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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2006 7:59:27 GMT
hi ,im a new member and fairly new owner and im having trouble with my 3 litre straight six saloon. when i collected her she started fine and drove over 100 miles to get home with no apparant problems. after id arrived home i checked radiator and there were some bubbles in the water! now she starts fine but wont tick over! ive checked points and plugs etc but no difference.is this a blown head gasket?theres no trace of water in the oil or oil in the water,no creamy substance in filler cap.... any help appreciated
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Post by Phil Nottingham on Apr 17, 2006 8:16:22 GMT
Welcome to the forum and the joys of P5 ownership - it will be worth it in the end.
Do not think the worst! Failure to idle is very,very unlikely to be headgasket failure although these engines are prone to this and water in the oil is not usually the first symptom its water loss through overpressurisation.
It does not sound very serious
A good tuneup is called for - have you checked the points gap - it will be worth replacing the plugs/points/condensor anyway unless they look brand new.
A cracked distibutor cap or burned rota arm can also cause tickover problems
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2006 8:25:14 GMT
It could be a leaky head gasket. The best thing would be to take the plugs out and inspect them for regularity and colour. If the gaps are wide then consider new leads,plugs,condenser and points. A new distributer cover and rotor is also a good idea. If it drove ok then there is probably not much wrong. In a cold engine air pockets can form releasing as bubbles. A compression tester is a cheap and reliable way to tell the condition of an engine.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2006 8:27:47 GMT
Sorry Phil, I think I posted almost the same time as you with similar answers. Glad to see that we agree. ;D
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Post by Phil Nottingham on Apr 17, 2006 8:38:57 GMT
Great minds etc ....??. I ran my 3 Litre Coupe for 2 years and 8K miles with a leaky headgasket that resulted in using a pint of water every 50 miles and rusting up no5 plug points!
It always started first button hot or cold and idled perfectly.
Leaky headgasket entirely caused by overheating due to me persisting with using a radiator with a blocked core
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Post by stantondavies on Apr 24, 2009 19:24:53 GMT
I have a problem with loosing water detailed previously elsewhere; about half a pint is evacuated every time I run the car; it's been going on for years.
Last week I replaced the brake servo, after which an experienced mechanic suggested that the head gasket was leaking and pressurising the cooling system. Indeed there was the occasional bubble at the neck of header tank and ONE surge of water - then it settled down. Keeping the water topped up to the rim just repeated the exercise; but with the cap on, just half a pint.
The car is idling roughly which he says is a misfire due to the head gasket leak. An examination and renewal of the plugs was inconclusive but resulted in a helicoil being needed on No6, that's three fitted now - I am careful, but the engine's done 130K.
I tend to think the car is running rich, since I've disturbed the carburettor & choke settings. It sounds as if it is 'hunting' to my ears, with an uneven popping exhaust. The choke cable is fraying a bit and won't return at the carburettor when pushed in (I'm just pulling it back by hand when the engine is warm.) and needs sorting out when I get a new cable. Car runs brilliantly on the road.
Has anyone any observations/thoughts?
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Post by Phil Nottingham on Apr 24, 2009 19:26:58 GMT
Head gasket by the sounds of it. Check mixture though - alsop lug leads renew if supperessed type and throw away suppressors if old type
Note header tank shopuld not be full to top though
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Post by enigmas on Apr 26, 2009 0:21:27 GMT
Generally leaking head gaskets don't self repair or just go away. I wouldn't leave it or live with it. If you act when the problem is still trivial it can be remedied.
If it misses on idle and there is a gradual coolant loss...coolant is being drawn into the cylinder under high vacuum (the miss will miraculously disappear when...off idle)
If it is bubbling in the radiator...a particular cylinder is pressurizing the system...both ways the engine loses coolant. The bubbles (compression pressure) may enter the system through gasket breaks/porosities.
These can easily be remedied in the early stages by use of a product called 'Chemi-Weld' (which has no adverse affect on the cooling system). This product is formulated for this type of contingency. I have used it on a number of occasions and referred to it a number of times on this board.
Whatever you do (and this is an inexpensive and expedient repair) DO NOT LEAVE THE PROBLEM UNATTENDED.
~ Vince
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Post by stantondavies on Apr 26, 2009 23:13:53 GMT
Thanks Vince - the head comes off tomorrow; the car's not mine! Then I'll find out just how bad things are.
I've searched the board for 'Chemi-Weld' and your post is the only mention. Perhaps it was on the old board that you posted? More information would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Post by enigmas on Apr 27, 2009 11:02:46 GMT
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Post by stantondavies on May 2, 2009 8:47:59 GMT
Thanks, Vince; looks to be a useful product. Thankfully I don't need it this time. The head gasket was blowing on 1 & 2 and the head needed skimming but otherwise everything looks OK. No noticeable wear in the bores but there is some crankcase pressure; perhaps down to worn rings or pistons? But then oil consumption is very modest; maybe a pint/800-1000 miles.
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Post by Phil Nottingham on May 2, 2009 9:07:03 GMT
800-1000 mpp is absolutely great on a 3 Litre IOE. Leave as iis
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