Head Gasket Gone - what to do?

rev_henry

Came back from Uni yesterday to find the head gasket had gone on my Rover 25. My father was driving it to the garage to get the brakes looked at when it went - overheated and stalled apparently, fortunately just outside said garage.

They've quoted £350 to do it, which is reasonable, then it'll be another £100 or so for the brakes (probably need discs and pads) which is getting on for £500. :eek:

Silly thing is this is second time its gone. It was supposedly done 3 years ago before I bought it, so shouldn't really have gone again. Contrary to what the chap at the garage said (he told me I should fix it then sell it before it goes again), I understand if its fixed properly with the MLS gasket it shouldn't be any more likely to go again than any other car. Which leads me to think it wasn't done properly the first time?

Anyway, is it worth doing? Its an 03, 60k, absolutely pristine condition apart from that. I paid £900 for it in April last year. I think it is worth doing - I'm not in the mood for buying a new car anyway, I like this one, or I did before it broke.

My thinking is it needed a service anyway, which will effectively be included in this price as they'll be changing the cambelt (though that had 3 years left on it), oil, coolant etc, and brakes need doing on any car so its effectively £200 or so over and above what any other car would need spending. I notice they go for about £300-350 with the HGF as spares or repairs on ebay. Hmmm...

s_b

Contrary to what the chap at the garage said (he told me I should fix it then sell it before it goes again),

and theres your answer from a man in the trade
reminds me of those who ask that the garage get them an mot on a heap because they are going to sell it then return a year later with the same thing
or ask for a cheap engine fix because they are selling it then return when it breaks again


your choice/your money
remember the head will need skimming again
and those nice long bolts will all need replacing and tightening up the cheese sandwiche design again
then of course the correct antifreeze needs using
then its just a matter of time before it pops again

worried_jim

K Series engines- you have to love 'em.

vax2002

The cause of the failure is not the head gasket.
It is how the head is held down, the bolt rails expand and it lifts the head.
The problem is recurrent and linked to contaminated coolant .

Red_Cat

You are not going to be able to sell it without getting it fixed (unless you were wanting to sell it for scrap, which I don't think you were).
So there's your answer.

vax2002

Try a bottle of steal seal
if it works flog it !

vaio

you're happy with the car, that last HG lasted three years with no reason to suspect this one will last any less time

If you buy something else you could end up with something that also has a blown HG but hs been hidden with a dose of K seal

Fix it and carry on using it, devil you know and all that

s_b

vaio wrote: »

you're happy with the car, that last HG lasted three years with no reason to suspect this one will last any less time

If you buy something else you could end up with something that also has a blown HG but hs been hidden with a dose of K seal

Fix it and carry on using it, devil you know and all that

poster is the rev_henry you know
i hope he doesnt know the devil:D

atrixblue.-MFR-.

ask the man at the garage to use the BGA multilayer steel headset wich also contains new revised head dowel guids to fit more tightly.
along with the headsaver (many dont fit to save £12.00 and is key to taking up the gap of the skim and the expansion causing the problem) and new headbolts (a must do on a rover) while he's at it get him to check the condition of the cam lobes (they tend to deface if overheated) new water pump timing belt and tensioner and idler.

theres also talk of changing the oil rails to a upgraded version helps, with a new type thermostat.

theres also talk that better performance or MPG in wich ever way it is used if the exhaust manifold has its precat removed.

good luck.

rev_henry

vaio wrote: »

you're happy with the car, that last HG lasted three years with no reason to suspect this one will last any less time

If you buy something else you could end up with something that also has a blown HG but hs been hidden with a dose of K seal

Fix it and carry on using it, devil you know and all that

Alternatively I could buy something without a engine that was designed by lazy borderline communist trade unionists. If it lasted 3 years I'd be happy. In 3 years I'll have graduated and have enough money to buy something a bit more upmarket.

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

ask the man at the garage to use the BGA multilayer steel headset wich also contains new revised head dowel guids to fit more tightly.
along with the headsaver (many dont fit to save £12.00 and is key to taking up the gap of the skim and the expansion causing the problem) and new headbolts (a must do on a rover) while he's at it get him to check the condition of the cam lobes (they tend to deface if overheated) new water pump timing belt and tensioner and idler.

theres also talk of changing the oil rails to a upgraded version helps, with a new type thermostat.

theres also talk that better performance or MPG in wich ever way it is used if the exhaust manifold has its precat removed.

good luck.

I'll bear this in mind thanks.

s_b wrote: »

and theres your answer from a man in the trade
reminds me of those who ask that the garage get them an mot on a heap because they are going to sell it then return a year later with the same thing
or ask for a cheap engine fix because they are selling it then return when it breaks again


your choice/your money
remember the head will need skimming again
and those nice long bolts will all need replacing and tightening up the cheese sandwiche design again
then of course the correct antifreeze needs using
then its just a matter of time before it pops again

Yep they'd be doing all that.
I don't understand why its gone again, unless an idiot did it last time. I understood it shouldn't go again if done properly, or is that just the Rover loyalists talking nonsense?

rev_henry

Red_Cat wrote: »

You are not going to be able to sell it without getting it fixed (unless you were wanting to sell it for scrap, which I don't think you were).
So there's your answer.

Yes I was think of selling it as spares/repairs. I had a look on ebay and similar cars with head gasket failure go for £300-350.

vax2002 wrote: »

The cause of the failure is not the head gasket.
It is how the head is held down, the bolt rails expand and it lifts the head.
The problem is recurrent and linked to contaminated coolant .

So what was in the coolant? It had been using a little coolant for a few months, about 200ml per 1k miles, and I'd been topping it up with the pink OAT stuff. Until now when it virtually emptied itself. I'd actually just ordered a new expansion cap in case that was where it was leaking from.