engine..

[waspy]

My mate bought a MKIII Escort some years back with suspected head gasket problems. The guy he bought it off ran it with no water for around 7 mile before it over heated & wouldn't run any futher. We towed the car back to my mates & removed the head, but all was fine
We replaced the gasket gave it a good service & she ran sweet for years. It cost him £40.00 to buy & not much more for parts, with it being a diesel it saved him a fortune in fuel.
I wouldn't think that 70 yards would make any difference at all.

[STMO999]

Well done Debs. You'd put a few on here to shame, including me.

[Agemo]

My top hose went on a V6, cost was around a tenner from Vx. Good time to inspect all the other ones.

[Dishevelled Den]

Well the news sounds good-ish, hope the rad's ok and of course there's no further cause for concern over the h/g

Perhaps the hose choosing to let go at the same time as the incursion into the snow covered terrain were coincidential.

Strange things happen in the hills - in the winter - in the dark 

[Omegadoha, Desert Member]

Debs, you've certainly taken that apart with ease. At least you know what you're doing.

We drove about 7 miles in our then Vauxhall Astra during the summer months, with the radiator having let go. It caused no damage whatsoever. So hopefully the experts will confirm that you've no further cause for concern. 

[Stevie-blunder]

Well done Debs 

[Tony H]

Well done Debs 

Well done Debs for doing a bit of spanner twirling in sub zero temps. the good thing about working in those conditions is if you hurt yourself you don't feel It much. The bad thing is when you go indoors and thaw out and you realise what you have done I would think it highly unlikely that any further engine damage will of occured. If it has and you feel like loosing it with your miggy you could alsways beat the cr@p out of it John Cleese stylee, with those uber large stillies youv'e got hanging on the wall

[unlucky mark mv6]

Well done debs,and nice welder too.

[Jimbob]

Heres hoping thats all the damage 

[Entwood]

Stand the rad on its end, fill with water and leave standing overnight (somehwere warm  ) ?? That'll soon tell you if you've damaged any "internals"

Good job given the conditions