Head gasket???

[andyc1230]

I have been having rough idle problems for a while now, as posted in another thread, I have replaced the coil pack, ht leads, spark plugs, fuel filter and the injector rail with injectors & fuel regulator from a low mileage car sorced from Ian G. The car does have a water leak around the thermostat housing, that I intend to fix tomorrow, and is always full of air locks. There is no sign of any water in the oil either on the dipstick or on the filler cap.
I have noticed that when the car is ticking over roughly if I release the pressure from the water system by slightly undoing the filler cap tickover returns to normal, as smooth as any other puma.
Is this a sign that the head gasket is on its way out?
Engine is 1.7 with 145k on the clock & its a 52 plate.

 

[Ginger Tom]

When you release the pressure from the header tank does it start to bubble like water does when it's tarting to boil?

 

[andyc1230]

Yes it does,

When you release the pressure from the header tank does it start to bubble like water does when it's tarting to boil?

 

[Ginger Tom]

Is it hard to start in the mornings? Does the water leak out the thermostat cause the car to leave a pool of plant on the floor?

 

[andyc1230]

Not really hard to start and there is no pool of water on the floor, it looses about 1/2 a litre in 300 miles, but you can see all the fur around the thermostat housing.

Is it hard to start in the mornings? Does the water leak out the thermostat cause the car to leave a pool of plant on the floor?

 

[Ginger Tom]

Hmmm, the bubbling in the header tank would suggest either, best case head gasket gone compression to water side or porous/cracked head

 

[andyc1230]

I thought it might be, just the fact that there is no sign of water in the oil. I think that there is a small leak into no.2 cylinder that only shows up when there is a pressure build up. When the car was hooked up to a diagnostic machine the only fault was no.2 injector kept switching between yes & no to a fault. Also the engine management light came on yesterday, I swapped the injector rail this afternoon & after a short drive it went out.

Hmmm, the bubbling in the header tank would suggest either, best case head gasket gone compression to water side or porous/cracked head

 

[Ginger Tom]

I would be inclined to get the head pressure tested once off but do a compression test on the engine to see if any are different to the rest before you do any more work to it.

 

[andyc1230]

I will be taking the car to TREMONA in the morning & see what Richard has to say, Im pretty fed up with it at the moment so might just break it & look for another one. All dependant on cost though

 

[Ginger Tom]

If the head is porous/cracked, it'll be cheaper to get a new engine from Ian G

 

[andyc1230]

Just been to see Richard at Tremona, not good news, Head gasket will not have gone due to the make-up of them, it might well be a cracked head or block :'( but as there is no water in the oil it may well go on for another 30k. Just drive it untill it stops then source a replacment engine or get another car. Its just not worth the cost of trying to sort this engine.