Possible head gasket?

BeenThroughItAll

bigjl wrote: »

Some cars can pressurise the coolant system without mixing water in the oil.

I think this thread could prove as a good reason not to buy "bargain" parts from eBay. Unless you are buying from the eBay/online retail section of a known source of quality parts.

Of course, there's no guarantee that cheap part off eBay was fitted properly. I'd wager it's a plastic 'stat housing, which are easily weakened during fitting if the mounting bolts are overtightened... It doesn't matter a jot whether it's an expensive or cheap 'stat at that point, hamfisted fitting can easily ruin it.


Unfortunately, since the OP has left us in the dark about what the vehicle is, I'm guessing as much as we all are.


ETA - actually they didn't. My mistake! Sorry OP.

BrentMeister

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

Of course, there's no guarantee that cheap part off eBay was fitted properly. I'd wager it's a plastic 'stat housing, which are easily weakened during fitting if the mounting bolts are overtightened... It doesn't matter a jot whether it's an expensive or cheap 'stat at that point, hamfisted fitting can easily ruin it.


Unfortunately, since the OP has left us in the dark about what the vehicle is, I'm guessing as much as we all are.

Was right there in the 1st post.

BrentMeister wrote: »

Hi,
My car is a 56 plate Grande Punto 1.9 Sport

BeenThroughItAll

BrentMeister wrote: »

Was right there in the 1st post.

You're quite right, I apologise.

Completely missed that. Sorry.


Looks like it is a metal housing with several plastic outlet pipes. I've fitted almost the same part myself to a Saab 1.9 (basically same Z19DT engine), and the plastic outlet pipes could quite easily be damaged either during fitting or potentially could fail as a result of a manufacturing fault.


Having said that, the one I fitted to the Saab was the cheapest one I could get off eBay (It did have the wrong temp sensor range though, so I swapped in the original), and lasted 30K miles before I sold the car, so it'd be unfair to suggest as a blanket statement that all eBay cheap parts are crap.

droopsnoot

I also presume it was the thermostat housing that had broken resulting in steam - if it were the thermostat itself that had broken, that shouldn't result in steam, surely?

BrentMeister

Just got back from a very helpful garage that also deal with head gaskets.

Said this was the first time they had heard of a possible head gasket going on this engine. Carried out a block test which it passed.

Carried out a pressure test at 15 - coolant came gushing out from around the side of the thermostat. They believe its the thermostat gasket, whether the one in currently in there is damaged or whether it actually has one in. Its a dealership only part so they have ordered one in.

Taking it back Friday for them to fit in when it arrives - £65. Fingers crossed that will actually be what the problem is, and it does actually sound pretty plausible.

bigjl

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

Of course, there's no guarantee that cheap part off eBay was fitted properly. I'd wager it's a plastic 'stat housing, which are easily weakened during fitting if the mounting bolts are overtightened... It doesn't matter a jot whether it's an expensive or cheap 'stat at that point, hamfisted fitting can easily ruin it.


Unfortunately, since the OP has left us in the dark about what the vehicle is, I'm guessing as much as we all are.


ETA - actually they didn't. My mistake! Sorry OP.

1.9 diesel I believe as that is the only 1.9 engine fitted to that car as far as I am aware

BeenThroughItAll

bigjl wrote: »

1.9 diesel I believe as that is the only 1.9 engine fitted to that car as far as I am aware

See my post number 14.

droopsnoot

BrentMeister wrote: »

...They believe its the thermostat gasket, whether the one in currently in there is damaged or whether it actually has one in. Its a dealership only part so they have ordered one in.

Taking it back Friday for them to fit in when it arrives - £65. Fingers crossed that will actually be what the problem is, and it does actually sound pretty plausible.

I wonder what's so special about the thermostat gasket that it should be so expensive. Presumably that includes labour and it's in a terrible location to get to. And presumably it's an O-ring rather than a traditional paper gasket, so that's why they couldn't just cut one out of some gasket paper. But a good deal compared to head gasket sets, skimming and so on.

BrentMeister

droopsnoot wrote: »

I wonder what's so special about the thermostat gasket that it should be so expensive. Presumably that includes labour and it's in a terrible location to get to. And presumably it's an O-ring rather than a traditional paper gasket, so that's why they couldn't just cut one out of some gasket paper. But a good deal compared to head gasket sets, skimming and so on.

That's £65 supplied and fitted. They said the gasket was around £9 + VAT, plus coolant and then the remainder is the labour.

Just hoping that is the cause of the problem!

s_b

i cant understand how garages fail to do basic checks like pressure testing
well done for finding somewhere that understands how the cooling system works and knows how to fault find