Polo Headgasket

[Timo. 0]

My Polo headgasket has obviously got a leak in it somewhere. As I'm a lazy sod I aint really too bothered about fixing. Only needs topped up every 4-500 miles so it cant be too bad. No oil in coolant but there's always white crap under the oil fill cap.

 

Question is, is there any product that I can put in the coolant that might help seal the leak. I had a look in halfords the other week but there was only stuff for radiators. WIll this be any good? or shall I dive in and do my first headgasket!

 

cheers

 

Simon

[billinjah 0]

they do a headgasket stuff in my halfrauds in bedford never used it mind

[dr_mat 0]

There's often mayo under the oil filler cap on cars that never warm the oil properly. It needs a good thrash with oil temps > 100 degrees C to boil all the dissolved water out of it. This doesn't necessarily mean the head gasket has failed, just that you have to keep the car outside in the cold and you get a lot of condensation form inside the head overnight..

[Timo. 0]

but its using coolant!!

 

might try that halfords stuff for the radiator, cant do any harm surely.

 

cheers

 

Timo.

[Henny 0]

the halfords stuff may actually do some damage... :| It's widely known that Rad Weld and the like can clog up some of the smaller waterways inside the engine and actually cause overheating problems... :|

[Timo. 0]

yeah but it only my £100 polo we're talking about. Still I would be upset if it died on me :cry: . I've grown to love that wee car, its great!!

 

T.

[Funkster 0]

I have used halfords' radweld-alike with great effect in my manky old MGB which has a very moth-eaten radiator, but I'm not sure if it would work so well with a leak from coolant passage to crank case. I think it works by contact with air while hot - can anyone confirm?

 

Anyway, it didn't do the engine any harm and on a £100 car I wouldn't hesitate to use a £3 fix to keep it running ) I wouldn't risk it on a highly stressed engine like my turbo or vr6 or SBC though...

 

hth,

--

Olly

[goodridge 0]

What engine polo is it mate? Most of the Polo head gaskets can be done in just over an hour. Piece of cake :)

[craigowl 0]

Timo said

yeah but it only my £100 polo we're talking about. Still I would be upset if it died on me . I've grown to love that wee car, its great!!

Your right, they are great. I had 3 versions all from new. The only serious failure was a BLOWN HEAD GASKET - somewhat inconsiderately of her, on the Isle of Arran when we were on family holiday.

My daughter's £250 one with 120k miles on clock has seen her learn to drive, pass test and now she commutes to Edinburgh in it. Maybe it will last for years - maybe not. On the whole, though, you can trust them.

A naturalist on Deeside I had dealings with had one with 350k on it at the last count. He had never washed it and it allegedly had no rust. Story made the Scottish "Sun". Not a glamorous car, but an understated great.

[Timo. 0]

Its the 1.3 litre GT. Surprisingly fast so it is and fuel comsumption is excellent.

 

Might get around to doing it at some point when I have the time and I'm feeling brave. Oh and when it warms up a bit!!

 

T.

[beavis 0]

LOL.. A head gasket on a GT can be swapped a piece of piss and are about 15 quid, just do it before it breaks down and fails completly. If you want to be pikie you can reuse the headbolts, all you will need in addition is a exhaust downpipe gasket. A Polo headgasket can be changed and runnning in the same time as it takes you to get the head off a Corrado engine.

[Supercharged 2]

If you want to be pikie you can reuse the headbolts

 

:lol:

[Timo. 0]

sounds good to me!

 

I'll think about it :)

 

T.