What's the cost of a new gasket kit for one of these!New head bolts needed! Are they a particularly difficult engine for head gasket replacement! Yes I know they are a piece of sh1t, but are they nasty to work on! Wiki mentions a "new" type of replacement gasket, but suggests that performance of these is unknown.Are these available! A friend has one (lord knows why they bought it), paid far too much (IMO), owned for a couple of months, and the inevitable has happened.Rather than dump the car, it might be worth me fixing it for them and then them selling cheap $1 reserve on TM, or perhaps even to get a year or two of use out of it until the gasket blows again.It's probably not worth paying to get it fixed - they've called two mechanics who have both laughed and asked why they didn't use google before they bought the thing, and have suggested dumping it.I don't think they want to do the work - as the chance of it failing again is high.
socram,
Nov 8, 4:41pm
If done correctly, there is no reason why it shouldn't last!There are plenty of people clocking 200,000+kms on them.
mgmad,
Nov 8, 5:11pm
Couple of places around that sell them, can't recall the prices off the top of my head though. Head bolts can checked to see if they are in tolerance by screwing them in to the block by hand with the head removed. Fairly straight forward job, BUT it's important to note that the gaskets themselves seldom fail for no reason, so you need to discover why it went. Also don't turn the engine over with the head off or the liners will move, and then things get expensive.
Put together properly there's no reason it shouldn't lasta good long while. Mum's Rover 200 has done over 300,000 km
mm12345,
Nov 8, 5:23pm
It was being driven, blew steam out the radiator cap, and the owner stopped immediately.I don't know how hot it got - I'd get the head crack tested as a matter of course (and dump the car if that was toast), but if it did get hot, then are there issues with the liners!I'm happy to do a few hours work on it, but don't want to touch it if it's likely to turn into a major project.
intrade,
Nov 8, 5:32pm
the biggest issue is you dont know if the headgasket had been done once before incorrectly . just what pops to my mind reading your thread
mm12345,
Nov 8, 5:38pm
^^^ Correct - I don't know the history of the vehicle at all, present owner has only had it for a few months. Rather than dump the car, IMO it's worth taking the head off and checking things out.
intrade,
Nov 8, 5:49pm
check with a straight-edge hairline tool if the head or block is bent.
mgmad,
Nov 8, 5:50pm
So it's overheated and you don't know yet if it was actually the gasket or not. Airlocks through not bleeding the system, thermostat and water pump I'd be checking whatever you do - ie the normal things that cause overheating in most cars.
If the liners move they need to be resealed. They can only move with the head off.
If the engine has got very hot (I doubt it from the description) then the head may have gone soft, which will be evident from liner protrusion marks in the head. I'd say this is unlikely given your description.
mm12345,
Nov 8, 6:04pm
I haven't had a good look at it yet. Is this a reasonable run down! http://www.vgkracing.com/rover-serie-k-motor.php (apart from the dubious english) Wouldn't surprise me if this has been "fixed" poorly and sold, hence failure a short time after they bought it. Hmmm - if the liners have moved, then it seems we have a problem.I'm assuming that to re-seat and seal the liners, the engine is going to have to come out.
mgmad,
Nov 8, 6:46pm
You shouldn't need to skim the block, and given that it sounds like it wasn't overheated for long or particularly hot I doubt you will need to worry about the head - but it is best to get it checked. Crack testing won't tell you much but hardness testing will.
The liners are extremely unlikely to have moved with the head in place, to get the indentation marks in the head I described above is nearly always a result of the head softening, rather than the liners moving. Liners moving is much much more likely to happen with the head off and the engine turned over.
The new head set should come with steel dowels, although I think the 25 should have had them from the factory anyway (as opposed to the earlier 200).
The tightening sequence for the head bolts is from the centre out, and is 20 N.m, then 180º, then another 180º. Also you should only have to remove the cam cover, and not split the cam ladder, to get the head off. Splitting the ladder adds a good couple of hours work by the time you have cleaned and resealed it.
As you'll have the head off anyway, I would replace the thermostat and water pump - doesn't take much longer, particularly the thermostat as it's a right bugger to get at with the head on. I'd advice drilling a small hole in the stat (~2mm).
maddog007,
Nov 8, 7:21pm
cant see why you would bother. just scrap it.
zephyrheaven,
Nov 9, 6:04pm
+1 what a POS
intrade,
Nov 9, 6:08pm
well you could do that with any mitusbishi also if you ask me.
pebbles61,
Nov 9, 6:24pm
Could be worse, could be a CRX lol
mm12345,
Nov 11, 5:23pm
I finally got around to looking at the car.It's quite low km (80) and tidy.It looks relatively easy to work on to get the head off, good access to manifold bolts etc, not a whole heap of plumbing and crap to disconnect.It owes the owner $3k - at least they didn't pay a fortune for it - I thought they'd paid more. My guess is that despite it being in good nick, it won't fetch much "as is". Mgmad - where would I go to get prices for the best gasket set, belt, water pump etc!It might be worth fixing.
mgmad,
Nov 11, 6:30pm
You could try MG Service Centre in Christchurch, although I'm not sure what Lawrie is up to these days exactly.
Or if you google mgparts nz you should get a good idea.
sabbath-black,
Nov 11, 7:03pm
.no ones asking you.or listening to you.if you cant help(an you cant).then shut the fuck up.
jmma,
Nov 11, 7:07pm
Oh, intrades got a lover (o:
sabbath-black,
Nov 11, 7:09pm
oh yeah i one of many
the-lada-dude,
Nov 12, 3:47pm
try sedgidens in auckland, out by the airport. doubt if you could beat trhem for price
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