Big engine problems?
Discussion
Hi all,
posted recently re chocolate mousse like stuff in the expansion tank..first thought was head gasket which it still may be, but now there are other symptoms so here goes.
The mousse in the expansion tank doesn't seem oily.....if I leave the car overnight most of it settles out.
Oil on the dispstick is clean and the oil filler cap also (levels are fine)
The car is loosing coolant somewhere, it has done this ever since I have had the car especially after an enthusiastic drive. The cap has been replaced and yes i do tighten it up.....a lot!!! and there are no obvious signs of leaks.
Car is now suddenly lower on oil pressure than previously. On firing it used to idle at 45 psi now it's 38. At 3000rpm it used to make 47 ish ....now is barely makes 40. At hot idle it reads 30 psi. Basically its suddenly about 8 psi down on the whole range.
The engine is still going strong (at a recent track day the only things faster were mega skylines) but i'm takin it very easy at present.
Anyone here had similar symptoms?
Ceejay
posted recently re chocolate mousse like stuff in the expansion tank..first thought was head gasket which it still may be, but now there are other symptoms so here goes.
The mousse in the expansion tank doesn't seem oily.....if I leave the car overnight most of it settles out.
Oil on the dispstick is clean and the oil filler cap also (levels are fine)
The car is loosing coolant somewhere, it has done this ever since I have had the car especially after an enthusiastic drive. The cap has been replaced and yes i do tighten it up.....a lot!!! and there are no obvious signs of leaks.
Car is now suddenly lower on oil pressure than previously. On firing it used to idle at 45 psi now it's 38. At 3000rpm it used to make 47 ish ....now is barely makes 40. At hot idle it reads 30 psi. Basically its suddenly about 8 psi down on the whole range.
The engine is still going strong (at a recent track day the only things faster were mega skylines) but i'm takin it very easy at present.
Anyone here had similar symptoms?
Ceejay
I've had a problem with coolant loss, couldn't work out where it was coming out. Checked the radiator and hoses and stuff ...but nothing.
Took it down to APM and found where the leak was, it was only a very slight leak but there was water coming out of sort of under the center of the car .... basically it was the head gasket leaking coolant.
I didn't suffer from any water in the oil and couldn't see any of the sludgy stuff you talk about.
Way to check would be to get it up on a ramp and see if the coolants leaking form the head gasket or not.
Engine out, back to Blackpool if it is I'm afraid
... hope its not too serious.
Took it down to APM and found where the leak was, it was only a very slight leak but there was water coming out of sort of under the center of the car .... basically it was the head gasket leaking coolant.
I didn't suffer from any water in the oil and couldn't see any of the sludgy stuff you talk about.
Way to check would be to get it up on a ramp and see if the coolants leaking form the head gasket or not.
Engine out, back to Blackpool if it is I'm afraid
... hope its not too serious. CJ
Get it to a garage NOW!!You need to limit whatever damage may be occuring as much as possible.
I'm talking from experience when I say that engine rebuilds are a very long and expensive process.
I'm not making any gueses on what might be wrong, but at the end of the day its better to suffer £1000 now with an engine out strip and check, than a £4K- £6K engin rebuild when it all goes Pete Tong at the next track day.
Ps are you going the Northants meet this week?
Get it to a garage NOW!!You need to limit whatever damage may be occuring as much as possible.
I'm talking from experience when I say that engine rebuilds are a very long and expensive process.
I'm not making any gueses on what might be wrong, but at the end of the day its better to suffer £1000 now with an engine out strip and check, than a £4K- £6K engin rebuild when it all goes Pete Tong at the next track day.
Ps are you going the Northants meet this week?
Hi TVRSLAG,
Hope Mrs SLAG and BABYSLAG are doin well.
hopefully will be going to Northants on Thursday although probably not in the Cerb...I think I'll walk.
The really annoying thing about all this is that the engine is going so damn well, loads of power, no misfires, good water temp everything great except the coolant and now slightly lower oil pressure. I'm not going to run it until Joolz can take a look.
If the car does need a new head gasket and or rebuild then its also gonna get the RR conversion at the same time. I've got a WH warranty for what its worth so maybe they'll cough up for some of the work.......or maybe not.
P.S. Nitrons and AP front brake upgrade are absolutely fantastic, completely transformed the car. At Bruntingthorpe we were quicker through the corners than the imprezas but they could have been s**te drivers!!!!!!
>> Edited by ceejay on Tuesday 9th September 12:21
Hope Mrs SLAG and BABYSLAG are doin well.
hopefully will be going to Northants on Thursday although probably not in the Cerb...I think I'll walk.
The really annoying thing about all this is that the engine is going so damn well, loads of power, no misfires, good water temp everything great except the coolant and now slightly lower oil pressure. I'm not going to run it until Joolz can take a look.
If the car does need a new head gasket and or rebuild then its also gonna get the RR conversion at the same time. I've got a WH warranty for what its worth so maybe they'll cough up for some of the work.......or maybe not.
