Rain has stopped play on my driveway but here is a little progress report.

I started taking all the engine bay apart this morning, there were no real difficult parts as most has come off before.  During the dismantle various problems began to surface.

History:

Bought the car with oil cooler failure, which the owner thought was HG.  Repaired and got the car on the road.  However the owner had been running the car short distances with blown oil cooler so flushing it was a bi.....

Despite swapping all the pipes, hbv, thermostat (which was buggered anyway) and radiator I could not find the source of a leak I had.  It only leaked when it ran and even then when it was warm.  I used a coolant dye to help diagnose which gave me nothing.

So, imagine my suprise when I find this:

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll138/mrgaffney/Snapbucket/74c82ffa-orig.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll138/mrgaffney/Snapbucket/a2a3a705-orig.jpg

And I start thinking

"Feck, all this prep for a head swap and the leak is a f&^%$£& hose"

At least the dye has it's uses after all even though it's a little late.  So I think oh well and carry on with the job, I might as well finish it.  Besides you never know......

So, I got the drivers side head and suprisingly found this:

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll138/mrgaffney/Snapbucket/04f88b15-orig.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll138/mrgaffney/Snapbucket/f1288347-orig.jpg

As far as I know that is not a common place to have a HG leak, however it could not have been significant as is was not showing further the block.  Or at least as far as I knew.

I got the head off and imagine my language when I saw this:

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll138/mrgaffney/Snapbucket/e45a3d82-orig.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll138/mrgaffney/Snapbucket/9d6803a3-orig.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll138/mrgaffney/Snapbucket/3f5ab007-orig.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll138/mrgaffney/Snapbucket/60e33689-orig.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll138/mrgaffney/Snapbucket/5e124f22-orig.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll138/mrgaffney/Snapbucket/65f3fe6c-orig.jpg

At least the block face looks unaffected, on this side at least:

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll138/mrgaffney/Snapbucket/cccbefb8-orig.jpg

No wonder she was running warm, several of the water jackets are blocked  :o

Well the sun has come out again, so I am back out  :y

Good work so far :y

Cheers AA  :y

The other side was pretty much the same, the HG disintergrated although there was a lot of gung at the back of the passenger side which could be a mix of oil from the rocker cover (old) and coolant although there is no way for me to tell.

Right time for some fluids before I clean the block and reassemble the new heads.  :y

fantastic work mate keep us posted on how the project goes  :y :y

Cheers razzo

Anyway I have one of the heads now back on but I have had to put the 2.5 exhaust manifolds on as after a call to daz I realised I should have got the 2.6 gaskets......bugger.  I need the car finished by Monday so I had no choice.  But the rebuild has begun.

same trouble mate .. good luck with the repair.. :y

Well yesterday was a mix of ups and downs.  Both heads are now back on and fully torqued up along with the cams.  Getting the SAI pipes back in n the passenger side was emotional to say the least!  Oh and the bonnet struts are failing so the car tried to eat me!  I now have a nice scar and bruise on my back to show for it  >:(

Tonight it's a case of getting the cambelt on and the rest of the gubbins.  But it's nice looking at a nice clean top end  :y

Good work.... ;D

As I am back at work I have only been doing little snippets of work on her since the weekend.  Now the cam covers are on, the cam and aux belts are on.  Next is to refit the inlet after cleaning the breathers (the breather box got a lot of attention) the trumpets and reconnect the exhaust.  I have this afternoon off so it should be running by the time Kate gets here  :y

what happend with the head with that deep pitting? Did the master clear it ok for action?

Good stuff though  :y

Kevin rightly spotted that the pitting was in an area which does not press up against the block. So I just cleared all the corrosion and filled it with a chemical metal which resists high temperatures and sanded flat with some wet and dry :y

good stuff  :y

You're doing well :y

The question is.. what else has Guffer forgotten to put back on while he's putting it back together? ;)

aaronjb wrote on 13. Jul 2011 at 11:19:

The question is.. what else has Guffer forgotten to put back on while he's putting it back together? ;)

Cheeky get  ;D

That's why I only do small stages each evening after work.  The crohns makes me quite tired but I fight through in good military style.  Problem is I can forget things as a result of the fatigue.  On a bad day I come home from work and go to bed  :(

Guffer wrote on 13. Jul 2011 at 12:20:

aaronjb wrote on 13. Jul 2011 at 11:19: The question is.. what else has Guffer forgotten to put back on while he's putting it back together? ;) Cheeky get  ;D

;D;D

I often feel like going to bed when I get back from work.. and I don't even have a good reason for it, so you're doing better than me ;)

Although the worst thing I've forgotten to put back on an engine is the oil filler cap  :-[ oh, and an expansion bottle cap  :-[ ;D

I hav edone the expansion bottle cap once, thankfully it was -5C at the time  ::)

Well the engine bay is complete, one cat is connected, the other will be done tomorrow.  Then it's fresh oil and filter and turn it over  :y

I was distracted by the fixed round of mario kart   lack of light at 2045

I did the expansion cap in the middle of summer on a Renault 19 16v - only realised when I saw a whisp of steam on my way home.. drove the rest of the way home, waited a while, refilled the (half empty!) coolant system and located the cap (still nestled on the top of the bottle ;D) - drove the car for another couple of years without a single issue..

