Print

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

[Markie]

latest project....assumed head gasket failure....most of the symptoms displayed..

but now... im not 100% sure this is head gasket failure. Probably still is. Jamie / James etc and those of you that know or have done this job may be able to comment.

Tell tale symptoms that exist - mayo / gunk in coolant ( but its floating as opposed to being really thick gunk), some gunk under filler cap, no gunk or mayo on dipstick.....

Drove the car 15 miles ( very lesuirely drive and no idleing) no coolant loss and no overheating. Car drives fine....no performance or idle issues - although it wasnt thrashed, heaters and air con giving hot and ice cold.

More significantly for me when i have removed the cam cover there is no gunk on the top of the engine / cams - just nice coloured used oil....i must stress - no gunk at all...i expected ( as i have done one of these before) to have a head full of mayo.....

Any thoughts...pictures on next post...

[Markie]

the usual floating mayo - not as bad though as some head gasket failures....



intrestingly the mayo is only on one small area - thus giving impression of a bad build up ( conincidentally the oil filler cap is in this area)



finally - the norm here is a complete light brown / white lather....theres no mayo here ( this is what i saw as soon as cam cover was off....note the black used oil at bottom of picture along camshaft....

[JamesV6CDX]

All I can say is, give it a coolant flush, oil change, and see if it comes back. Also compression test it...

Usually they're more spectacular than that, but it may just be in the early days..

[Markie]

All I can say is, give it a coolant flush, oil change, and see if it comes back. Also compression test it...

Usually they're more spectacular than that, but it may just be in the early days..

thats what i thought - and wanted to hear - i decided not to go ahead with my purchasing right now of the replacement gaskets/ bolts and what not.....heres hoping....although i suspect it will still be required...

still worst case - and it is in its infancy - i certainly wont need to skim the head and the liners should be okay  :-/

[JamesV6CDX]

All I can say is, give it a coolant flush, oil change, and see if it comes back. Also compression test it...

Usually they're more spectacular than that, but it may just be in the early days..

thats what i thought - and wanted to hear - i decided not to go ahead with my purchasing right now of the replacement gaskets/ bolts and what not.....heres hoping....although i suspect it will still be required...

still worst case - and it is in its infancy - i certainly wont need to skim the head and the liners should be okay  :-/

Liners will be fine, if it's driving OK

Please do a compression test though.

If the mayo comes back, it will be HGF

Note - Castrol GTX causes a bit of mayo in these beasts.....

[Markie]

All I can say is, give it a coolant flush, oil change, and see if it comes back. Also compression test it...

Usually they're more spectacular than that, but it may just be in the early days..

thats what i thought - and wanted to hear - i decided not to go ahead with my purchasing right now of the replacement gaskets/ bolts and what not.....heres hoping....although i suspect it will still be required...

still worst case - and it is in its infancy - i certainly wont need to skim the head and the liners should be okay  :-/

Liners will be fine, if it's driving OK

Please do a compression test though.

If the mayo comes back, it will be HGF

Note - Castrol GTX causes a bit of mayo in these beasts.....

this should be fine shouldnt it....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEALEY-CT951-ENGINE-COMPRESSION-TESTER-TEST-KIT-INC-VAT_W0QQitemZ120118817076QQihZ002QQcategoryZ30921QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

[Elite Pete]

I had the same on my daughters MGF, the symptoms where the same then every now and again it would overheat and spit loads of coolant. Suddenly it went all together so we drove to Huddersfield with a 5 gallon drum of water and loads of stops to PX it  

[JamesV6CDX]

All I can say is, give it a coolant flush, oil change, and see if it comes back. Also compression test it...

Usually they're more spectacular than that, but it may just be in the early days..

thats what i thought - and wanted to hear - i decided not to go ahead with my purchasing right now of the replacement gaskets/ bolts and what not.....heres hoping....although i suspect it will still be required...

still worst case - and it is in its infancy - i certainly wont need to skim the head and the liners should be okay  :-/

Liners will be fine, if it's driving OK

Please do a compression test though.

If the mayo comes back, it will be HGF

Note - Castrol GTX causes a bit of mayo in these beasts.....

this should be fine shouldnt it....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEALEY-CT951-ENGINE-COMPRESSION-TESTER-TEST-KIT-INC-VAT_W0QQitemZ120118817076QQihZ002QQcategoryZ30921QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

As long as it fits your plug threads

Having now bought my own, maybe TB can have his back

Seriosuly, you're welcome to borrow mine if you don't want to buy one

[Markie]

thanks for the offer James  

going to buy one though - handy thing to have.......

i think this is probably HGF to be honest, just taken top hose off and its very thick and mayo`d up.......still at an early stage perhaps....

[Kevin Wood]

My 214 drove around for ages putting a small amount of sludge into the water. Decided it was probably incompatible coolants, etc. at the time. Gave it a good flush and it seemed fine. Next owner had a catastrophic HGF 2 weeks after I sold it though

As you say, it's been caught early enough that it should be straightforward.

Kevin

[Markie]

My 214 drove around for ages putting a small amount of sludge into the water. Decided it was probably incompatible coolants, etc. at the time. Gave it a good flush and it seemed fine. Next owner had a catastrophic HGF 2 weeks after I sold it though

As you say, it's been caught early enough that it should be straightforward.

Kevin

So bearing in mind i am fixing and selling.......the devil in me suggests, coolant flush, some k seal and complete oil change.

The moraly correct bare minimum would be head gaskets, bolts, various other maifolds replaced as part of the strip down, oil and coolant flush, new oil filter ...timing belt

The correct process would also include timing belt tensioner and water pump. Along with a healthy dose of fortes bio....

I think i am going with middle option - but not untill i compression test it....

[Markie]

anyone know if halfords or machine mart stock a decent compression test kit.....certainly cant find anything on either website...me be more effective buying high street than paying £5 postage...

[TheBoy]

I reckon it may be the first hint of HG...   ...there is (small amount) of water in oil, and (small amount) of oil in coolant.  No oil coolers, so has to be

[Markie]

I reckon it may be the first hint of HG...   ...there is (small amount) of water in oil, and (small amount) of oil in coolant.  No oil coolers, so has to be

yep, specially after i checked its gunked up plumbing....

Jamie - i presume you ahve a cam locking tool for this engine after your recent hgf... can you tell me what make and model it is? reluctant to buy laser ( i know James had an issue recently albeit with vx laser )

[TheBoy]

I reckon it may be the first hint of HG...   ...there is (small amount) of water in oil, and (small amount) of oil in coolant.  No oil coolers, so has to be

yep, specially after i checked its gunked up plumbing....

Jamie - i presume you ahve a cam locking tool for this engine after your recent hgf... can you tell me what make and model it is? reluctant to buy laser ( i know James had an issue recently albeit with vx laser )

I think it was draper.  Want to borrow?