Persevere and reap the rewards

[Stagsongas]

I've had my car just about a year now.

Although it let us down on our first sunny day trip, much has been done to it since. See the thread;

http://www.stag.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?22234-It-s-Broke-(/page16&highlight=It%27s+Broke

if interested.

Anyhow, it took some time to get the time to get it all sorted and I don't remember last Summer being that good, so we just never got to go out in the car after it was fixed.

Yesterday, after fitting up the last parts of a revised rear end, and spending a while getting the exhausts to fit like they did before, the planets lined up again. SWMBO was actually keen to go out in the car, the Sun was out, although the forecasts had convinced us Easter Monday wasn't going to be that good in the weather dept.

So, off we went, only on 30 mile trip to vist a Watermill I hadn't seen but what a pleasure it was, no staring at the temp. gauge with the heater constanly on 'hot', no Stag twitch and a hood we can actually open and close. For those of you that bought a car and had (or have) trouble, I just want to say Stick With It, you will get there in the end, and when you do, it is definately worth it!

Regards

Steve

[Bassy]

I will take this to heart seeing as the water pump leak Snotrocket had has turned into a full blown pressuring up the system and blowing water out the expansion tank affair, so heads by the looks. She runs fine , just dumps water out the bottle and into the vee.

That and my trip round the block with the littleun before I attempt head removal (of the car not the child!) resulted in us being caught in a sudden storm. I can now reveal driving snotters in the rain is like standing in a shower . she leaks like a sieve!

So it looks like head removal is required, and now Im wondering do I go the whole hog and do a full rebuild of the engine, or just buy a done one from Wards or somewhere... Seeing as she needs a bit of welding, a complete interior , and apparently a roof! maybe I should just do the heads for now.

[staginhiding]

You are getting into major expense to do it all Bassy..
You will also find that too long a list of "to do's" becomes a real motivational battle..

That said be confident with the engine bottom end condtion before tackling the heads..or you might end up doing them again if the bottom end gives up later..
I have to say (my opinion)its all or nothing for the engine side of things..however if you have evidence of a good engine bar the heads then just do them for now..

Sam

[Stagsongas]

Snotrocket - I love it

Bassy, you might get a lot out of the thread I quoted above. Water pumps and Stags, Hmmmmm.

Regards

Steve

[GDPR]

Do yourself a favour Andy - if you are going to pull the heads, leave the engine fully assembled and run it up to hot, then loosen off and if possible remove the head studs etc with the engine still hot.

If you have studs tight in the heads it will help to release them by having the heads hot - don't even bother dropping out the coolant before removal...

Russ

[Stagdad]

Have you done a block test to confirm a HGF? You might be lucky/unlucky and just have no circulation due to the pump not only leaking but the drive gear stripped so not pumping .

Cheers Steve

[Bassy]

Hi Steve,

Not done a block test. I had previously had the pump out and refurbed it. It is deffo pumping as you can see the flow with the filler cap off the rad. When it pressures up the top hose goes really hard and you can actually see the bubbles going into the expansion tank if you take the cap off. I cant see it can be anything else other than gases getting into the cooling system although I admit I am no expert.

As an aside do you know anything about Classic and Modern Engines in Bracknell? I thought I may get them to do the work should it need any, and wondered if you had used them or had an opinion with being local.

[wilf]

Good Luck Bassy.

Buttercup has been a "trial" too, but usually her hiccups are not engine related (waits for inevitable cloud of steam now) and I have learned to live with the odd drop of water in the V and the odd ticking from No 6 tappet, these could be seen as "faults" but I now view them as "patina".

Everything else seems to have got repaired/changed/upgraded though, lol. One thing I can say, is that the number of miles I have driven her is definitely exceeded by the number of pounds I have spent on her.

But she is, when all is said and done, in better nick and better equipped than when I bought her, by a handsome margin. And when the sun does come out, is a nice old thing to potter around in.

[jleyton]

One thing I can say, is that the number of miles I have driven her is definitely exceeded by the number of pounds I have spent on her.

A very interesting way of looking at it

Fortunately, although I've put lots and lots of £££s into my car, I've managed to keep the miles ahead of the pounds - long may it stay that way .

Cheers

Julian

[Stagsongas]

Hi Steve,

Not done a block test. I had previously had the pump out and refurbed it. It is deffo pumping as you can see the flow with the filler cap off the rad. When it pressures up the top hose goes really hard and you can actually see the bubbles going into the expansion tank if you take the cap off. I cant see it can be anything else other than gases getting into the cooling system although I admit I am no expert.

As an aside do you know anything about Classic and Modern Engines in Bracknell? I thought I may get them to do the work should it need any, and wondered if you had used them or had an opinion with being local.

Just one comment Bassy, and not to be negative 'cos I really hope this turns out well for you;

Bubbles visibly entering the top of the rad. do not prove the pump is working. The bubbles could simply be expanded, vaporised water which will naturally rise to the top of the system, and the top hose could be being hardened by the increase in pressure resulting from that expansion. Also, some hot coolant flow will occur due to thermal current present and unimpeded when the thermostat is open, which might look like pump induced flow.

None of the above proves that the pump is erm....pumping!

I'm just saying that I would not give up on your head gaskets just yet, until it is proven beyond all doubt that the pump is actually working or not.

Good Luck

Steve

[Bassy]

Understood. But the pump has been off and and the drivegear is fine. As the pump is just a mechanical spinny thing as long as it is spinning it should be slinging water no? As far as I understand it if the pump wasnt working she would cook up in a matter of a few minutes and she doesnt. What she does is forces lots of fluid into the expansion bottle and into the vee.

That being said I will do a block test to make sure for certain with a sniffer kit before I dive in there.

[wilf]

Take a long hard look at your expansion bottle. If you get negative result from a block tester (i.e. no combustion gasses in the coolant) then I would suspect the expansion bottle - the crimp around the neck can lose its "grip" and allow them to vent, that makes them fill up rapidly. Also check the pressure cap, they can go "bad" too.

Leak into the V could be manifold gaskets, or pump seal not yet worn in (or leaking core plug in the underside of the manifold).

In your position, I would eliminate the easy fixes first, before assuming hgf.

[Stagsongas]

Understood. But the pump has been off and and the drivegear is fine. As the pump is just a mechanical spinny thing as long as it is spinning it should be slinging water no? As far as I understand it if the pump wasnt working she would cook up in a matter of a few minutes and she doesnt. What she does is forces lots of fluid into the expansion bottle and into the vee.

That being said I will do a block test to make sure for certain with a sniffer kit before I dive in there.

Well good luck with it whatever. I just though it worth thinking through one last time, as we all know from sometimes bitter experience that spinny bits can fall off! It'll be a long time, if ever, before I fit another original Stag pump.

Without re-reading, I did catch a hint that you want to rebuild the beast anyway, and if a strong suspicion of HGF helps to push you over the edge and it's on your list, then the process might as well begin now, it would be better to know exactly what you got 'cos you built it.

But there again, it'll make you miss Summer, so there we are, back full circle to the hope of a simpler fix.

Regards

Steve

[Bassy]

I would much prefer to drive it through the summer, even if it is shedding bits everywhere and looking like it spent a month parked up in Damascus getting shelled! The block test will send me one way or another I suppose. I will hope for the best, and expect the worst. That way theres a chance of being pleasantly surprised!

[Stagsongas]

Yes, good plan. let the block test decide.

There but for the grace of God go I....

Regards

Steve