Can somone please help.

[TVR Thomo]

My car is the 430 Rover V8.

Drove to the gym straight from work and when I got there the car just dumped all the coolent onto the floor! Looking from the driver side it looked like it was spurting out from somewhere between the swirl pot and the rocker cover i.e where the swirl pot joins to the engine. I've left the car at the gym but it's only less than a mile to drive.

Can anyone offer any advise? Also would it be OK to drive home once it's cooled down?

Kind Regards
Neil.

Edited by TVR Thomo on Thursday 17th May 19:53

[Flintstone]

Personally I wouldn't risk it BUT if you're going to do it top the coolant right up and judge the leak rate. Also make sure you've enough extra to top up again, again and again. Patch the leak too.

If it were me though I'd get it lifted/towed. RAC/AA? Even if you don't have membership and have to pay weigh the cost against a new engine.

Edited by Flintstone on Thursday 17th May 20:01

[TVR Thomo]

Thanks flintstone. Your probably right will get someone to tow me! Is the tow eye fairly obvious on these cars, never had to look for it before.

[Flintstone]

They don't have one.

[softtop]

they do, have another look.

Also the engines are hardy, use your judgement on how far you have to go. Under four miles, get it filled up and take it easy. As long as you dont cook it, just get it home and then solve the problem.

[TVR Thomo]

Car is back home now, just drove it back! Took less that 5 mins and the temp gauge did not even move from cold. My mate was starting to tow me but the brake were not up to scratch with the engine off!!

Anyone any ideas as to what the problem might be? There was still some water in the swirl pot which was strange!

Cheers
Neil.

[andy-w]

TVR Thomo said:

Car is back home now, just drove it back! Took less that 5 mins and the temp gauge did not even move from cold. My mate was starting to tow me but the brake were not up to scratch with the engine off!!

Anyone any ideas as to what the problem might be? There was still some water in the swirl pot which was strange!

Cheers
Neil.

Can you not see where the leak is comming from?
There are not that many joins in the cooling system

[TVR Thomo]

Hi Andy,

The leak seemed to be coming from between the swirl pot and the engine. Just about half way down the swirl pot where it touches the front of the engine (sorry but i'm not explaining this very well). See my original post i think i explained it a little beter there!

Need to have another look tomorrow after work.

[rfisher]

Might be the waterpump bearing seal that's gone.

Easy to replace (bolts on with a bit of gasket sealer).

New one use to be around £55.

Easy to see the leak from under the car.

[Cider Andy]

Depending on the layout of the ancillaries at the front of the engine, especially if the car has PAS, one of the pulleys can strike the swirl pot if the engine mountings are worn and wear a hole in it.

[sparkythecat]

If it's the water pump gasket - An hours labour and some coolant is all that's needed.


If it's the timing cover gasket, it's 4 to 5 hours. Oil and coolant + sundries


Find out more in this thread

[url]www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.[/url]

Edited by sparkythecat on Thursday 17th May 23:10

[Flintstone]

softtop said:

they do, have another look.

Not on my cars. Both my 400 and current 500 have had cause to be lifted onto a Hiab and neither had a towing eye.

[spend]

Its a 430 - so its a pre-serp. Not prone to the swirl tank being cut in half by the serp windy-windy round the houses puzzle belt & pulleys Most probs are water pump going (leaks downwards in dribbles). Sounds most like the hose that joins the stat housing & the swirl tank has worked loose (they are a bit of a bugger to fit) or the swirl tank pressure cap is foobarred (cheap from a GermanSwedishFrench outlet near you). If it is the hose ~ the only good way I can get them centrally located is to remove the swirl tank or stat housing (they are too close together when fixed to get the hose in between).

Dave

[TVR Thomo]

spend said:

Its a 430 - so its a pre-serp. Not prone to the swirl tank being cut in half by the serp windy-windy round the houses puzzle belt & pulleys Most probs are water pump going (leaks downwards in dribbles). Sounds most like the hose that joins the stat housing & the swirl tank has worked loose (they are a bit of a bugger to fit) or the swirl tank pressure cap is foobarred (cheap from a GermanSwedishFrench outlet near you). If it is the hose ~ the only good way I can get them centrally located is to remove the swirl tank or stat housing (they are too close together when fixed to get the hose in between).

Dave

Hi Dave,

I think you are probably right. The water was not coming out anyway near the water pump but more where you are talking about. I will need to remove the swirl pot when i get a chance to see where the damage is. Like you say the pot and engine are far too close together to see/work on.

Cheers everyone !!

Edited by TVR Thomo on Friday 18th May 11:36

[softtop]

Flintstone said:

softtop said:

they do, have another look.

Not on my cars. Both my 400 and current 500 have had cause to be lifted onto a Hiab and neither had a towing eye.

Don't you just hate generalists My 500 from '99 has a 'v' welded onto the front frame

[andy-w]

Not sure if this will help but when i removed my swirl pot i got water come out of one of the bolt holes.This made it look like i was getting a leak fronm the timing cover gasket.

Also when my water pump went i got a constant SLOW dribble of water when the enginegot up to temp. It definately didnt dump the coolant out all over the floor.

[Jay Ayegees]

TVR Thomo

What are you doing driving less than a mile to the Gym? Why not walk there and spend a bit less time on the treadmill?

Maybe you are just one of the gayboys who hang round the equipment posing in your lycra. leotard and leggings!

Jay

Edited by Jay Ayegees on Friday 18th May 20:14

Edited by Jay Ayegees on Friday 18th May 20:16

[spend]

andy-w said:

Not sure if this will help but when i removed my swirl pot i got water come out of one of the bolt holes.This made it look like i was getting a leak fronm the timing cover gasket.

Also when my water pump went i got a constant SLOW dribble of water when the enginegot up to temp. It definately didnt dump the coolant out all over the floor.

2 bolts on water pump sit in coolant and should be coated with hylomar (other wise they rust away) - this is normal on the pre-serp engines.

Dave

[andy-w]

spend said:

2 bolts on water pump sit in coolant and should be coated with hylomar (other wise they rust away) - this is normal on the pre-serp engines.

Dave

Still had me startled the first time i removed it
and it was good fun when The Surveyor was undoing the exhaust manifold bolts and i undid these....

[ATG]

Over the years I've had 2 water pump gaskets go. Second one let rip just off the M23. Dumped all the coolant in a few seconds in an enormous cloud of steam. Water ran out of the blown gasket pretty freely when we tried to refill it to limp to the airport. They can definitely lead to a spectacularly quick loss of coolant if the system is hot and therefore pressurised.

Edited by ATG on Friday 18th May 20:33