Rover 25 Head Gasket Failure

pendulum

pgilc1 wrote: »

So i'm not sure where you're getting your 'noone in the trade will touch a Rover'

But then thats maybe the difference between your point of view and mine - mines based on experience and yours is based on what you've read on the internet.

Well at least you've bothered to reply half-properly this time.

My experience is based on laying on my back in the winter on my mates driveway fixing the hydragas suspension, and then the week after that, in the freezing cold changing the headgasket of the shoddy little K series he misguidedly bought as his first car. A car similar to his Metro "Tahiti Special Needs" was the worst car ever to darken the door of Euro NCAP and especially close to the bottom of the Reliability Indexes (as were most Rover cars funnily enough), partly due to the engine. Everything that went wrong did, and the build quality was absolute tosh, it felt like it had been put together with Pritt Stick and celotape (and behaved that way in an accident). Rover went bust for a reason and I know why even if you don't.

Almost all of the information I have ever read about Rovers online only backs up my opinion - it does not form it.

I've only got faded memories of one of my uncles but one memory I do have is being driven to the dealership in his Rover to pick up a hire car because his instrument panel lit up like a Christmas tree, and that was a new car.

I've been to many car auctions, and know for a fact that Rovers are the cheapest through the podium, the only reason for such low prices is that there's no interest in the cars, of course there's always one who realises the prices are low and can't resist and that appears to be you. You just don't want to admit you sell crap cars hence the defensiveness - that's understandable.

z3phyr04

Well this is all very constructive..

Anyways, back to the OP's original problem. If the coolant has been basically drunk and you've got that sludgy mess in with the oil then yes it's very likely the head gasket is on the way out. It may have happened before and not been fixed properly. Anyways this thread over at the MG-Rover forums should help more.

I too recently bought a 25 iS (dirt cheap mind you) which has had the better gasket fitted, radiator changed, engine shimmed etc. and it's been great so far. Kept an eye on the coolant and it hasn't lost any at all, no sludge to be seen and it's probably got a lot of years left in it if it's looked after properly.

motorguy

pendulum wrote: »

Well at least you've bothered to reply half-properly this time.

My experience is based on laying on my back in the winter on my mates driveway fixing the hydragas suspension, and then the week after that, in the freezing cold changing the headgasket of the shoddy little K series he misguidedly bought as his first car. A car similar to his Metro "Tahiti Special Needs" was the worst car ever to darken the door of Euro NCAP and especially close to the bottom of the Reliability Indexes (as were most Rover cars funnily enough), partly due to the engine. Everything that went wrong did, and the build quality was absolute tosh, it felt like it had been put together with Pritt Stick and celotape (and behaved that way in an accident). Rover went bust for a reason and I know why even if you don't.

Your mate must have been extremely unlucky or driving a seriously old Metro, or both. I used to be taking 5+ a week out of the local Rover dealers when i did underwriting for them, and never lost money on any of them. Nor had i any back.

pendulum wrote: »

Almost all of the information I have ever read about Rovers online only backs up my opinion - it does not form it.

I've only got faded memories of one of my uncles but one memory I do have is being driven to the dealership in his Rover to pick up a hire car because his instrument panel lit up like a Christmas tree, and that was a new car.

Renault Lagunas dashes regularly light up like a Christmas tree - unfortunately these things sometimes happen. I also had a Mercedes c36 AMG do it - needing a complete dash rebuild. But then i wouldnt be so narrow minded as to let that put me off another AMG Merc?

pendulum wrote: »

I've been to many car auctions, and know for a fact that Rovers are the cheapest through the podium, the only reason for such low prices is that there's no interest in the cars, of course there's always one who realises the prices are low and can't resist and that appears to be you. You just don't want to admit you sell crap cars hence the defensiveness - that's understandable.

The cars are priced accordingly. Realistically, any old car that ends up at auction is there because chances are it has problems - hence i dont use auctions to buy stock.

You seem to be a 'half empty' kind of guy - maybe instead of seeing 'low prices = no interest' you should see 'low price = opportunity'. They do still sell quite easily - if you know what to look for they represent cracking value.

I dont think it particularly matters to the trade what the car is. If i can buy a £500 2001 Rover 25 and get a quick turn £300 on it, whats the difference between that and buying a 2001 Focus at £900 and getting £300 on it?

motorguy

z3phyr04 wrote: »

Well this is all very constructive..

Anyways, back to the OP's original problem. If the coolant has been basically drunk and you've got that sludgy mess in with the oil then yes it's very likely the head gasket is on the way out. It may have happened before and not been fixed properly. Anyways this thread over at the MG-Rover forums should help more.

I too recently bought a 25 iS (dirt cheap mind you) which has had the better gasket fitted, radiator changed, engine shimmed etc. and it's been great so far. Kept an eye on the coolant and it hasn't lost any at all, no sludge to be seen and it's probably got a lot of years left in it if it's looked after properly.

+1

As per my original comment, if its HGF and it was a cheap car, i'd stick K-Seal in it, run it as long as possible, then make a decision to repair or scrap.

All part of Bangernomics isnt it?