P.S. Nitrons and AP front brake upgrade are absolutely fantastic, completely transformed the car. At Bruntingthorpe we were quicker through the corners than the imprezas but they could have been s**te drivers!!!!!!
>> Edited by ceejay on Tuesday 9th September 12:21
I'm thinking of changing my name to "NO SLEEP SLAG".
Cheers everybodies fine.
Hmm warranties covering a head gasket, interesting.
Normally Warranties don't cover serviceable items, and I bet there is a fair chance they might claim the head gasket to be a service item. Have you checked out the policy detail at whats covered and not. The head gaskets are also bloody expensive so If its covered then you're lucky, I think but I'm not sure it might be an engine out job to do the Gaskets as well.
I'm waiting for a set of AP racing discs and I'm going to change the front pads and discs in an effort to try and stop the horrendous squealing, also looking at some bilstein dampers when funds allow (probably when the kids leave home!!)
Cheers everybodies fine.
Hmm warranties covering a head gasket, interesting.
Normally Warranties don't cover serviceable items, and I bet there is a fair chance they might claim the head gasket to be a service item. Have you checked out the policy detail at whats covered and not. The head gaskets are also bloody expensive so If its covered then you're lucky, I think but I'm not sure it might be an engine out job to do the Gaskets as well.
I'm waiting for a set of AP racing discs and I'm going to change the front pads and discs in an effort to try and stop the horrendous squealing, also looking at some bilstein dampers when funds allow (probably when the kids leave home!!)
The no sleep bit isn't fun is it.............. but it does get better.
I've just checked the warranty , cra**y WH policy but it does list head gasket as covered... but not head skim. Engine only has 16K on it so fairly low mileage for this sort of thing. Also seems to cover oil pump but i'm not gonna hold my breath.
The AP brakes are great, I ran most of the day at Bruntingthorpe on the short track. Braking from about 150 into the final right hander with no brake fade at all, well worth the money.
Howard took mine out at Mania on the long track, at the right hander before the 2 mile staight he braked hard and then had to accelerate up to the corner again. Think he needs a brake upgrade on his Griff!!!!
CU Thursday. At least walking I can have a few beers!!!!
I've just checked the warranty , cra**y WH policy but it does list head gasket as covered... but not head skim. Engine only has 16K on it so fairly low mileage for this sort of thing. Also seems to cover oil pump but i'm not gonna hold my breath.
The AP brakes are great, I ran most of the day at Bruntingthorpe on the short track. Braking from about 150 into the final right hander with no brake fade at all, well worth the money.
Howard took mine out at Mania on the long track, at the right hander before the 2 mile staight he braked hard and then had to accelerate up to the corner again. Think he needs a brake upgrade on his Griff!!!!
CU Thursday. At least walking I can have a few beers!!!!
Walking!!!
You must be pretty close to the pub then?
Are you actually a Northants resident?
Wow a warranty that actually sounds fairly good and covers some of the engine. If it covers the oil pump thats a bonus as the oil pump, Power stering and water pump are in line together and run of the same shaft. so if one gets damaged it can effect the others. I'm also getting some new Toyo Proxes fitted to the front of the car today, The toe in and out had ben effected slightly and rubbed all the tread of the outside edge of the old tyres, so new ones are required for the MOT.
You must be pretty close to the pub then?
Are you actually a Northants resident?
Wow a warranty that actually sounds fairly good and covers some of the engine. If it covers the oil pump thats a bonus as the oil pump, Power stering and water pump are in line together and run of the same shaft. so if one gets damaged it can effect the others. I'm also getting some new Toyo Proxes fitted to the front of the car today, The toe in and out had ben effected slightly and rubbed all the tread of the outside edge of the old tyres, so new ones are required for the MOT.
The pubs not far at all...maybe 10 minutes away. i think walking is much better than showing up in a Galaxy somehow.
The warranty sounds OK but there have been loads of posts on here re WH so although some of the parts are listed that may be suspect i'll wait and see. hopefully they'll pay for some of the work at least.
The warranty sounds OK but there have been loads of posts on here re WH so although some of the parts are listed that may be suspect i'll wait and see. hopefully they'll pay for some of the work at least.
Hang on a minute WH that wouldn't be warranty holdings would it?
If so I have direct experience of them when I had my Jag.
it had a filter in the power steering system, which sprang a leak and needed replacing, a quick phone call to one of their operators revealed it was covered, however when the garage called to get authority to order the part and do the work they said 'NO'. They argued that any item defined as a 'Filter' was prone to blocking on a periodic basis and therefore was classified as a service item. Irrespective if the component was or was not listed in the NOT covered items box.
I was not a happy bunny and let the policy lapse after that I wasn't going to give them any more money.
I wish you the best of British in getting them to stump up the cash.
If so I have direct experience of them when I had my Jag.
it had a filter in the power steering system, which sprang a leak and needed replacing, a quick phone call to one of their operators revealed it was covered, however when the garage called to get authority to order the part and do the work they said 'NO'. They argued that any item defined as a 'Filter' was prone to blocking on a periodic basis and therefore was classified as a service item. Irrespective if the component was or was not listed in the NOT covered items box.
