Hi, I was wondering if any mechanics or anyone in the know can answer this question for me please.
My wife bought a second hand Fiat Punto Mk1 from a used car dealer a few weeks ago who said he had fitted a new head gasket and skimmed the head 'just to be sure' because he thought the old one was leaking. After he fitted it we asked him to just give the car a run before we got it back to make sure everything was alright with the car - when we got it back he had clocked up around another 100 miles on the clock! - bit of a pi*s take and the mrs wasn't very happy with that.
Anyway the brakes didn't feel too good on the car so I too the rear drums off and see that at some stage the drums had been got at which what looked like was an angle grinder, they where really scored badly and the brake shoes were on the last legs. So she decided not to use the fella she bought it from but another mechanic who is nearer to us to get him to replace the 2 rear drums and set of brake shoes for the back. Whilst it was in she said that the car idled quite lumpy and there was a strong smell of petrol when the engine was running like it was rich and he said he would check timing and the mixture whilst it was in for her.
He phoned up today and said the rear brakes had been done and that he checked the timing and that was OK. Then she asked about the rich smell of petrol and the lumpy idling and he told her that when you have a new head gasket fitted that it takes time to bed in and seal properly and something about the carbon building up to seal it and he said after driving it for a few thousand mies the new head gasket will bed in and those problems will go and the engine will idle better and not smell of petrol so much - is he correct in saying this or is it a load of old BS?
As far as I know he doesn't have any connection with the fella that sold her the car so I cant see why he would be BS'ing like this if he is, it just sounds a bit fishy to me. I am not a fully trained up mechanic though so I am doubting whether he may be correct that Punto's will be lumpy for a while after just having their head gaskets replaced - what do you reckon?
Also if you do have a head gasket replaced should not all the head bolts be tightened initially and then the car be run for a few thousand miles and the the head bolts checked re-tightened again or am I wrong on that one as well because the mechanic who put on the head gasket didn't say anything about bringing back the car after a time for the head bolts to be checked tightened again.
Be very grateful for answers if you can help. Thanks in advance.
Andy.
My wife bought a second hand Fiat Punto Mk1 from a used car dealer a few weeks ago who said he had fitted a new head gasket and skimmed the head 'just to be sure' because he thought the old one was leaking. After he fitted it we asked him to just give the car a run before we got it back to make sure everything was alright with the car - when we got it back he had clocked up around another 100 miles on the clock! - bit of a pi*s take and the mrs wasn't very happy with that.
Anyway the brakes didn't feel too good on the car so I too the rear drums off and see that at some stage the drums had been got at which what looked like was an angle grinder, they where really scored badly and the brake shoes were on the last legs. So she decided not to use the fella she bought it from but another mechanic who is nearer to us to get him to replace the 2 rear drums and set of brake shoes for the back. Whilst it was in she said that the car idled quite lumpy and there was a strong smell of petrol when the engine was running like it was rich and he said he would check timing and the mixture whilst it was in for her.
He phoned up today and said the rear brakes had been done and that he checked the timing and that was OK. Then she asked about the rich smell of petrol and the lumpy idling and he told her that when you have a new head gasket fitted that it takes time to bed in and seal properly and something about the carbon building up to seal it and he said after driving it for a few thousand mies the new head gasket will bed in and those problems will go and the engine will idle better and not smell of petrol so much - is he correct in saying this or is it a load of old BS?
As far as I know he doesn't have any connection with the fella that sold her the car so I cant see why he would be BS'ing like this if he is, it just sounds a bit fishy to me. I am not a fully trained up mechanic though so I am doubting whether he may be correct that Punto's will be lumpy for a while after just having their head gaskets replaced - what do you reckon?
Also if you do have a head gasket replaced should not all the head bolts be tightened initially and then the car be run for a few thousand miles and the the head bolts checked re-tightened again or am I wrong on that one as well because the mechanic who put on the head gasket didn't say anything about bringing back the car after a time for the head bolts to be checked tightened again.
Be very grateful for answers if you can help. Thanks in advance.
Andy.