Did the oil cap on the MR2 - again only realised when I pulled up at work (two days after refilling the oil) and noticed smoke rising from the engine bay.. opened the boot lid to find a lake of oil sitting on the exhaust heatshield  :o :-[ Bought a new cap, then found the old one between the arch liner and back bumper four years later  ;D

Anyway, sounds like you'll be done by the end of tomorrow  :y Fingers crossed!

Guffer wrote on 13. Jul 2011 at 22:40:

I hav edone the expansion bottle cap once, thankfully it was -5C at the time  ::) Well the engine bay is complete, one cat is connected, the other will be done tomorrow.  Then it's fresh oil and filter and turn it over  :y I was distracted by the fixed round of mario kart   lack of light at 2045

I reckon reckon it was fixed, I'm sure TB has hacked it to make his car go faster.

I reckon so too AA  :y

Well I started her up this morning although I am missing a nuts for the downpipe as I lost it in the subframe while fitting  >:(  So I know she runs, just not how well yet.  I will have results by this evening weather permitting  :y

Guffer wrote on 14. Jul 2011 at 08:58:

I reckon so too AA  :y Well I started her up this morning although I am missing a nuts for the downpipe as I lost it in the subframe while fitting  >:(  So I know she runs, just not how well yet.  I will have results by this evening weather permitting  :y

Good work, hope all goes well :y

Right, Itried starting her this evening but it has problems starting.  At idle it is very rough and stalls, but if I keep the revs on it keeps going.  I have cleaned the IACV.  No codes appart from the expected 19.

Lol, 19 is not an expected code.....its an issue.

Did you fit the plug leads correctly (particularly the 2-4-6 bank) and are all vac pipes etc connected back up?

WellI fitted a new Crank Sensor and new HT leads as the old ones were suspect with light damage and............



...she lives!

Initially very tappy so after a few minutes I stopped the engine, refilled the coolant and oil and started her back up.  After a few more minutes the tapping was all but gone, the temp guage reads 93C after a long idle (used to be 97/98) and she sounds throatier (ported inlet  ::))

Cant wait to get the wheels on and take her for a spin  ;)

Thanks for all the help gents, esp Mark, JB, RobG, Kevin Wood and Daz  :y


I'll post some videos once they are uplaoded :D

Good work fella...

Ive seen (helped a little) it done, so know its no mean feat!

Sounds very promising Guffers :y

I quite enjoy swapping heads on the V6.

Actualy, did I just really say that!  :o

Marks DTM Calib wrote on 15. Jul 2011 at 12:20:

I quite enjoy swapping heads on the V6. Actualy, did I just really say that!  :o

you had enough practise with mine!  ;D

those head bolts seem the worst bit

Marks DTM Calib wrote on 15. Jul 2011 at 12:20:

I quite enjoy swapping heads on the V6. Actualy, did I just really say that!  :o

I know where to come if mine need doing again :P


Thinking about it, if mine do need doing again, its coming back to you under warranty, seeing as you fitted them last ;D

Marks DTM Calib wrote on 15. Jul 2011 at 12:20:

I quite enjoy swapping heads on the V6. Actualy, did I just really say that!  :o

Oh now you tell me  >:( >:( >:( ;D ;D ;D

Jimbob wrote on 15. Jul 2011 at 12:26:

Marks DTM Calib wrote on 15. Jul 2011 at 12:20: I quite enjoy swapping heads on the V6. Actualy, did I just really say that!  :o you had enough practise with mine!  ;D those head bolts seem the worst bit

They are!

I must have done 20+ now (pairs)

Marks DTM Calib wrote on 15. Jul 2011 at 13:13:

Jimbob wrote on 15. Jul 2011 at 12:26: Marks DTM Calib wrote on 15. Jul 2011 at 12:20: I quite enjoy swapping heads on the V6. Actualy, did I just really say that!  :o you had enough practise with mine!  ;D those head bolts seem the worst bit They are! I must have done 20+ now (pairs)

I must treat my engines with respect so MDTM doesn't have to do any more heads for me.
I must treat my engines with respect so MDTM doesn't have to do any more heads for me.
I must treat my engines with respect so MDTM doesn't have to do any more heads for me.
I must treat my engines with respect so MDTM doesn't have to do any more heads for me.
I must treat my engines with respect so MDTM doesn't have to do any more heads for me.
I must treat my engines with respect so MDTM doesn't have to do any more heads for me.
I must treat my engines with respect so MDTM doesn't have to do any more heads for me.

I must....  ....ah sod it, he enjoys doing them :P