Quick response or what - many thanks Ben....
As in my first post I have a Kreg Tempra 1.9 diesel with blown head gasket for the 3rd time. Usually seems to happen after a cooling system problem.
1st time the bottom rad hose came off at 70,000ml after the clip broke (possible over pressure ?). Pump bearings colapsed about 5,000 later, rad went about 5,000 more.
2nd time the head split 20,000ml later as as result of the 1st time - apparently (I know it overheated badly).
3rd time (last night) head gasket went, clouds of smoke and lumpy running, steam from the header tank. About 2 months ago the top rad hose split, from the rad back for 9", caught the problem immediatly and towed home, replace all hoses, hopefully no overheating. Was alright up till last night, now the gasket's gone. currently sitting at about 95,000ml.
Previous time the car has been repaired by a local garage but i'm unwilling to fork out the £1500 they charged, so i'm going to DIY. Well capable, have rebuilt engines in the past, and I'm in engineering, not afraid of getting down and dirty. I've just replaced the front struts as the lower spring cup rotted through, so I'd like to keep the old dear a bit longer, besides whicj I need her for towing the trailer, the second Tempra dos'nt have a tow hitch.
So anybody had this sort of thing with a Tempra?, any look out for's?, gotchas. I've heard the head bolts (inside rocker housing) need special tooling, those outside are ordinary bolts. Anybody know the torque setting ?.
The list of things i've had go wrong with this car is endless, yet we still love it (affectionatly called the "tractor"), silly me went and bought another Kreg 1.6 petrol Tempra as well.
Incidentally the power steering on the diesel is very heavy, the petrol is a light as a feather, can't just be the weight of that dielsel lump can it?. Having had it from new I suppose we've not noticed if the power steering efficiency has dropped off.
Another one for you - the heater "gurgles", water levels are upto mark and the cooling system has an auto bleed to the header tank, but ever since the 1st gasket problem it's "gurgled", heater still chucks out tons of heat though.
Any advice much appeciated.
Ziomike.