Overheated....... Warped Head??

[T5SOR]

Steam starting coming out my bonnet earlier on the way home after sitting in 15 minutes of traffic. The needle was on H for atleast 5 minutes whilst I got off the slip road and of the dual carriageway into a stop. After checking the fan fuse it had gone, so I put a paperclip in the hole to short it out for the trip home. No water in radiator (all boiled I guess).

Question is, how will I know if the engine im damaged due to the exposure of heat with no water in the radiator??



Mike

[Munter]

You'll be looking for water in the oil or oil in the water I believe. (Mayo on the oil filler cap after a long run, or you can run tests on the coolant I believe)

If it'll not start like my old MR2 do a compression test. And you may find that some cylinders have very little compression.

[tuttle]

Don't wish to be the harbinger of doom or anything & this is bit of a gross generalisation, but Head gaskets are rarely the same after a good boiling.

[T5SOR]

I will check the oil after an 80 mile round trip I am doing tomorrow (if I get there!)

Hope it's not going off to MX5 heaven


Mike

[MrV]

If it helps I had the same on Monday ,but it ran in the red for a bit longer,I have had no adverse affects since.

[Stickers]

One general way to tell if the head has warped or gasket blown is plumes of steam from the exhaust.

[anonymous-user]

When the head gasket on mine went the oil was fine but there was a whole load of bubbly white residue under the rad cap, which formed almost instantly when the engine was started up - with the rad cap off and the engine started even from cold you could see bubbles and white crap flowing through the top of the rad.

On the plus side, a fully reconned engine is only about £250 to £350, and they're very easy to fit - took about half a day to fit mine and get it running, although I spent a couple of weeks before obtaining and fitting new seals and gaskets all round, repainting the subframe, cleaning the engine bay etc..

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 3rd July 12:37

[BCA]

Slightly off topic Mike, but what happened with the VX?

Oh and I may be copying your move shortly, albeit to a mk2 1.8IS.

[T5SOR]

BCA said:

Slightly off topic Mike, but what happened with the VX?

Oh and I may be copying your move shortly, albeit to a mk2 1.8IS.

I sold it last September to save for some bricks Bought another MX5 for cheap and fun motoring.

Go for the MK1 1.6, much better than the MK2


Mike

Edited by T5SOR on Saturday 4th July 12:54

[BCA]

want more powaaaaaaaaaaaaaar.