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[davep]

Appoligies for just jumping it with out introducing myself, but I have a problem that put a real downer on my weekend.

MOT ran out Thursday, been having lots of trouble including lossing water to which no solution could be found for a while, I had to use the car for work, so in that time I filled the Header tank up, my work is 12 miles away I never alowed it to over heat, and it never over heated, temp never got above 85 degrees, never seemed to lose more than less than half a litre of water ie coolent warning normally only just came on just as I got to work

problem was traced to the what was though was the three way valve at the back of the lump, thank fully my Stepson is a great little mechanic, and has regular battles with this car and as he replaced the valve I noticed it was still dripping and so the pipe was replaced, as well, this was about two weeks ago now so I know the water was pretty clean then, and no signs of oil. never had another water warning come up

Today I open up the header tank after a trip to halford for antifreeze for the wifes car and mine.  I removed the header cap to find it quite empty, so I thought, I'd just fill it up with antifreeze, run the engine for a while then drain it a little and top it up some more.

On adding the antifreeze streight in to the tank, I was not greeted with water over flowing but to my horror a brown coffee like substance thick and cream like with a smell of oil to it.  I flushed what I could out but it still there.  I know it doesn't take a lot of oil to do this (ie a little oil makes a lot of mayo) but there seems to be an awful lot for a head gasket leak, and I'm hoping and praying it's not that!!!!

Some history on the car, it's now done 139K (chassis) engine was a vaxuhall replacement unit when the last one dropped a con rod at 71k she had a cam belt change 1 year ago, just after 65K on the new unit,  and she is LPG converted (an must on these, save a fortune in petrol, and runs like a dream on it)  I have no signs of mayo at all on the oil filler cap, and the oil looks okay (but I think that need changing and it was going to get one of those soon anyway!

To add to my woes, my steering lock has stuck on today! ARGH, so I've now got to free that before I can even move or start the car, thankfully at least I got antifreeze in and run it round before tonights big freeze (if it happens) before it stuck on!

Any idea,  Oil cooler or Head Gasket  As you can imaging I've had a bag on all day thinking I was going to have to scrap this as I know the gaskets are a bit beyond my boy, but I love my Omega and don't want to give it up with out a fight.

Lastly I understand the Oil cooler sits between the cylinder, thes being the case, I still have the old engine in the garage (yep the one that dropped a rod, so would you risk fitting that cooler over buying a new one if it is the cooler that seem to be at fault, money's a bit tight for all, me included, but if it is 80% or better % chance of it being the cooler, i'll give it a go, but is it worth the £100 over using an old spare I may have.

How can you tell the cooler has failed upon examination?

Thank in advance for any help.

Dave

[feeutfo]

oil cooler!
oil in water, oil cooler.
water in oil, HG.
Up to you if you use the old one from other engine, it may be plastic i believe! Later cars had Stainless only!
Fill in your profile location Dave, and car details, someone near you mite be able to help
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1221081908

[JamesV6CDX]

oil cooler!
oil in water, oil cooler.
water in oil, HG.
Up to you if you use the old one from other engine, it may be plastic i believe! Later cars had Stainless only!
Fill in your profile location Dave, and car details, someone near you mite be able to help
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1221081908

Actually the gaskets may well be within your lad's reach. They're not at all hard to do - just time consuming.

But - this sounds more like oil cooler to me. Which between you I'm sure you'll have no problem with. Check out my guide, in maintenance section

[davep]

Thanks for your input guys. I've filled in my profile. (Wish I had found this site before, as I've already seen solutions I have to other niggles on my car.

Yesterday I was gutted I really thought this was the end for mine, but this has given me new hope.  I have still to get the stearing lock off yet.  I presume the way forward is to change the cooler (and Oil)  then just keep fushing till it comes clear?

There is a lot of gunk in mine so any recomendations on clearing this stuff out quickly.  

Thanks again, I will do a intro as soon as I have time but as soon as it stops raining, I need to get on to this and try to get it resolved before friday (I need a car then, if possable) but we will see how we go.

Now all I have to do is:

the oil cooler
the stearing lock
and get it through an MOT!!!

Thanks for all your help guys

Dave

[Elite Pete]

Hi Dave,

I and quite a few others have used Forte cooling system flush it works well, but I have also used fernox central heating cleaner in badly blocked radiators, but that means removing the rad which isnt hard.

[feeutfo]

also, there is a guide, i think, on flushing the matrix, youll see the 2 pipes into the bulkhead behind the drivers side of the engine, follow the metal coolant pipes back. Dont drive it with a buggered cooler...

