Hi
I've just had the head gasket on t reg punto 75 replaced for the second time in 11 months - last time we were told that the engine was warped but to keep a check on fluid levels. After collecting the car this time though the engine sounds completely different - its a sort of hissing engine noise which obv stops everytime you put the clutch out.

Now is this likely to be because the new gasket wont seal properly because of the warping (even though there was no overheating this time the gasket blew - just the car stopping although coolent needed regular topping up this year) OR could it be something that hasnt been done right/tightened properly by the garage? - it was in over the xmas period so no doubt they were rushing things through.

one last thing - this is actually my mom's car and i do notice she takes a while to change up through the gears -am i right to tell her to shift up a bit quicker to preserve the engine - would the way she shifts up slowly have resulted in the gasket problem?

Hi clutch depressing wouldnt affect a head.

The noise you hear is worn idling gear in the gearbox, when you drop the clutch the box is no longer live.

I wouldnt jump on the garage as there is no way on earth a clucth would make a head hiss!

God your mum is just like my sister she thinks it should change gear for her [NOT a n auto-matic] now this noise does it only happen when u push the clutch pedal down it could be a release bearing get the bonnet up get mum to start up and have a listen as she pushes the pedal down if it goes when she lifts the pedal its a bearing and its gear box out

bloody rare to have an engine block warp, usaly the head warps but you skim this flat again,

dave said:

bloody rare to have an engine block warp, usaly the head warps but you skim this flat again,

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Dont you thinkthat if the block was warped the head gasket would have blown again ime pretty sure it would

Never seen a bent block, carnt see it would happen, would let the gasket rip first or bubble the oil to the point of detonation.

Maybe on an alloy block like a K-series engine.

Warped head i'd say and they didnt bother skimming!

midland fiat said:

Never seen a bent block, carnt see it would happen, would let the gasket rip first or bubble the oil to the point of detonation.

Maybe on an alloy block like a K-series engine.

Warped head i'd say and they didnt bother skimming!

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surely you have seen uno turbo blocks warped. apparantly, they were done at the factory and show on the road with mediocre performance. it affects compression etc!

Nope before my time the Uno turbo, wouldnt really get into stripping the engine for rebuilds on a car worth sub 1k.

An engine coming out the factory warped is a bit different to an engine warping a cast block due to head problems.

worth sub 1k good ones are going for a lot more than that now

midland fiat said:

Never seen a bent block, carnt see it would happen, would let the gasket rip first or bubble the oil to the point of detonation.

Maybe on an alloy block like a K-series engine.

Warped head i'd say and they didnt bother skimming!

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Trouble is they see a women and get away with murder

Not all of us garages, best not to presume all are the same! Tends to annoy me!

midland fiat said:

Not all of us garages, best not to presume all are the same! Tends to annoy me!

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Not aimed at you but u have to admit theres plenty out there that try it on

There are a few, but how many people/customers use that excuse.

Some garages would/may think the block must be warped when the have done all they think. Down to experience. Garage may have done a perfect job at the right money and a core plug has caused the problem?

midland fiat said:

There are a few, but how many people/customers use that excuse.

Some garages would/may think the block must be warped when the have done all they think. Down to experience. Garage may have done a perfect job at the right money and a core plug has caused the problem?

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Ide say more than afew judging by the coments by members of this forum and theyre mostly main fiat garages and before you jump again this is NOT aimed at YOU

before you jump again this is NOT aimed at YOU

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No no i know, but when your a garage that is completely not like this and people/customers presume you are all the same it gets a sore spot. Im not jumping, just its something alot of people presume, not all but some people blame everything.

You sell a woman (some women) a car and ANYTHING plays up, its down to she was had over being a single woman. Its the easiest thing to blame.:bang:

Im not having a go back or jumping at you i dont want to sound funny, but we certainly dont charge women more or offer a lesser service.

I agree alot of garages do, but you know yourself there isnt a trade on earth where some similar stigma is attached!

Dont take offence, maybe i dont put things across too well, but im new to all this forum activity, look at my poor post counter!

I know what you mean totaly and glad to say it never happened to me youre in the motor trade I owned an engineering company didnt get any women that needed fabricating or welding

When I depress the clutch ~(ie to change gear) the noise goes
The garage said they skimmed the head and their actual words were - "we told you last time the engine was warped..." and basically left my mom with the impression its the end of the road for the car.

This isnt a FIAT garage since i stopped using them after a series of cock ups and long long waiting times for booking in. And yes i am always wary of garages seeing a woman coming and trying to blind her with science (sorry i know not all garages are the same)

Yeh noisy gearbox. Nothing to do with the head.

Imagine when you depress the clutch you take the load out the box (almost like turning it off) Hence the noise goes.

New box im afraid!

Oh and if they said that, although your car isnt that old i'd say you have another problem. Core plugs i'd guess!

midland fiat said:

Yeh noisy gearbox. Nothing to do with the head.

Imagine when you depress the clutch you take the load out the box (almost like turning it off) Hence the noise goes.

New box im afraid!

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don'tthink i can agree - the noise was there since coming out of the garage for the gasket replacement - nothing before