I was not a happy bunny and let the policy lapse after that I wasn't going to give them any more money.
I wish you the best of British in getting them to stump up the cash.
Have booked mine in with Topcats at the end of the month for sorting out the mousse problem. They warned it could be a bit more than just a head gasket jobbie.....put my money in the bank instead of investing in a warranty so will be interested to see how much out of pocket this leaves me.
Mudstud,
Does the mousse stay on top of the tank if you leave it overnight? In the morning mine looks clear except for the stuff stuck to the sides! The mousse doesn't seem to be oily either.
I'm gonna drain and flush the system over the weekend and see if it re-occurs and have a really good look for any tiny leaks. The car has always used about 150ml of coolant per week.
More concerned about the oil pressure at present. The odd thing is that hot idel pressure is about the same as previously. Maybe a spring?
Hope your is OK, personally i'm working on 1K+ to get mine sorted hopefully less anything WH contribute.
I'll keep you posted.
Does the mousse stay on top of the tank if you leave it overnight? In the morning mine looks clear except for the stuff stuck to the sides! The mousse doesn't seem to be oily either.
I'm gonna drain and flush the system over the weekend and see if it re-occurs and have a really good look for any tiny leaks. The car has always used about 150ml of coolant per week.
More concerned about the oil pressure at present. The odd thing is that hot idel pressure is about the same as previously. Maybe a spring?
Hope your is OK, personally i'm working on 1K+ to get mine sorted hopefully less anything WH contribute.
I'll keep you posted.
ceejay said:
Mudstud,
Does the mousse stay on top of the tank if you leave it overnight? In the morning mine looks clear except for the stuff stuck to the sides! The mousse doesn't seem to be oily either.
I'm gonna drain and flush the system over the weekend and see if it re-occurs and have a really good look for any tiny leaks. The car has always used about 150ml of coolant per week.
More concerned about the oil pressure at present. The odd thing is that hot idel pressure is about the same as previously. Maybe a spring?
Hope your is OK, personally i'm working on 1K+ to get mine sorted hopefully less anything WH contribute.
I'll keep you posted.
Have you thought about fishing the mousse out and using it to style your hair? 
I had a similar problem on my 1997 4.2 Cerbera. I bought the car with 16,500 miles on the clock and for the next 10,000 miles I had to top up the coolant weekly or after a long trip. Sometimes in traffic a small amount of steam would come out from under the bonnet when the fans kicked in. I looked everywhere but I could not find the leak until one day the water and steam came gushing out.
There was a hairline crack in the block which would only let a small amount of steam out until finally it develop into a full blown crack, hence the gushing water. The up shot of all this is the factory replaced the engine. This crack was in the block by the front, passenger side, cylinder head, bolt hole. I hope your problem is a lot simpler.
There was a hairline crack in the block which would only let a small amount of steam out until finally it develop into a full blown crack, hence the gushing water. The up shot of all this is the factory replaced the engine. This crack was in the block by the front, passenger side, cylinder head, bolt hole. I hope your problem is a lot simpler.
Ceejay - I get the same mousse effect as you describe but coolant level has always stayed level. If coolant level drops but you can't see a leak it could be that water is getting into the oil but as oil temperature is hotter then water it will evaporate off but will not do the engine any good in the process. Oil and water not a good lubricant! Your reduction in oil pressure sounds like its related. My advise - do not drive your car. If you get yours sorted before mine gets opened let me know what they find. Don't like this cracked block scare mongering.......
Mudstud,
Supposedly if the oil gets in the water then you should see a milky emulsion either on the dipstick or on the oil filler cap but both of mine are clean. There is of course no guarantee the the oil and water are mixing both ways. The water has gotta be going somewhere and like you I really dont like the sound of a cracked block or snapped bolt. I'm going to have a good look around underneath the car this weekend to see if there is any trace of this.
Good luck with yours, if i manage to get mine inspected I'll let you know, hopefully next week. until then i'm afraid it stays in the garage
Supposedly if the oil gets in the water then you should see a milky emulsion either on the dipstick or on the oil filler cap but both of mine are clean. There is of course no guarantee the the oil and water are mixing both ways. The water has gotta be going somewhere and like you I really dont like the sound of a cracked block or snapped bolt. I'm going to have a good look around underneath the car this weekend to see if there is any trace of this.
Good luck with yours, if i manage to get mine inspected I'll let you know, hopefully next week. until then i'm afraid it stays in the garage
Mine I THINK was a warped head as the whole top end was stuffed - everything including the heads was replaced. A lot of the bottom end was replaced to ie only the crank remains. the first symptomn was oil on a spark plug, a valve had gone. As the oil pressure relief spring on mine had been bodged before I bought it then the oil pressure readings were misleadingly high. The only way to really sort a problem like yours is to get it to an AJP expert (not always a dealer) and get em to have a proper look. They can drain oil to look for shards of metal, they can inspect top end, they can listen , they can look for head gasket probs etc... Hopefully they will spot the problem easily enough. BUT if they cant then it is prob ship engine back to blackpool, or go 5 ltr conversion, or M3 conversion....
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