HEAD GASKET FOR SURE

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I CAN RUN MY SPORTTRAK FOR 20 MILES WITH NO OVER HEATING THEN SOME DAYS IT WILL OVER HEAT WITHIN 10 MILES TODAY IVE NOTICED A WHITE FROTH COMING OUT THE HOSE THAT GOES INTO THE CYLINDERT HEAD THE ONLY THING IT CAN BE IS THE HEAD GASKET WITH THE EXPANSION BOTTLE FILLED RIGHT TO THE TOP AND STEAM BELLOWING OUT THE RADIATOR WHAT DOES IT ENTAIL STRIPPING THE HEAD OF A SPORTY IF I GET THE WORKSHOP CD I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT MYSELF WITH A LITTLE MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE OR WHAT WOULD A GARAGE CHARGE TO DO IT AND SCHIMM THE HEAD ANY SUGGESTIONS

Check first ........

1. Is the water pump belt tight and operating the water pump?
2. Is the water pump working or is it faulty?
3. Slight possibility thermostat is a stuck in closed position.

Expansion tank ... any bubbles in the expansion tank when engine is hot?
If 'yes' the cylinder head needs removing. Possible head gasket leakage or cracked cylinder head.
Garage ..... depends on quality. £300 upwards.

300-2000 no doubt

cheers for reply its hard GETTING ANY ON THE SITE ANYMORE TO TAKE THE THERMOSTAT OUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE POWER STERRING PUMP OFF SERPENTINE BELT WHY DONT THEY DIDNT THEY MAKE THE SPORTTRAK A BIT EASIER TO WORK ON IS IT JUST A DESIGN FAULT ON A SPORTY TO HAVE A WEAK HEAD IVE HAD A CHARADE YEARS AGO AND THE HEAD WENT ON THAT BUT IVE HAD 10-12 OTHER CARS SINCE IVE BEEN DRIVING AND NEVER HAD OVER HEATING PROBLEMS I BROUGHT THIS NEW SPORTY AND THOUGHT I WOULD USE MY OLD SPORTY HAS THE DONOR VEHICLE ANY WAY THIS ONE IS TO GOOD TO CHUCK AWAY AT 63000 MILE

KING

Thermostat housing.

Thermostat.
1. Always buy the correct type ... it is longer than a standard thermostat. It need to reach into the engine block.
2. Use a new thermostat gasket and use a gasket sealant. They leak ... saves time doing it twice. Fit thermostat with the toggle uppermost to evacuate the air locks.
3. Most important .... torque the thermostat housing to only 5lb/ft. Any higher and the threads strip .... then you really have a problem!

Head Gasket

I have the same task although the symptons are just no compression on no 2. No froth , no contamination, no loss of fluids just a lack of compression on number two pot. I have ordered the parts and await their arrival and then off we go. Suprisingly I have 2 Sportraks one a 1991 with 113000 miles on the clock had it for 14+ years no problems, but the one I got to replace her a 1996 Anjo Limited has been problematic and the quality differences are huge.

Good luck with the strip down, mine could reveal a simple job or the end of the engine, we will soon see.
.

M J Young

Head Gasket For Sure

We have 1992 ELXi, had head gasket replced 18 months ago at garage (£700) and its gone again!

It can be expensive, as we have been told by several mechanics that the Sporty head needs skimming every gasket change (advised to have full head refurb - around £200), so it's not just as simple as a strip down and replacement.

Usually when head gasket goes, coolant system pressurises and exhaust gases end up in coolant. Garage can do simple tests to check for sure before you start spending lots of money.

One point to beware, same symptoms can apply to cracked head or other even more serious faults!

what is it

i took out the thermostat and did another compression test on the cylinders they all came back at 14 to 14.8 so then i ran it without A THERMOSTAT IT TOOK A LOT LONGER TO REACH TEMP WHICH IT WOULD DO BUT AFTER A WHILE WITHOUT THE HEATER GOING IT OVER HEATED IN THE SAME WAY IT SOUNDS LIKE THE RADIATORS BOILING UP AND FILLS UP THE HEADER TANK HAS USUAL BUT WHEN SHES WARM IM NOT HAVING ANY WATER OUT THE EXHAUST WEIRD I NOW

KING

Radiator.

