advise blown gasket!!!

[KennethB]

I had a over heating problem which i believe was due to the thermostat which I have changed and then I got a air lock which I think I have sorted. My main concern is that the head gasket may have been damaged!! I would know if this has happened, I check the oil using the dip stick to see if there was any cream from oil and water mixing but it is clean, what other signs can I look for with out taking the head off????

Please help as I don't want to cause any more damage.

Thanks
Kenneth Bellehewe

[crazy uncle gray g]

You could run through some of these ideas/suggestions
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_ ... ead_gasket

[KennethB]

Ha Ha I reading that just before, Not sure if to take the head off just to check

[321Away]

my advice would be to finish the job and replace the radiator as well as this is usually the main culprit of overheating, why do you think you've damaged the head gasket? does the vehicle have poor idling/running?
julian

[KennethB]

no it seems to run fine, its just I over heated it twice and thought it may be gasket related, just worried about using the van. I bleeded the system again as soon as i got home with the engine over heated. started the engine up again and took it for a drive and left it running for 20 - 30 mins and everything seemed fine.

The rad is expensive!!!

[321Away]

they aren't cheap but more often that not they are the cause of overheating as they clog up n have restricted flow, I always point people in the direction of ebayu, there are some cheaper (£100ish) all metal constructed units on there, even if you dont replace it. its worth pulling it out for a 'kettle test' to see if you have any blockages.
julian

[brorabongo]

As said above rads can be got on the cheap, but beware.......

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 1&start=45

All the best.

[KennethB]

Bongo is fine, when it overheated it most of been a air lock, took van to work and was stuck in lots of traffic and temp was fine just keeping an eye on water level at the moment. and getting it tested on Thursday.

[missfixit70]

I had the same during the week, all the symptoms of HGF, threw out a load of coolant, pressurising etc, front heater was blowing cold so it was airlocked, managed to bleed it in Aldi car park & it got me home ok, but still runnig a bit hot.
pressure tested it, couldn't see any obvious leaks, but it was dropping pressure very slowly, bled it again, put a new pressure cap on the header, ran much more like normal, took it up my normal test route with a big hill, all ok.
Took the engine tray off yesterday, pressure tested it again, yet another silicon hose weep at the joint (the big hose connecting to the bottom of the stat) tried tightening it & the jubilee clip gave out, I didn't have one big enough, so had to make a big one out of two smaller ones, all ok for the mo, but I will be sourcing replacements asap, not much luck so far though.
Worth doing a pressure test - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=38823 to help find any leaks & worth checking/replacing the pressure cap on the header, not sure if that was the cause or not, but a definite difference in spring pressure between old & new.

[KennethB]

Hi

Problem has not gone away, what is a kettle test for the rad?

I was driving the other week and all seemed well and the temp went up so pulled over and checked the bleed hose and steam seem to pour out for at least a min. So I refilled the system and got the air out of the system and then did a 500 mile round trip so all seems well. Two days ago I drove the bongo to southend and back which is about 50 miles, 2 miles from my house I got stuck in traffic for about 30 mins. Just as I got to the end of the traffic the temp gauge start going up nearly got to the end and all of a sudden the temp when but to 11 o'clock and was fine the rest of the way home but I did loss a lot of coolant, Any ideas to what is happening?

[francophile1947]

Problem has not gone away, what is a kettle test for the rad?

Remove rad and fill it with boiling water from the kettle. If there are no problems it should be hot all over. If there are any cold spots, the rad is blocked at that point.
It does sound as if you may have gasket problems Have you had the system pressure checked?

[missfixit70]

Have to agree with John, does point towards pressurising system Have you got a modified temp gauge at all? If it's standard & showing hot, then it is getting very hot.

[Tripewriter]

Problem with Bongo is that air gets trapped in the rear heating system then for some reason gets stuck at the thermostat, there used to be a fact sheet on bleeding the system on the site.

[missfixit70]

Problem with Bongo is that air gets trapped in the rear heating system then for some reason gets stuck at the thermostat, there used to be a fact sheet on bleeding the system on the site.

Still is, or if you search the forum, a few methods on here too, I don't hold with the rear heater theory at all, mine's removed & I still have to bleed it, it's down to the fact that it's mid engined with hoses that go below the level of the engine & rad going between them.

[KennethB]

thanks for the information, taken head off now