Blown Head Gasket

Retrogamer

Ratboy wrote: »

As oil/water haven't mixed, and you had a leak/sudden fail, I'd suggest that the thermostat failed, maybe the waterpump, driven off the cambelt? Either of which isn't an engine fail, and nowhere near like what you were quoted.

You mention a leak?

I'd get a 2nd and 3rd opinion before ripping the engine apart.

Sniffer test for head gasket failure

Compression test to confirm gasket failure.

methinks you are in a hard place, and being bent over to spend money, that doesn't need to be spent!

thermostat costs £5, waterpump £40, fitting ???? new cambelt???

Does not sound like the engine failed at all. AFAIK this engine is failsafe, ie if cambelt breaks, it doesn't smash the engine to death.

good luck!

What engine do you think the OP's car has?

Sounds like engine failure to me. A failed thermostat or water pump would cause an engine to overheat sure, but engines don't normally run rough or have extreme loss of power / starting problems as described by the OP from just a failed pump or thermostat. Something like that might cause the engine to overheat but the overheating would then usually either cook the piston rings, crack the head or block or blow the head gasket.

Geodark

Was the timing belt still on do you know? is it possible that the water pump has failed and this has thrown the timing belt off, which could have caused untold damage in the engine? Was there any noise when the car failed?

Geodark

Ratboy wrote: »

As oil/water haven't mixed, and you had a leak/sudden fail, I'd suggest that the thermostat failed, maybe the waterpump, driven off the cambelt? Either of which isn't an engine fail, and nowhere near like what you were quoted.

You mention a leak?

I'd get a 2nd and 3rd opinion before ripping the engine apart.

Sniffer test for head gasket failure

Compression test to confirm gasket failure.

methinks you are in a hard place, and being bent over to spend money, that doesn't need to be spent!

thermostat costs £5, waterpump £40, fitting ???? new cambelt???

Does not sound like the engine failed at all. AFAIK this engine is failsafe, ie if cambelt breaks, it doesn't smash the engine to death.

good luck!

If it is confirmed as HGF then yes you do need a new cam belt - you should never put an old cam belt back on!

spacey2012

The oil an water is a bit of a urban myth, not all gaskets fail between the oil and water jacket, they are just as likely to fail on the water jacket to cylinder area leaving the engine sucking in water to the piston.

forgotmyname

Or fail between 2 cylinders so you just lose compression.

No water or oil loss except a bit when the valves cook their seals.

jaydeeuk1

mattyprice4004 wrote: »

It's true - out of my 13 Rovers I've had 62 head gasket repairs and approximately 45% of my time behind the wheel has been on the hard shoulder, with steam pouring out of the bonnet.

In reality, I've had 1 failure, caused by me tracking around Oulton Park with a knackered waterpump. I thought I could keep it topped up... wrong! That head was very banana shaped. :rotfl:
I feel I should add how brilliant it was on track - so lovely and revvy (until the oil turned into milkshake, of course). If I hadn't tracked it (or fixed the pump) it'd probably have been fine.

All of the others have been fine - and 4 of them were the 'dreaded' K Series motor. All in all around 160,000 miles with one HG issue.

Funny how the elise has no where near the number of HG problems, even though I imagine most have appeared on the track at some point in their lives. I'm guessing its more of a maintenance thing, owners far more likely to look after a lotus than a 45.

spacey2012

The rover 45 was a fault of converting a BL 1.4 + 1.8 8v engine to a 16 valve head.
They had to bodge rails in to the sump for the head bolts, if the engine overheated the rails expanded just enough to lift the head.

sabretoothtigger

mattyprice4004 wrote: »

All of the others have been fine - and 4 of them were the 'dreaded' K Series motor. All in all around 160,000 miles with one HG issue.

How many times did you do short journeys or were you someone who only drove it cold once a day because I think how it was used mattered alot

OddballJamie

jaydeeuk1 wrote: »

Funny how the elise has no where near the number of HG problems, even though I imagine most have appeared on the track at some point in their lives. I'm guessing its more of a maintenance thing, owners far more likely to look after a lotus than a 45.

I've heard of HGF on the elise too, not on the same scale as Lotus haven't sold as many cars as Rover/MG did. That and as you have pointed out, they are better looked after on the whole and the owners possibly know more about maintenance. Also quite a lot have had the uprated gasket fitted.

My mate has a MGZR and recently had the uprated gasket/bolts, recon skimmed head, full service, water pump and cam belt all for £300. Well worth it for piece of mind when the HG does start to go.

fivetide

and of course they swapped to a toyota unit on the elise which solved the issue on the 2nd generation cars.