The radiator could be blocked with rust and coolant circulation stopped so the coolant boils. Drain the whole system into a bucket - the old coolant/antifreeze can be reused if not too old.
Pull bottom hose from the radiator and remove the radiator cap. Flush with a garden hose from top to bottom. Then flush with garden hose from bottom to top - hold the hose into the bottom outlet.
Also remove coolant hose to the thermostat and flush through the engine block so the water comes out the radiator.
Check the radiator cap's internal pressure release - should compress.

You will soon know if the radiator was blocked ..... rust/dirt/no or poor flow etc.
-----------------------------------------
Before you empty the coolant ... coolant cold.
Remove the radiator cap. Start the engine. Look at the coolant level inside the radiator. Rev the engine hard. The coolant level should lift slightly. If the coolant remains flat then the water pump could be knackered/seized.

GURGLING SOUNDS FROM DASH

RIGHT I JUST BEEN DOING A FEW TESTS ON THE Truck TODAY AND IM GETTING GURGLING SOUNDS COMING FROM THE MATRIX WHICH TO ME SEEMS LIKE AIR GETTING INTO THE COLLANT FROM THE EXHAUST GASES SO IVE ORDERED A WORKSHOP MANUAL BECAUSE IM 100% SURE ITS THE HEAD GASKET DO MILNERS DO LIKE A UPRATED HEAD GASKET?. IM GOING TO START STRIPPING IT DOWN SATURDAY HOPEFULLY THE CYLINDER HEAD ISNT OUT OF REPAIR THEY SCIM HEADS ABOUT 250YDS FROM MY HOUSE SO IM OKAY ON THAT ACCOUNT I JUST HOPE ALL THE PRESSURE THATS BUILT UP HASNT SPLIT THE MATRIX TO MANY PROBLEMS NOT ENOUGH TIME

KING

Holed matrix ........

Air in matrix could be a rusty matrix. Matrix leaks and when cooling air gets into the matrix. When the engine starts the air is forced into the engine block ... the air rush. If the Sporty is 8years+ it probably is a holed matrix. Any damp down the tunnel to the sides of the radio?

WHERE MY CD MANUAL WHICH I ORDERED ON HERE MONDAY

thanks mace for the replys the radiatoris free fowing and flowing clean NO IM JUST WAITING FOR THE WORKSHOP MANUAL TO BE DELIVERED WHICH I ORDERED ON MONDAY HOW LONG DO THESE THINGS TAKE AND ANOTHER THING WOULDNT HEAD GASKET FAILURE SHOW UP ON THE MOT EMMISSION CHECKS HOW LONG A TASK IS A HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT LIKELY TO TAKE

KING

Emissions.

HEAD GASKET FAILURE SHOW UP ON THE MOT EMMISSION CHECKS ....... No. Emission check calculates if the car is over the emission limit. Water in the emissions has no value. Provided it is below the MOT maximum for toxic gas, it will pass.

Time to renew a head gasket .... about 5 hours. Make certain the cylinder head is skimmed before being replaced. Another couple of days to be added to have the cylinder head skimmed. No point refitting a 'warped' cylinder head.

CD manual ... You could have bought a copy from me by return post. I believe the CD I use is more extensive than the version on offer on this site.

.

head gascet advice

hey there fella, im currently doing my sportrac h/g and its not hard, just tedious, remove all the exhaust side and manifold and then remove the radiator, hoses fan. remove the PAS pump and pulleys the water pump pulley and the crank pully then remove the cam belt cover

take a tea break Blum 3

have a good look around the inlet manifold and take pictures of where different wires and vac hoses go then begin striping off the inlet

nick the wifes nail polish and mark up the ignition timeing on the dizzy before you remove it, then remove it. take off the rocker cover and start removing the head bolts starting in the center and working out in circular motions, lift off the head and put on a nice soft surface and clean the majority of the clag and oil off of it, then take it to a local engineering firm and it should cost about 20-30 pounds for skimmage, while he is doing that (should be about havf a day) get a stanly blade and make sure the face on the block is totaly clean and free from crappy old bits of gasket, clean away the scrapings, go to pick up the head then reverse this whole process being very careful to make sure the timeing is correct and the ingnition timeing is as it was when it was removed.

i hope this helps.
2stroke

heads away

yeah im nearly at the cylinder head but its came on to rain thats the bastard of doing it on the road should be done by weekend got a head set with head gasket for 40 quid so its not goin to cost me the earth with 40 for getting it skimmed any way cheers the good thing is ive got a cd manual and another fucked sporty for reference if i get stuck

KING