Author Topic: headgasket gone?  (Read 1871 times)

Offline xandyx

  • Members
  • *****
  • Posts: 243
headgasket gone?
« on: February 17, 2012, 08:41:39 pm »
hi there folks!

today i finished rebuild my car, it started fine after 2nd atempt :)

i let it run on idle for a while and waited for the fan to start. i was looking at temp gauge and waiting for the fan first speed at 90º, and nothing, waited till allmost reached 100º, the fan didn't started, and pipes were starting to get very hard, i shut down the engine and open the expansion tank to release pressure. a lot of waterand steam came of.

the engine was runing about 3 minutes between 90º and 100º, can this damage my headgasket? i didn't start the engine since cause was getting dark.

allready have a new fan motor to try tomorrow, my problem is if the headgasket had suffer some damage.

cheers
André

Offline AlexG40

  • Members
  • *****
  • Posts: 487
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2012, 08:45:55 pm »
I'd be very surprised if it had done any damage at all. I can't remember now but the fan might not come on till after 100 anyway (someone will know for sure). It can take a long time in this cool weather for an engine to overheat if the cooling and oil system is nice and clean and efficient.

Offline PeteG40

  • Administrators
  • *****
  • Posts: 4036
  • Housewives heart throb
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2012, 11:11:20 pm »
the water temp is measured above the thermostat, but the radiator can be cooler that that- so can be almost 105 ish when the fan kicks in, from memory

Offline xandyx

  • Members
  • *****
  • Posts: 243
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2012, 03:58:23 am »
thanks a lot. i think it's the fan that got stuck.

it's hard to rotate by hand.

thanks for your fast replys.

cheers
André

Offline grungeisdead

  • Members
  • *****
  • Posts: 822
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2012, 10:14:10 pm »
the rad fan wiring is all pretty simple, there is a positive feed from the fusebox to the ran fan switch, the other pin from the ran fan switch plug goes to the rad fan, the other pin from the rad fan goes to ground.

you can test the fan switch, by removing the plug off the fan switch and bridging the contacts. if that works then the problem lies in the switch.

you can test the fan directly with a spare battery and a couple of wires a bit of plusgas might free it up.

if the fan works directly from a battery and not when you bridge the fan switch plug then there is a problem in the wire, possibly a fuse out or corroded or broken wire. 90 to 100 deg is fine so it wont have overheated

Offline xandyx

  • Members
  • *****
  • Posts: 243
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2012, 12:53:16 am »
the problem continues, the engine goes till 90º on idle, pipes get kinda hard and and spils water out of expansion tank.

i already changed thermostat, rad temp sensor, flush the system and the fan doesn't start, checked the fuse box, the fuse wasn't burned, but the plastic had melt a bit. can it be the cause of the fan doesn't fire?

did the fan test connecting the fan to the battery and starts at high speed.

is it normal to spill water of at arround 90º?

cheers
André

Offline hayesey

  • Administrators
  • *****
  • Posts: 5824
  • The CV joint killer
    • ClubG40
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2012, 09:27:51 am »
no, the normal running temperature is 90 so it should be fine there.  I'd check the condition of the header tank cap and seal.  They are prone to failing, especially if it's one of the older black ones, newer blue caps are better.

Offline Chris_J

  • Members
  • *****
  • Posts: 43
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2012, 11:31:40 pm »
I'll second what Hayesey said. I once had a bad seal one the cap and it used to wee at slightly when up to temp. One thing to check is that the seal hasn't dislodged itself from the groove in the cap.

Offline xandyx

  • Members
  • *****
  • Posts: 243
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2012, 12:25:49 am »
will check that tomorrow with another cap i got.

thanks for your help! i'll let you know if it's solved, then!

cheers

Offline ereeiz

  • Members
  • *****
  • Posts: 972
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2012, 04:01:45 am »
If you overfill it then it will expand and drain via the pressure valve in the cap, if it's pissing out even when only a bit warm then it's probably the cap.


It's probably the cap either way, they are crap.

Offline xandyx

  • Members
  • *****
  • Posts: 243
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2012, 11:56:25 pm »
problem solved!! it wasn't the cap, it was a blown fuse. fan is kicking now!

after solving that, i drove to MOT, but i stoped for fuel, now the car doesn't start.

it fires but when i release the key it cuts out. if i hold the key fireing i can rev the engine, but besides that, dies instantly.

one thing i noticed is that when the car was running on idle at my door, the clock wasn't working.

is there something i can do about it?

i left the biátch at the gas station!

cheers

Offline brownysblower

  • Posts: 36
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #11 on: March 28, 2012, 05:33:45 pm »
replace relay on top of fuse box (fuel pump relay) they get damp an fook up with blue shite

Offline xandyx

  • Members
  • *****
  • Posts: 243
Re: headgasket gone?
« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2012, 12:02:34 am »
yey, it's fixed!

it was a connector in the ignition lock cutting the power.

let's hope that nothing else fails for a while!

thanks a lot for your sugestions!

cheers
André