Testing Bongo friendly garage - East Linton

[MikeBongo]

Well I should have said nothing! Driving home last week and the Bongo overheated .. had it stopped within a minute. Took it to my local garage who, as I identified a few weeks ago and posted on here, seem to know their way round a bongo. They have just told me that either the head is cracked or gasket gone. The coolant alarm hadn't gone off and there was still water in the header tank. Thought it was the water pump but no such luck.

SO bracing myself for what the repair bill is likely to be. Assuming the worst and it is the head can anyone give me an idea of how sore this is going to be ... Chris has not had the chance to work it out but fore warned etc ....

Oh well ... sold my Golf and bought a new van that was delivered yesterday. Going to be an expensive month ...

Mike

[Jim the Box]

Sorry to hear about your bongo Mike. Going by recent posts you need to eliminate the cause. i.e leaking water pump (which is often difficult to spot) or leaking hoses, blocked radiator or the heater matrix etc. There have been a few posts where the head has been repaired but not the original cause of the problem so be careful. Hope you find it is only the water pump however you don't sound too hopeful.

Jim...

[MikeBongo]

Well, it seems the waterpump had a slight leak ... they had thought that might be the problem and put on a new one I had 'in stock'. This didn't cure things. However, I had thought about half a hour before it overheated, that the heating seemed to be working better than it had ever worked before. Previously it never did much unless it was full on (had been like that since I got it). So who knows whats been happening. Just hoping the guys really know their stuff.
I guess the leaky pump may have cause an air lock hence the overheat so once the head/gasket is sorted we may be cured,

Will post the saga as it unfolds.

Mike

[Jim the Box]

Well at least you know, if the guy's do a good job on the head there's always Matt for the bleed. Also it's not the first time a pumps been done and the bleed seems ok only for the van to overheat due to a slight air lock and needs to be done a second time you never know. I've just ordered full set of hoses for my bongo, so if they do a good job on your's I may get them to do my v6, the hose routing is different but the bleeding method is exactly the same. Good luck with your bongo!

Jim....

[Driver+Passengers]

Really sorry to hear, Mike!

Hope they resolve the underlying cause - that sucks, though. From my understanding, it's usually either exhaust gas is getting in through head/gasket or air is getting in over heat/cool cycles (hoses, pump gasket, etc...)

Matt.

[MikeBongo]

Been speaking to a lot of people so I think rather than muck about I gettingto get a new head, fit a Hadyn temperature alarm to complement the coolant one I already have and hopefully that will be me sorted.

I concluded that by the time I've paid the garage to strip down the head, sent it off for testing, assumming its ok, getting it skimmed, reassembling the lot etc I might as well get a new assembled head in the first place and I'd be quids in if the original turned out to be cracked and not significantly worse off if ot turned out to be ok after the labour was taken into account. Thats the theory anyway.

Oh well. And fingers crossed the block is ok ... certainly no evidence of water in the oil.


Mike

[MikeBongo]

Bongo is back from the doctors and is running beautifully. Hadyn alarm fitted, new head, timing belt, aircon belt, oil/filter change and a general health check completed. Yes, my pocket is lighter but I am assured she will run for years now .. here's hoping.

So, yes, I would recommend Allens' Garage in East Linton to cure your Bongo. I think the costs are fair too.

Now, where can I go this weekend!!

Mike

[Driver+Passengers]

Great news!!!

So what was the verdict as to the root cause? Presumably not the bleed we/I did as you'd run it a fair bit, hadn't you? I had my hand on your front heaters on that test drive - blisters have healed now. You mentioned water pump replaced, and presumably waterpump gasket with it. You have new head and new head gasket? Was it sealed? Block decked? What else was checked/changed?

I'm really chuffed for you that it's done and back, so soon. Fingers, toes, etc crossed for you!

[the laird]

Good news mike glad your sorted,have you thought about the gair loch in a couple of weeks?
Regards gordon

[Jim the Box]

Saw your bongo on Wednesday afternoon at the Linton garage, was wondering as I passed it how it was going, great news Mike hope to see you at the bash.
I have one or two things to check on my own bongo over the weekend, it's suddenly started running about 6'c hotter than it did during the winter, i'm hoping that's due to the warmer temps we are having recently main coolant fans are not coming on so hope that is a good sign.

[MikeBongo]

Matt .. the garage are of the opinion the fault was a leak in the waterpump. They checked all the hoses etc and flushed it twice and ran in around for a couple of days before they let me have it back. I'll call you with the full gory details!

Not sure about the Gairloch trip ... need to be in Aberdeen around then but will see how things turn out.

Mike

[teenmal]

Bongo is back from the doctors and is running beautifully. Hadyn alarm fitted, new head, timing belt, aircon belt, oil/filter change and a general health check completed. Yes, my pocket is lighter but I am assured she will run for years now .. here's hoping.

So, yes, I would recommend Allens' Garage in East Linton to cure your Bongo. I think the costs are fair too.

Now, where can I go this weekend!!

Mike

Hi Mike,I carried out a few modifications to a garage in East Linton,just wondering if it was the same one,I think the owner at that time was called Jimmy Allen,he was a Jaguar man..

Sorry to sidetrack a wee bit.

[MikeBongo]

Yes. Its the same garage. It is run by Jimmys' son Chris now. The mechanic who worked on the Bongo is Roddy Hutchison who also has a really good reputation.


Mike

[teenmal]

Yes. Its the same garage. It is run by Jimmys' son Chris now. The mechanic who worked on the Bongo is Roddy Hutchison who also has a really good reputation.


Mike

Thanks for the info Mike,I lost touch with Jimmy a few years ago,I can remember he had a son (banker).


Thanks again.

Mal...

[Jim the Box]

Do they do MOT's Mike?