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davidwort

headgasket blown? or even more sinister?

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I'm now running on 2 cylinders I think :(

 

Bit of background:

engine block rebuilt a few years ago, head a year or two before that, so block was an 'as new' engine and now has about 20,000 miles on it.

The KR engine always used a litle bit of oil, but that was to be expected.

after the conversion to 2.0 litres everything was fine, ran it in carefully and has consistently produced over 165bhp on various rolling roads.

About a year ago (about 18,000 miles on the new engine) it started to consume more and more oil, not on the overrun or starting but seemed to be under load.

Hoped it wasn't an oil scraper ring gone, as the compression was still good and the engine very strong but it was using loads of oil (wasn't leaking out anywhere!). Culminated in using about 1L of oil every 300 miles a few weeks back. Other day my wife used the car and it went really rough with little power, ran it myself for a few secs to check and it doesn't seem to be running on cylinders 3 and 4 at all. Picture of condition of plugs attached.

looking down cylinder 4 you can see a small amount of oily black deposits on the top of the piston, 3 is not nearly as oily and 1 and 2 look fine, plugs show the same story.

plug 4 looked oily when removed but seemed to dry just very black and sooty.I have an oil pressure gauge fitted and it has been reading spot on at appropriate temps and engine temp and oil temp have been fine too.

 

I know the head has to come off now,

Question is, is it likely to be the head gasket blown between 3 and 4 or what, anyone hazzard a guess?

(looks like I'll be busy a few evenings and weekends now!)

 

cheers,

David.

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not much help mate...but thats sad to hear mate. I haven't forgotton when the weather gets a bit perky we'll have a go at that Headlight Loom your so good at making.

I hope it works out and you get it sorted with minimal costs...good luck mate.

Sanjay.

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Hi David, long time no speak, not good news mate, was speaking to your old man about your car last wk, I hope you get it sorted like sanj said, if I can help please let me no.. :)

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hello mate

 

how r u???

 

anyway looking at that it really cant tel you much

 

do you know if they used a metal or orignal headgasket on the car??? as it sound not good for it to go so early and i know you dont drive like me lol

 

other wise without the head off you really cant tell, but if there is no oil mixed in the water system of you not pissin goil all over the floor etc i cant se it being that bad

 

just get the head off and see what you find :)

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cheers Alex, the oil burning issue meant I was about to take the head off this spring, but it's forced my hand now!

 

No water in the oil at all, so I'm just hoping it's head gasket and not piston probs.

 

TSR fitted the head last time, due to the fact that the first bottom end they supplied me lasted only 2000 miles before it became so noisy that I took the head off to have a look, the bore on no.1 cylinder was all scored and they reckoned it was 'incorrectly manufactured pistons' that was the problem???

 

I guess they just used a standard 2.0 gasket last time, which gasket/part no is the metal one then?

 

ta,

David.

 

hello mate

 

how r u???

 

anyway looking at that it really cant tel you much

 

do you know if they used a metal or orignal headgasket on the car??? as it sound not good for it to go so early and i know you dont drive like me lol

 

other wise without the head off you really cant tell, but if there is no oil mixed in the water system of you not pissin goil all over the floor etc i cant se it being that bad

 

just get the head off and see what you find :)

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Have you ever had the head rebuilt? If not then I'd lay odds on it being Valve guides and stem seals letting oil past and into the cylinders...

 

You'll have to take the head off to get the guides done, and will be able to tell if it's the gasket once it's off... 8)

 

At least doing a headgasket on a 16V isn't that bad due to it being X-flow and being able to get access to the exhaust manifold easily... :roll:

 

Good Luck! 8)

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cheers for the reply,

yep, the head was gasflowed and rebuilt a year or two before the bottom end, suspected valve stem seals or guides but the way the oil was burning didn't seem to fit with that, guess all will become clear when I get those headbolts undone!

 

David.

 

Have you ever had the head rebuilt? If not then I'd lay odds on it being Valve guides and stem seals letting oil past and into the cylinders...

 

You'll have to take the head off to get the guides done, and will be able to tell if it's the gasket once it's off... 8)

 

At least doing a headgasket on a 16V isn't that bad due to it being X-flow and being able to get access to the exhaust manifold easily... :roll:

 

Good Luck! 8)

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