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[albitz]

Someone has enquired about buying the engine from my 3.2 breaker.I asked what was wrong with their engine and they said it has covered 230,00 miles and the head gaskets have gone.
I know its unheard of for head gaskets to go on 2.6/3.2 engines so I asked what the symptoms are. Apparently its losing a lot of water,but no sign of it coming out of the exhaust,it starts but has a misfire, and it has pressurised and blown the top hose off.
The first two made me think HBV leaking and spraying coolant over the coil packs, but the third might actually point to head gasket ? 

[05omegav6]

Faulty coolant cap

250k here and treated like crap if I'm honest ,  yes it's serviced regularly, but I rag most everywhere and no sign of it blowing anything more than Saxos and Corsas

[albitz]

I did sugges that as a possibility,it could explain the coolant loss,but could it explain the top hose blowing off and the misfire ?

[zirk]

Think it all depends what the problem was before it overheated, 2.5 / 3.0 or 2.6 / 3.2, I know from experience if it drops its Aux Belt and has a nut behind the wheel who doesn't take any notice of warning lamps and my advice over the phone it only takes minuets not miles for it to empty itself of water resulting in a ferbed Head Gasket. 

[chrisgixer]

As said if its run out of water, any hg will go.

Any water in the oil?
(On the dip stick, ignoring any mayo on the filler neck, but you know that. )


Having said that, if it loosing enough water to de pressurise, or is de pressurising for any reason at all(coolant cap, cracked bottle neck, split pipe etc) then it will boil, and then pressurise, and blow pipes off.

[Kevin Wood]

Very unlikely for the gaskets to just fail, as said. They are metal gaskets on the 2.6/3.2. If it's been cooked, however, who knows?

Might well have started as an oil cooler failure or coolant leak, symptoms ignored until it overheated and now the damage is done. I would be getting the heads checked for true and skimmed if required. IF they have failed, the engine's been through hell, because they are normally bomb proof.

[albitz]

No evidence of oil cooler failure apparently,no signs of coolant leak either.This and the misfire plus top hose being blown off has lead to the h/g conclusion.Im not convinced,but I haven't seen the car.Just relying on info from the prospective buyer.
Not sure what to do tbh.Dont want to sell someone an engine they may not need.On the other hand they love the car and want to keep it,so replacing a 230,000 mile engine with a 129,000 mile one might be a good idea.As long as they aren't paying a garage a four figure sum to do the work.

[zirk]

No evidence of oil cooler failure apparently,no signs of coolant leak either.This and the misfire plus top hose being blown off has lead to the h/g conclusion.Im not convinced,but I haven't seen the car.Just relying on info from the prospective buyer.
Not sure what to do tbh.Dont want to sell someone an engine they may not need.On the other hand they love the car and want to keep it,so replacing a 230,000 mile engine with a 129,000 mile one might be a good idea.As long as they aren't paying a garage a four figure sum to do the work.

Sell them the Engine Ables, as you say they want to keep the car, if the Car has survived to 230K it probably had shit loads of work done to it anyway to keep it on the road, a working 129K Engine will be a nice treat for it.

In terms of Garage cost how knows, but some Garages would work on the basis that a striaght engine swap would work out cheaper than a strip down and rebuild anyway. 

[albitz]

They messaged me this morning to say they tried to start it today and it wont go.They think its now losing compression.
I think they want to buy the engine,and I will sell it to them with  clear conscience.Ive tried to find out - remotely - if its a simple problem being overlooked,but it sounds like it may not be. Plus,as you say, putting an engine in with half the mileage isn't going to be a bad move.
I intend to replce the oil cooler on my engine before selling it,and was sure I had a spare in,but cant find the damn thing. So,I will have one more look for it before asking you if your breaker has a good on in Chris.

[zirk]

They messaged me this morning to say they tried to start it today and it wont go.They think its now losing compression.
I think they want to buy the engine,and I will sell it to them with  clear conscience.Ive tried to find out - remotely - if its a simple prolem being overlooked,but it sounds like it may not bePlus,as you say, putting an engine in with half the mileage isn't going to be a bad move.
I intend to replce the oil cooler on my engine before selling it,and was sure I had a spare in,but cant find the damn thing. So,I will have one more look for it before asking you if your breaker has a good one in Chris.

It did, but its not in there in there any more, sorry Albs.

[albitz]

Shame.