Technical What is going on? Fiat Bravo'98 head gasket gone?

[sliza]

I have Fiat Bravo'98 model
1.6 engine
he has most of it's original parts.

He started at first overheating and pumping out all fluid so we changed the thermostat and that fixed that problem so 6 months later and he starts behaving the same way pumping out all fluid and overheating. So we figure the water pump is broken. We changed it and the thermostat was also changed again !
Now the engine is still overheating. We thought that the head gasket is probably gone, but the car engine runs on all four, there is no water in the oil and the compression is good but the radiator boils. Also I don't get any heat inside of the car all of the sudden after the thermostat and water pump were replaced.

Can you help me please!??

I am from Iceland so the part name are maybe not clear or how I describe the problem just ask and I will try my best to explain it more thoroughly.
This is more about the car it's in danish, but it should be pretty easily understood.
Serienavn: BRAVO I (182)
Typenavn: 1.6 16V (182.AB)
Drivmiddel: Benzin
Liter: 1,6
HK: 103
CCM: 1581
Periode fra: 03.96
Periode til: 10.01
Fabrikat: FIAT
KW: 76
CCM skat: 1581
Cylindre: 4
Ventiler: 4
Motor: Benzinmotor
Indsprøjtning: Manifouldindsprøjtning/karburator
Drivaksel: Forhjulstrukket
Bremsesystem: Hydraulisk
Katalysator: med regulerende 3-vejskatalysator
PCD: 4x98
Bolt eller møtrik: Bolt
Boltstørrelse: 12x1,25
Std. ET: 37
Std. Rulleomkreds: 1815
Min. Dækhastighedskode: T
Min. Dækhastighed: 190
Min. Dækloadindex: 78
Min. dækakseltryk: 850
Bilmodel: BRAVO

 

[MikeG20]

If head gasket is blown, doesnt mean that engine will mix oil and water. Gasket could be blown between cylinder and water canal so it boosts compression direct into cooling system and pump out fluid.

So i think that head gasket is blown/damaged.

 

[Rigby]

I have moved the thread into the relevant Bravo section so the members who know these cars and engines inside and outside are more likely to see it and help!

 

[bluejohn125]

OK so you think the water pump and thermostat are OK, and you think the head gasket has not blown because the compressions are OK and no oil / water mixing.

You should remove the radiator hoses and really flush out the radiator and engine with a hose, you can get rust and sediment at the bottom of the rad after several years, specially if you didn't change and clean the coolant every few years. Repeat this several times after running the car fully hot and with the heater ON.

If the cabin is not heating then you must check that there is no air in the system or the heater matrix (behind the dash board). If there is air you will hear a gurgling noise when you start the car...

Itis quite common for the heater matrix to fail on these cars, you will have a smell inside the cabin and also moisture in the cabin if the matrix is leaking. Also a leak can cause corrosion in the cooling system when air comes inside, this will make orange / brown sediment at the bottom of the radiator.

I had all these problems with my 2001 1.2 Brava (but the water pump was OK).

 

[sliza]

yess as these are things that have been replaced with new and right parts as we had to go to denmark and look for the appropriate thermostat.

I have had a problem with water collecting up in the car but as I have 2 dogs I thought that was the reason but I will go over this and report back...
I really don't want to replace the head gasket as I need to take a special trip to denmark to get the parts this is how it is to live in a remote island in the mid atlantic ocean huh... haha :slayer:

 

[MikeG20]

Iceland is beautifull place, hope to se it once im my life. But if you dong have closer option than Denmark, that is a big problem. Is UK closer?

 

[Eklipze3k]

I'd have thought getting the parts shipped from UK/DK would be cheaper than going all the way there?

 

[sliza]

in theory yes it could be cheaper, but as the economy is still really bad here for the middle and lower class and often it is better to go over to dk for a weekend and buy whatever I can get my hands on in parts, but because people I know were in dk recently It was cheaper to make them buy the thermostat and water pump in dk and bring it to iceland.

The shipping cost is often the same as the part price and then the government puts extra tax on the items we buy online therefore it is cheaper to go to dk or uk but I have found the best prices in dk on spare parts, the uk have okay prices, but the flight is cheaper to dk than the uk

And a funny fact there are about 3-5 Fiat Bravo '98 in Iceland that are in use and they are almost rusted down except for mine and one other that are almost rust free and are whole otherwise otherwise I have found about 5 cars that are ruined and have been standing for few years.

Okey, my uncle told us that it is very common for the radiator plug or cap to brake and result in a similar problem as I have described so we are going to check if we can't get that and give it a try.... at least after we drain the system and clean it.

 

[MikeG20]

Hm, im sorry to hear about so many troubles to get a Fiat part. After my Croatia entered EU, ONLY, and ONLY advantage is buying stufs from EU seller without goverment import taxes and fees. NOTHING else.

Unfortunately, after overheating in almost all cases head gasket dies and need to replace.
After your first overheating it leaked litlle, but after some time, hole spreded and result is pumping out fluid and overheating again.

Some times, after overheating even engine head can crack, mainly between valve seats

 

[fiatabuser]

Also to bear in mind is that if the car water boils up and it goes past the water pump it can break the water pump .What happens is the water pump is made to operate at 90C . If the water is 100C or more it can make the seals that contain the grease to lubricate the bearing for the water pump crack or open up and let grease fall out .The bearing now exposed to water will wear out very fast . Squeaking from the pump region when engine is running will tell if this is happing .
Also if the radiator often get very hot and boils over fro steam from hot water the plastic radiators can crack from steam or over temp .
Alternatively if the radiator or it pipes or some parts like heaters or heater pipes has already got leaks the air entering the system can cause all this overheating issues .
There exists a new product on the market that isn't water or alcohol like methanol and it is form of liquid chemical that wont boil off until temperature is ~160C.
Forgotten the trade name but if you fix all the problems get the heating system working is the best solution replace water and alcohol with that stuff and unless a leak comes or head gasket blows never see the radiator boil off the liquid ever again .

I hope some day to look Iceland being from Ireland its is fish land The ICE is said as ESA in irish means fish in Irish so we call it land of fish .The British must have picked up the wrong end of the stick and called ESA as speeled to be ICE and made it into Iceland

Hope that helps
Dave