[Big_Al]

Thanks for your input guys. I've filled in my profile. (Wish I had found this site before, as I've already seen solutions I have to other niggles on my car.

Yesterday I was gutted I really thought this was the end for mine, but this has given me new hope.  I have still to get the stearing lock off yet.  I presume the way forward is to change the cooler (and Oil)  then just keep fushing till it comes clear?

There is a lot of gunk in mine so any recomendations on clearing this stuff out quickly.  

Thanks again, I will do a intro as soon as I have time but as soon as it stops raining, I need to get on to this and try to get it resolved before friday (I need a car then, if possable) but we will see how we go.

Now all I have to do is:

the oil cooler
the stearing lock
and get it through an MOT!!!

Thanks for all your help guys

Dave

The Forte stuff is about 30 quid a go I think. I found a couple of disolved dishwasher tablets worked brilliantly. But make sure you flush out a good few times afterwards .

[Elite Pete]

Thanks for your input guys. I've filled in my profile. (Wish I had found this site before, as I've already seen solutions I have to other niggles on my car.

Yesterday I was gutted I really thought this was the end for mine, but this has given me new hope.  I have still to get the stearing lock off yet.  I presume the way forward is to change the cooler (and Oil)  then just keep fushing till it comes clear?

There is a lot of gunk in mine so any recomendations on clearing this stuff out quickly.  

Thanks again, I will do a intro as soon as I have time but as soon as it stops raining, I need to get on to this and try to get it resolved before friday (I need a car then, if possable) but we will see how we go.

Now all I have to do is:

the oil cooler
the stearing lock
and get it through an MOT!!!

Thanks for all your help guys

Dave

The Forte stuff is about 30 quid a go I think. I found a couple of disolved dishwasher tablets worked brilliantly. But make sure you flush out a good few times afterwards .

I got mine for £7 a bottle off Ebay

[davep]

Thanks again for every bodies thoughts and views.  We managed to get the stearing lock off, only for it to lock on again streight away, and after another hour we got it off again, and was able to move it. and you guessed it, it locked on again so much so that I think I'm looking at having to replace that.

To add to my woes, the car battery keep going flat, but that may just be the damn stupid park lights left on again, but it could be a new battery needed as well.  Never rains, but it poors.

After getting the thing started my Stepson said he feels it not a head gasket (being a nearly fully trained mechanic) I'll take his word on that, but getting the job sorted all today was totally out of the question,  so it seems logical to do the job right over doing a bodge, certainly as the car needs an MOT now,  and what seems a new ingnition barrel as well, as it the keys (ie mine and the spare!) are not turning in the barrel and thats causing the problem.

Had we got the cooler done today, we would not have had time to look over the car for the MOT, and you can bet I would have got it to the test centre for the MOT only for the stearing lock to jam again So sadly we have decided to put it to one side for a while and work on it's problems and get it through the MOT as and when we can  the only problem is my stepson work mean he'll now be working right up to Christmas inc Weekends, So this is going to have to wait.  So clearly the better plan of action is to put this to bed for a while, get all new bits, including a new oil cooler and do a proper job over a get me by bodge.  sadly this means I will be with out my beloved car for a few months, and will need to by a cheap runaround for now, but I't not going to be a total lose.

I'll get the battery off it and charged, and cover it for the duration, and put it on a SORN when the Tax runs out at the end of Decemeber.  I know the antifreeze is good, but I'll cover the engine up and the car just incase we get more of the white stuff.

It seems locical to fit a new cooler over introducing the same problem with a secondhand unit that has been sitting in the garage for the better part of five years, and could well fail on fit, again.  I can also start acruing bits ready for when ny stepson has more time, so that when he is ready all the bits are waiting including new ingnition barrel, the cooler, oil, oil filter etc.

Going to hurt not having my Omega for a while, but I'd rather do a proper job as the engine is undamaged, (we hope) over rush and fit a faulty used part and totally screw up the lump.  

Seems logical to do the job right even if thats going to take time,   Also if a buy a reasonable run around, I know his car is on it's last legs, I can inturn give him that as a thanks for his effort, and to get my omega back where it should be faster, therefore we both gain out of the wait,  as I feel I owe him a big one already.

Thanks all,  I'm sure my qestion will come think and fast now.  As I will be putting right all those niggles, as I get chance to as well, while it waits for the new cooler to be fitted.

Dave