Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: JamesV6CDX on 05 March 2014, 16:52:03

Title: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 05 March 2014, 16:52:03
It was a bloody head gasket river!!

I will post more pics later, but both head gaskets virtually corroded away bar the firing rings

The engine bay looks a little bare....

(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k205/jamesv6cdx/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps6387c55d.jpg)
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: SMD on 05 March 2014, 16:56:41
 :o  is this the project elite?

How many cars do you have again?
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: Gaffers on 05 March 2014, 17:17:09
:o  is this the project elite?

How many cars do you have again?
One. but he changes them like his underwear ;D
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: Gaffers on 05 March 2014, 17:18:14
Back on topic:

I had exactly the same with mine with similar symptoms.  Check the cooling passageways are good, mine were restricting coolant flow and thus required to be exchanged :(
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: 05omegav6 on 05 March 2014, 17:29:46
A side effect of poor coolant choice perhaps :-\
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 05 March 2014, 18:04:14
A side effect of poor coolant choice perhaps :-\

I would say so mate. The coolant was blue :y
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 05 March 2014, 18:05:30
:o  is this the project elite?

How many cars do you have again?
2. The trusty 2.2 also :y
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: omega3000 on 05 March 2014, 20:53:40
A side effect of poor coolant choice perhaps :-\

 :y
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: Toledodude1973 on 05 March 2014, 21:18:42
I see your keeping busy James, good luck with the project :y
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: vauxlooney on 05 March 2014, 21:45:13
A side effect of poor coolant choice perhaps :-\

I would say so mate. The coolant was blue :y

blue coolant cant be that bad surly? i have not have any problems with it in the past. maybe the car has been ran with water and no anti free at all in past? Given water leaks are quite common and people just top the system back up with water until its fixed it wouldn't be that surprising
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: 05omegav6 on 05 March 2014, 21:56:35
If it's chemically wrong, not just the colour, it actually becomes quite damaging.

As for topping up with plain water, that's equally asking for trouble on a large scale...

Basically Omega cooling systems react badly to abuse/neglect. I suspect this is a case in point :-\
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 06 March 2014, 00:11:59
Did you do that outside the wine shop?  :D  ;D
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 06 March 2014, 05:41:34
Got a eBay bargain, 2 x genuine head gaskets, £10 the pair :y
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: SMD on 06 March 2014, 06:51:04
I thought V6 head gaskets rarely fail? Is this result of poor coolant servicing? I have noticed with past cars service history that coolant, brake fluid and fuel filters often get neglected  >:(
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 06 March 2014, 08:22:59
I thought V6 head gaskets rarely fail? Is this result of poor coolant servicing? I have noticed with past cars service history that coolant, brake fluid and fuel filters often get neglected  >:(

Yes.

Many overlook the FACT that antifreeze does much more than stop the coolant freezing.

It also includes corrosion inhibitors which last around 2 years on blue antifreeze and 4 years on long life stuff (often red in colour).

Once the inhibitors become time expired then alloy corrosion and head gasket damage WILL occur (plus oil cooler on the V6).

When you remvoe a head its always easy to see if its been well maintaiend by looking at the coolant passages
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 06 March 2014, 10:39:07
Got a eBay bargain, 2 x genuine head gaskets, £10 the pair :y

Gotta love an ebay bargain!  8)
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: Nick W on 08 March 2014, 21:28:02
Both of mine were the same; having replaced the header tank and NS radiator hose, it was still using at least a litre of water every hundred miles, with no external leaks. Which meant the heads had to come off.

£10 a gasket is pretty good, but I managed to get a complete head gasket set for £12.80! I wish he'd had more than one, as I'll need another for the hot-rod engine. Although the saving on the gasket more than paid for the 3.2 manifolds, which was nice.
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 09 March 2014, 19:22:55
All back together

A little cough and a second of lifter chatter, and she purrs very nicely. New oil and coolant.

Got up to temp pretty quick too

My mucky fingerprints are just about finishing burning off! :y
Title: Re: My v6 leak was not a head gasket drip..
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 09 March 2014, 19:24:19
Whilst in there I also did

New Cambelt kit
Stat
Exhaust manifold gaskets and studs/nuts
Camshaft seals
Plugs
Any seals I disturbed