Rover Buick engine & Bw 35

[TR5convalescent]

Morning wise ones. I think I might have a blown head gasket and I am now wondering if it might just be simpler to drop in a Rover v8. Will this engine work with the BW auto box? I don't have the skills to pull off the heads and frankly with papier mâché waterpumps on the TV8 and the other issues, I am beginning to think that a second hand Buick engine might be only marginally more money and a lot less hassle in the long term. Presumably there would some die hard TV8 enthusiast to take the original engine away to partially defray the cost. I can't see much change out of £2000 for repairing HGF - especially if I need an external water pump as well.

Any thoughts would be welcomed.

[Stagdad]

If you haven't got the skills to pull the head gaskets I would think twice about attempting an engine swap with all the extra work that can be created unless someone else is going to do it for you.
Cheers Steve

[milothedog]

Why do you think its HGF, have you done /had done a block test it may just be inlet manifold gaskets or something else easily fixed

In answer to your question the BW 35 and rover V8 are compatible.

Ian.

[TR5convalescent]

In answer to Steve, I meant to imply that the garage would do the engine swap or the HG. Sorry for the confusion.

In answer to Ian, my suspicions were aroused when the heater stopped working and clouds of steam appeared with Evans waterless coolant appearing on the rear left bank by the water pump housing. I initially thought I had saved the HG and that the water pump had failed as there is no salad cream in the dipstick tube nor the oil filler cap or neck. Then it was pointed out to me that waterless coolant does not emulsify with oil and that an alternative explanation is that the head gasket has blown and over pressurised the cooling system, forcing coolant out of the hose Union on the waterpump cover.

So I await the final diagnosis when the car gets towed to the garage on Thursday. I hope it's the waterpumps, but suspect it's not just that but it's both!

[DJT]

It is unlikely, IMO, that HGF will cause pressurisation to force coolant out of a hose union unless the union wasn't tightened properly. If the system does get over pressurised then the pressure cap should lift first and coolant will be forced into the expansion bottle (assuming original configuration) or HT if fitted. I ran mine for over a year and the only sign of HGF was loss of coolant through the HT cap (Volvo 21.7psi cap) at speeds over about 60mph. No overheating, no steam.

From your symptoms it could be the hose failed, or the water pump seal, or inlet manifold gaskets. Even with the normal water/anti-freeze mixture the TV8 doesn't seem to produce the traditional mayonnaise.

[TR5convalescent]

Hi Dave

Not as originally configured, I'm afraid. I have a header tank fitted. (Might be one on Stagweber's. It's a nice cylindrical one with a very neat aluminium bracket on the nsf inside wing.) So it's quite possible that HHF caused excessive pressure in the system.

But I live in hope........

[milothedog]

Hi Dave

Not as originally configured, I'm afraid. I have a header tank fitted. (Might be one on Stagweber's. It's a nice cylindrical one with a very neat aluminium bracket on the nsf inside wing.) So it's quite possible that HHF caused excessive pressure in the system.

But I live in hope........

But you still have a pressure cap (or should have) to let the excess out.

[m9fdb]

Pm sent

[KOY 23]

The only cheap way to convert to RV8 is to find someone who has converted back to Tv8 and doesn't want a lot of the RV8 kit.
I'm confused about your engine failure, where was temp gauge needle in relation to normal reading? Why did the pressure cap not blow off and what was the "steam" in waterless coolant.

[MB]

Shock horror header tank doesn't cure a car with HGF. Newbies take note!

I had a car with head gasket failure which would create enough pressure in the cooling system to blow water hoses off.
Interestingly it wasn't a Stag though but a water cooled VW boxer in a combo van.

Good luck TR5 man, I hope it turns out to be something simple.

Not all the TV8 water pumps are papier mâché either.

[Kingswood90]

I had problems with my car, which had a header tank. Turned out that most of them were caused by the cap being a five instead of a twenty pound one. Check this first.
Mine took so long to diagnose that the head gasket did blow because of temp.

[TR5convalescent]

Temperature gauge read dead on normal right until the heater stopped working then it started to rise. By then I had already stopped to investigate the steam (or coolant vapour) coming out of the left side of the bonnet. I initially thought I had saved the HG due to the lack of mayonnaise in the oil filler & dipstick tube. Then it was pointed out to me that Evans Waterless does not emulsify when mixed with oil under pressure and that an alternative explanation for the forcible expulsion of coolant from the water pump cover and hose connector was HGF pressurising the cooling system.

I understand that there is a pressure release on the header tank but presumably if the water pump hose is compromised or the water pump gasket and the head gaske fails, coolant will find the weakest point to force its way out... And that might not be the header tank release.

[milothedog]

From what you say, it may just be a leak from the hose or pump. I wouldn't think about HGF until all the other easier things have been checked out first.

[jakesmig]

I've got an RV8 in mine and my advice, fwiw, is if HGF is the diagnosis, and assuming the basic engine is sound, then get the TV8 fixed. RV8s are cheap and good alternatives but all the additional work with exhausts, manifolds, alternator / water pump etc makes it an involved installation. Better alternative than a 3K rebuild though imo. Besides, and I shudder when saying this, the TV8 would keep it original.

John

[m9fdb]

As I said in the pm the Java stag I've got has the Rover already in it and it looks like a good conversion that's complete with everything you'd need if you do decide to go the Rover V8 route.

Cheers
Darren