HELP! 16v engine disaster!!!

[golddust 0]

OK, I could really use some advice/help!

 

Friday the coolant warning light came on in my C. It was pretty cold so I stopped, restarted the car and no problem.

A while later I notice steam from the passenger side and investigate.

The water header tank is empty and steaming.

 

Anyway to cut a long story short I stopped for water and oil top ups about 3 times over the next 5 miles. Then the oil warning light comes on just minutes after I've topped it up. Not good.

 

Ended up leaving it for the night and getting a train home.

 

Next morning, topped up water & oil and it all looked ok.Started it up and carefully started home. After a few miles the oil warning light came on and was shortly followed by a massive cloud of smoke out the back. I towed it from here.

 

Anyway, I've started to dissmantle things and have noticed something odd. I put in 4 new spark plugs about a week ago and they all have a black covering of oil on them.

Now my experience of blown head gaskets is that 1 cylinder normally goes, so why have all 4 got oil on them?

I've not got the head off yet but what's the opinion? Does this sound like a head gasket failure?

 

Also I've not got a haynes manual for doing the head on a VW (anyone able to scan and email?) I've done the head gasket on a Vauxhall 16v so am I gonna get a shock doing a VW one?

 

Any idea what may have gone wrong or any advice?

 

Thanks!

[Skimask 0]

Hi goldie,

It may not be your head gasket thats away. Another common 16V fault is the oil cooler corroding and allowing the oil/water to mix.

[stevemac 0]

Hi goldie,

It may not be your head gasket thats away. Another common 16V fault is the oil cooler corroding and allowing the oil/water to mix.

Quite true - but that wouldn't explain the fouled spark plugs... :shock:

 

golddust - Looks like you have a (very unlikely) coincidence of most of your 16 valve seals blowing at the same time - or more likely you have cylinder head problems. Unlikely to be just the gasket as you have oil on all 4 plugs.. :(

 

Other possibilty is that you have engine crankcase breathing problems & this is forcing oil up into the intake system. .. :wink:

[golddust 0]

Now the crankcase breathing problem I can well believe as it's been running pretty badly... Plus I've found oil in the airbox and inlet manifold. Thing is once warm the engine is normally fine and I think I let the oil run low (hence the problems). Well I'll take the head off and if there is no sign of a gasket failure then I'll look at maybe changing the head.

 

Incidentally it doesn't look like there is an oil/water mix at all. Just seem to be using both very quickly!

 

Oh it's all gone a bit wrong lately!

[stevemac 0]

I'd get the head thoroughly checked & re-conditioned. Also take the opportunity to remove the sump, oil breather pipes & intake pipework to give them all a good clean out.

[golddust 0]

I wont have the opportunity to do the sump or get the head reconditioned as my C is a daily driver. I'm pretty much looking at doing all this quick as possible and hopefully driving her again within a few days...

 

Will certainly remove all the rubber pipes and clean them up though.

[golddust 0]

Oh bugger! I've taken the head off and there isnt any sign of real damage to the head gasket. I can't see a breach of the metal ring around the cylinder anywhere....

None of the valves appear to be bent although both valves and pistons have a fair coating of carbon deposits.

Interestingly the head gasket appears fairly new and nothing was difficult to unbolt so wondering if it's been done recently but not tightened up after it had done a few miles...

 

Anyway, without much idea what else to do I guess I'll have to put it back together and see what happens...

[Henny 0]

don't forget to use new bolts! Head bolts should only be used once (twice at an absolute maximum)

[G60JAY 0]

Sounds like who ever done the gasket before did'nt do it correctly. Put a new gasket in there with a new set of head bolts and make sure you use a torque wrench.

[golddust 0]

Cheers G60 Jay! Are you really in Brizzie? I was living there for a month in July/August, nice place. I loved the river festival with the supersonic fly past at 50ft! When a plane does 900kmh 50ft above your head you really know about it!

[G60JAY 0]

Cheers G60 Jay! Are you really in Brizzie? I was living there for a month in July/August, nice place. I loved the river festival with the supersonic fly past at 50ft! When a plane does 900kmh 50ft above your head you really know about it!

 

Yes i'm really in brisbane :D

That sounds awesome. I wasn't around here at the time but might catch the next one.

Great place brisbane. Not been here to long but loving it so far.

Cheers Jay

[golddust 0]

Well I got the block back together and it started first time without any fuss. Except for the noise of the alternator tensioner grating on the alternator fly wheel (I didn't connect it up).

 

However I then discovered one minor cockup.... The blue half circle rubber bungs in the side of the head. I've missplaced the one by the cambelt.... Trouble is I can't find it anywhere and am scared I've knocked it inside the rocker cover before attaching it.... Time to undo the inlet and rocker again! :(

[golddust 0]

For anyone interested in following this thread, I had an overheating problem after this and it's all now fixed.

 

See other thread: http://the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18301&highlight=