Print

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

[Ewan]

Hello mega people,
I have started to dismantle my 3ltr. elite to do a head gasket job. (The car had very quickly lost all its coolant and was coming out the exhaust in embarrasing quantities of steam). I have just taken off the intake manifold to find it swimming in water. All the intakes are wet. I've had cars in the past with blown gaskets, but water coming upwards into the intake area is new to me. Could this be a sign of something else?

[Auto Addict]

Thermostat?

Could be barking up the wrong tree :-/

[feeutfo]

I would think that would be normal for blown head gasket. Comes up the breather system, sometimes as steam, or mayo....


....although check the throttle body. It's heated via the coolant system, wouldn't be leaking into the inlet somehow? Might save a job if it is. Although I'm not sure how it would leak tbh.  :-/

[Ewan]

Whatever the cause, there is a lot of water in at least one of the bores, because the engine can't be cranked over.

[feeutfo]

Whatever the cause, there is a lot of water in at least one of the bores, because the engine can't be cranked over.

Plug out and crank it, with the fuel pump relay removed is it? Or unplug the crank sensor.

Must say I'm surprised it's water and not Mayo.  :-/

[feeutfo]

Whatever the cause, there is a lot of water in at least one of the bores, because the engine can't be cranked over.

Plug out and crank it, with the fuel pump relay removed is it? Or unplug the crank sensor.

Must say I'm surprised it's water and not Mayo.  :-/

Although it might be wise to turn it over by hand first via a socket on the torx bolt holding the crank pulley. Get the worst out of the bore first.

[Gaffers]

That much water in the bores would suggest a cracked plenum but if it is then its the first I have seen.  If it was the HG and that much was coming in surely it would go out of the bore as well under pressure?

[Rods2]

When my head gasket went, I had much water in two cylinders and also considerable stream from the exhaust. I would have suggested doing a compression test, but you need a warm engine to do this and you are already stripping the engine. I found the compression high  on the cylinders that were leaking water rather than low as expected,  this I think was due to the amount of water being drawn into the cylinder which was raising the compression. I had no oil in the water or excessive mayo in the oil, but I could smell exhaust fumes in the coolant system with the header cap off and revving the engine. I also did a coolant compression test, which confirmed a leak.

[Stallion]

That much water in the bores would suggest a cracked plenum but if it is then its the first I have seen.  If it was the HG and that much was coming in surely it would go out of the bore as well under pressure?

Is that common??  :-/

[Andy H]

That much water in the bores would suggest a cracked plenum but if it is then its the first I have seen.  If it was the HG and that much was coming in surely it would go out of the bore as well under pressure?

Is that common??  :-/

No

[Andy H]

There is a coolant passage in the throttle body (as chrisgixer has already said) but no coolant in the plenum itself.

[Andy H]

Just a random thought.

If the HBV fails internally is it possible for coolant to get sucked into the inlet manifold through the vacuum pipework? :-/

[Ewan]

It's a new HBV. Thanks for all replies, but I suppose I'd better just get on with it. I'm dragging my feet because it's a '96 model and maybe not worth the trouble. Only paid £350 for it 2 years ago, but I do like it even with the heavy fuel consumption.

[Fred53]

I had a similar problem earlier this hear the plenum drain  was blocked,  it is down below the pollen filter at the rear nearside of the engine bay

hope this helps