headgasket!!

[plunky]

hey! pretty sure my headgasket has gone on my mk1 1.4.
just went out to start it to go out and it just cut out as soon as it started. have looked under the bonnet and the coolant is a rusty colour and also there is the mayo under the oil cap!
i've had it booked into the garage for 2moro, knowing that the headgasket was going! just wished it could of lasted an extra day!!
would it be worth getting headwork done at the same time of the skimming or not?

 

[brookes5117]

probably,depending on how long youve been driving it knowing the head gaskets on its way out the heat causes the the head to distort which means that when the new gasket is fitted the face on the head will be slightly un-flush causing it to leak again alot sooner than if you got the head skimmed,when we change head gaskets we always get them skimmed,hope this helps

 

[edde]

Forget the head work IMO unless your going to do cams etc amd remap to suit. and value for £ wse best not bother get a bigger engne instead.

 

[plunky]

Forget the head work IMO unless your going to do cams etc amd remap to suit. and value for £ wse best not bother get a bigger engne instead.

yeah thats what i thought
is it right that the engine cuts out wen i start it if its just the headgasket?
cheers!

 

[SBV116]

^ them symptons dont really point to the headgasket! cutting out is unusual unless its mega knackered, ie blown beetween 2 pistons, the coolant likes being that colour in that era of clio, and a bit of mayo is not unusual either! get it looked at by someone who knows there stuff!

 

[ditz]

dont take gunk in the oil filler as gospel for headgasket- they have crank breather problems ie if they block they dont breath properly and give the same symptoms
rust in coolant is down to the inside of the block rusting due to antifreeze being left too long between changes
can also block thermostat/rad etc. and cause overheating probs.
cutting out could be completly unrelated.. only time i could be related is if you switch the car off and coolant slowly drains in the bore.. start it up and in bad cases it will hydraulic and bend a rod or just cut or missfire on startup - but then it would lose water

 

[plunky]

yeah its goin to a garage 2moro. its also quite a bit of mayo! lol