Picked up the engine today - Early (non-balance shaft) one, but 90k on it and from an Auto as well.  Hopefully £80 well spent (!)  Will spend the rest of the savings on water pump, belt and tensioner..

Chap I got it from seems to know his Omegas - and reckoned that 90% of head/gasket failures are due to a clogged heater matrix.  Now mine doesn't burn my fingers off so will give it a hosepiping first..

I bought a job lot of antifreeze (Shell stuff, rebadged as Halfords, FWIW) a couple of years ago, so have plenty.  For the last week only, i've been using water - purely because at 3l a day i can't afford it!

Normally have a bottle of 50/50 for topups anyway..just wondered if there was any truth in the matrix idea - is it part of the coolant bypass circuit?

This stuff is the dogs dangly bits as far as generic antifreeze goes - anti-corrision, etc.  Shocked me when it was in Halfords bottles, but it was left-overs from some Shell sponsorship deal someone had for a race series.

Unless VX+TC anti-freeze comes in at less than £5/5 litres, then i'll keep using up my stock (which is starting to run low..)

philhoward wrote on 16. May 2008 at 21:21:

HBV there to prevent hot coolant going into heater matrix when you are trying to chill car...

Don't shoot the messenger!  I know its plausible with other cars, just wondered if there was any truth in it, that's all..

Just grabbing a bacon butty given rain has stopped play..oh for a double garage/barn...