General poss head gasket gone

[phatts]

hello,

I have a 1.1ies 93(k) with 46k on clock.

At the moment it keeps dropping to three cylinders when revving low.

It also is drinking water like a fish with no sign of leakage under the engine. It also looks like water is coming out of the filler cap (yes its on tight) which has left a white powdery substance down the sides,

oh and the heater is blowing cold now aswell!!!!

from wht i can gather the 1108 fire engine (ha ha that still makes me laugh!!! )is prone to gasket failure.

is this true?

has anyone encountered these problems? if so your input/advice would be hugely appreciated.

thanks.

p.s. my screen wash pressue is also s**te - it just hits the bottom of the screen!!!!

 

[Steven]

My Uno is suffering this also. It is the head gasket that has gone. I'm going to have a go at doing mine myself. Anyone know where you can get a head gasket kit from?

<h5>Click here for pictures of my Uno
Click here for pictures of my Brava

 

[dave]

Originally posted by Steve C
My Uno is suffering this also. It is the head gasket that has gone. I'm going to have a go at doing mine myself. Anyone know where you can get a head gasket kit from?

<h5>Click here for pictures of my Uno
Click here for pictures of my Brava

Motor factors, see yellow pages, get a kit with new bolts in it.

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[dave]

phatts.
headgasket has gone when your piston goes up its pushing presure through the gap where gasket has gone and pushing your water out.
"white powdery substance down the sides",
would surgest limescale, if you have been running around with no anti-freeze you may have worn the inside of your head away aswell,

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[phatts]

Bugger - I hate being right!!!!!!!

is the gasket a difficult job to yourself??

I have the mighty haines manual?!?!

Would it be expensive taking it to a garage??
sounds like i need to get myself some coolant also!!!!!

 

[phatts]

would something like rad weld sort it out, or is too late for that???

 

[dave]

rad weld wont sort it. its not hard if you have basic skills. and the right tools. if you have been running on plain water you may have done inrepairable damage to your head.

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[Morty Mort]

When you're doing the head gasket, change the thermostat as well. Mine and several other's on this model has gone. Very cheap and easy. One clamp and two bolts right below the ignition module. It's usaually stuck in open position and letting coolant flow freely through a cold engine, hence the car never warms up except in traffic jam (which your clutch hates, I read).

Morten.


abarth wheels & steering. ia lowered. pg audio. refurnish.

projects: air intake. (used) seats. exhaust-repair. legal tint.

 

[The Negotiator]

About your washer jets;

Mine often get weak or lose power altogether on front but not rear. The reason for me is that I always get little bits of decomposed paper (from the foil of the anti-freeze) etc. in the filter. It is a tiny little filter and fills up easily. Get a screw drive, flat head about 4mm and fairly long. Put it into your emptied washer bottle on the filter on the passenger side (the one for the front pump) and then scrape around lifting as much gunk out as you can. The rear one is more like a "male" shape and the front like a female hence always gets blocked instead of the rear. Stupid idea but hey, got to live with it.

I end up doing it most times when I refill the washer bottle because I hate it when it happenes and i need a nice clean windscreen.

Hope this is the problem, if not, might be the pump. Never try to run the pump dry (i.e. when no water is flowly through) as it relies on the water to cool itself (the pump) down and lubicate.

Regards
Paul

My first signiture (a lot of thought put into it): If you can't find the switch to switch your fogs off I am sure I can help you! Damn fogs.

 

[sterryroad]

Have you got white smoke/steam coming out of the exhaust? This is a usual symton of head gasket failure. If you follow the instructions in the haynes manual you shouldn't have any trouble changing the head gasket yourself. Has the engine been overheated? If it has then you will probably need the head to be skimmed. It seems odd that the gasket should go after only 46k so I would suspect it has been heated, but then again.

A gasket set will cost around £25. You'll also need new head bolts as the old ones will have stretched and won't tighted top the correct torque if used again. A torque wrench would also be handy but not essential.

Follow the Haynes manual closely and don't put the head gasket on the wrong way round, I speak from experience. Some cheap gaskets aren't markes 'Top' and can be easily put on the wrong way round which will stop oil getting to your camshaft.

Write back if you want further guidance. Doing it yourself for the first time can be daunting but it's a good learning experience and you save a few quid too.

 

[dave]

A torque wrench is essential.

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[Steven]

I know it's not my thread, but there is some decent advice here, cheers. I'll be doing this when it gets a bit warmer.

So a torque wrench is essential then? You sure about that Dave before I buy one?

<h5>Click here for pictures of my Uno
Click here for pictures of my Brava

 

[dave]

Originally posted by Steve C
I know it's not my thread, but there is some decent advice here, cheers. I'll be doing this when it gets a bit warmer.

So a torque wrench is essential then? You sure about that Dave before I buy one?

<h5>Click here for pictures of my Uno
Click here for pictures of my Brava

DEFENTLY. so is new bolts, so is undoing and doing up the bolts in the correct order,so is cleaning the matting surfaces untill they shine,
See if you can borrow a torque wrench good ones are a lot of money , get head skimed even if its not warped you get a nice clean face on it then,

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[Steven]

Hmm, time to start studying the Haynes manual. Thanks Dave.

<h5>Click here for pictures of my Uno
Click here for pictures of my Brava

 

[dave]

Tip for cleaning the top of the block, turn the crank anti-clock wise untill all pistons are level, measure the pots cut cardboard circles about 1mm bigger push them into the pots so they sit ontop of pistons put some non-fluffy rag ontop of these, clean the top of block with a wire cup brush on a drill (or grinder if you have one), remove rags hover the dust out of pots, then remove the cardboard,turn the crank back clock-wise to where it was before inline with timing mark,

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[sterryroad]

I know Dave said a torque wrench is essential. I've seen it done by using degrees of turn, but you need to know what you are doing...or just be plain lucky.

Go with Dave's advice and get a torque wrench. £15 from Argos and will do the job as long as you don't plan on using it a lot.
http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/s...01&langId=-1&catalogId=1751&productId=90271

 

[dave]

sterryroad
i think what you have seen is only the second and third stages, first stage you use a torque wrench then angle tighten second stage then angle third stage.

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[dave]

Getting torque wrench from argos is good idea keep it clean and take it back before 14 days is up and get a refund.

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[phatts]

The head gasket is now changed, cost me 30£ for gasket set and thermostat + £20 for a thankyou feed for my old man!!!! adam sight cheaper than the £200-300 i was quoted at a garage!!!!!!

Thanks for all your help and advice guys!!

by the way, do you know of any good repair kits for exhausts?? car sounds a bit raspy when i put me foot down now!!!!!!!

 

[dave]

repair kits for exhausts, 2 screw type hose clips and a coke can,

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