Water in the v sorted

[kevin p]

Had the stag fettled a bit today, and the first thing I wanted sorted was the hot running, and water in the v - I imagined HGF, or water pump issues, or inlet manifold gasket failure. Turns out however the thermostat housing had corroded out of sight, and this had in turn split the gasket, from where small amounts of water was leaking. Also turns out the thermostat was not actually opening, even when the coolant was very hot. So, one cleaned thermostat housing, with new gasket, sealant and new thermostat later, it runs really steady. Went for a long run afterwards (as you do) and it was noticeably smoother and slower to get up to temp, then stayed at a steady 'normal' whether I drive fast, slow, traffic, overrun - even in sunny weather. Good news!

Next job is steering column / rack overhaul and front seat refurbishment. Oh, and the clunking auto box. Oh, also the soft top hood ....and the hardtop......it just goes on and on......

[KOY 23]

Good news, many problems have simple low cost solutions.

[Wisey]

I was suffering with water in the Vee, after much head scratching I discovered the po had helicoiled the inlet manifold threads in the head and fitted new manifold bolts. Unfortunately the bolts were about 1mm longer than required so bottomed out just as the manifold and gasket were being nipped down. Sorted, thought foolish me, only to find further water in the vee. Yup, same trick again, but this time it was the block on the back of the head where the heater outlet hose connects. This leak was better as it only leaked when the engine cooled, and that block shrunk - then leaked for a small amount of time until the coolant pressure had dropped. So, two different leaks into the vee sorted, happy days.

Steve