Technical Head gasket blown, balancing options, little money

[jrkitching]

Well done for your efforts thus far.

That metal pipe coming out of the back of the water pump looks pretty corroded. This is a known weakness and failure point, I'd suggest you change it now whilst you're waiting for the head to come back. You can get one from S4P for around £20 or so. It may save you from another coolant leak a year or so from now.

 

[Keepthe12alive]

Well done for your efforts thus far.

That metal pipe coming out of the back of the water pump looks pretty corroded. This is a known weakness and failure point, I'd suggest you change it now whilst you're waiting for the head to come back. You can get one from S4P for around £20 or so. It may save you from another coolant leak a year or so from now.

Do you mean replace the water pump or the pipe behind the exhaust manifold?

 

[Keepthe12alive]

Well done for your efforts thus far.

That metal pipe coming out of the back of the water pump looks pretty corroded. This is a known weakness and failure point, I'd suggest you change it now whilst you're waiting for the head to come back. You can get one from S4P for around £20 or so. It may save you from another coolant leak a year or so from now.

I'm having trouble locating one -- could you send a link?

 

[Keepthe12alive]

Think I just found it

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/ridex/15237689

 

[koalar]

This pipe

It's hard to tell in your photo I looks rusty and possibly some red coolant stain


Search for

55245750 coolant pipe

If it needs replacing

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

This pipe

View attachment 449265

It's hard to tell in your photo I looks rusty and possibly some red coolant stain


Search for

55245750 coolant pipe

If it needs replacing

Yup, I agree. looking a bit "bubbly" where the branch is I thought? I replaced Becky's with an "original Birth" branded one from S4p and it's been very good. If you're going to do it be "gentle" with the wee bolt which holds it to the front of the block - Becky's undid without a struggle but Felicity broke hers.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Updates: got a lot done today, and the head is way to be skimmed!!

View attachment 449262

Looking lovely, "Nice N Shiny" which is always good! I enlarged the image and notice there seems to be a fair bit of "crud" in the tapped holes. you need to clean these out before reassembling. (I blow them out with compressed air, then run a suitable tap down them and blow them out again.)

 

[Keepthe12alive]

Looking lovely, "Nice N Shiny" which is always good! I enlarged the image and notice there seems to be a fair bit of "crud" in the tapped holes. you need to clean these out before reassembling. (I blow them out with compressed air, then run a suitable tap down them and blow them out again.)

Thank you so much!! Iam planning to do something like that went the head gets back -- i know i risk cracking something if there's water or anything in there

 

[Keepthe12alive]

Also thank you all so so very much -- i just had a look at the water pump pipe and I think it's just looking like that from the coolant leak it suffered -- pipe otherwise sturdy and good!

 

[koalar]

Was this heat shield fitted

What's it look like on the inside ?

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Was this heat shield fitted

View attachment 449267

What's it look like on the inside ?

Gawd, wish mine looked as good as that one!

 

[Keepthe12alive]

Was this heat shield fitted

View attachment 449267

What's it look like on the inside ?

 

[Keepthe12alive]

Also, I can’t remember where someone posted the torques for the head bolts — by chance does anyone have that on the top of their head?

My mechanic has something different than the Haynes manual

 

[Keepthe12alive]

Or at least could someone verify if this is correct?

Home Page

aftersales.fiat.com

 

[koalar]

Or at least could someone verify if this is correct?

Home Page

aftersales.fiat.com

I use whatever is supplied with the head gasket

My last one was elring

And new bolts

Pinch all them up loosely
Tighten to 20 then 30 Nm
Tighten a further 90 degrees the 90 again

 

[koalar]

Thanks for the photo of the heat shield


It tells us quite a lot


looks like it's got an additive in the coolant
Looks like it's leaked from the top not from inside
Seeing it's gone over the exhaust it explains all the steam

 

[Keepthe12alive]

Would anyone know the best way to treat rust throughout my coolant system?

The prev owner just running it with water has left it pretty rough and I’d like to keep this head gasket for a while lol

 

[koalar]

Never done it my self

But landrover defender owners swear by a dishwasher tablet

Drop it in the expansion tank and run it up to temperature

flush and then fill with coolant

Apparently they say it's better than the proper radiator flush products

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Never done it my self

But landrover defender owners swear by a dishwasher tablet

Drop it in the expansion tank and run it up to temperature

flush and then fill with coolant

Apparently they say it's better than the proper radiator flush products

Dishwasher tabs or low foaming washing powder I've heard works well for clearing oil contamination from cooling systems, no idea if it work to clear rust? I'd be inclined to just pop the hoses and thermostat off so I could flush the block, radiator and heater matrix with water. I have the advantage of really good mains water pressure here though. If you do then keep a very close eye on coolant level for the first few days of running as a good flush through will often find weaknesses which weren't leaking before!

 

[jrkitching]

But landrover defender owners swear by a dishwasher tablet

Dishwasher tablets are strongly caustic and most contain sodium hydroxide. This attacks aluminium, so I'd definitely not recommend using this in any engine with aluminium components anywhere in the cooling system. On a Panda, I'd expect this to destroy both the radiator and the heater matrix in short order, especially if run up to temperature, and it won't do the head much good either.

This might work on vehicles with an all-iron engine and a copper cored radiator.