New Head Gasket Blanking 3 Water holes

davejones81 · Post by **davejones81** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 1:31 pm

Hi, I'm fairly new to the Bongo world and had to do a head gasket as I had a small pin-prick coolant leak and my garage didn't bleed the system properly afterwards, leading to air locks and an overheated engine.

I had the head pressure tested and skimmed and when we put the new gasket on, there are 3 water holes blanked out by the new gasket. Unfortunately we threw away the old gasket to check. Is this normal? It's a 2.5 td.

On images i have seen new cylinder heads without the 3 water holes i speak of and other that have them as per my head. It doesn't sem right to have the gasket block the flow of water.....

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Dave

Driver+Passengers · Post by **Driver+Passengers** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 1:42 pm

I've read others asking about this, and while I can't answer the question directly, here's a link...

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=50922

Edit: just read through that thread myself - doesn't seem to answer the question re: blocked ports on the gasket. There was one, I'm sure... can't remember the opinion voiced in it, though...

widdowson2008 · Post by **widdowson2008** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:28 pm

Asked the same question myself a while ago, and the answer appears to be YES - some holes are deliberately blocked off. Must be something to do with flow path through head.
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 58&start=0

These diagrams (actual Bongo head chopped up) may explain what happens in the head and why one side is blocked off.

davejones81 · Post by **davejones81** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 7:14 pm

Many thanks for the replies. I have decided it is normal.
A little more background, we fitted the new head gasket and the bongo did 200 miles with no issues. Then one morning I fired it up and it was very lumpy and smokey and we deduced that combustion gases were again getting into the coolant system. (scania technician used the kit on the radiator.)
I'm getting the head checked again free of charge tomorrow but have read that pressure tests when ok while cold may not reveal cracks when hot.
I'm thinking possibly to go with a new head.

Thanks again

Post by **Simon Jones** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 10:05 pm

Worth taking a look at my comments on this thread: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... al#p386403

New Head Gasket Blanking 3 Water holes

New Head Gasket Blanking 3 Water holes

Re: New Head Gasket Blanking 3 Water holes

Re: New Head Gasket Blanking 3 Water holes

Re: New Head Gasket Blanking 3 Water holes

Re: New Head Gasket Blanking 3 Water holes