Blown Head Gasket, what can i do???

Post by **FlipT** » 29 Jan 2008, 23:29

Hi all, not seen a similar post so i thought id just come right out and ask!

Basically i bought me a dodgy 1.9 T25 Caravelle, that had a coolant leak i didnt know about and so the engine overheated and blew the head gasket.... Much unhappiness!!!

My local VW specialist wants £1600 to fit a complete new recon engine and i just plain cant afford it!

Is there anything i can do to get my Caravelle fixed ALOT cheaper?
Any advice much appreciated!!

Regards

Phill

Post by **Fritz** » 29 Jan 2008, 23:37

Give us few more details of what year your vehicle is, and your location as we may be able to point you in the direction of someone a little more sympathetic than your local VW dealer.

All is not lost just yet.....

Regards

Fritz,,,,,,,,,,,,

Post by **FlipT** » 29 Jan 2008, 23:44

Oh Sorry! =P

1984 1.9 petrol
Was a recon engine from europarts just over a year ago.

Im in Cardiff, and to be fair it is with Cardiff Classic VW at the mo rather than main dealer but still, £1600 is alot to in effect heal the wounds of a blown head gasket?!
(if only id checked the coolant levels a little more often!... Damn heinsight!!!)

Hope all is not lost - its been a very short relationship, but id really like it if it didnt end here!

Post by **manxman** » 30 Jan 2008, 00:06

recon motor, how long was the guarantee?

if it is out of guarantee and by now and it probably is hink i'd bin the whole motor, if it can't last 12 months.......

after that you are in no mans land I'm sorry to say, there are lots of opinions on here if you search, most of them devided 'tis a mine field.

unless jmr, stateside or people of that ilk turn their machines toward these motors we have no hope.

Post by **KarlT** » 30 Jan 2008, 08:28

Hold-on.......

Motor didn't last 12 mths because it didn't have any coolant. Hardly motors fault.

Maybe look for someone breaking a van & get your coolant warning light fixed.

Post by **edoh** » 30 Jan 2008, 08:38

check out alternatives?
http://www.elitevw.com/services.htm

Post by **Ian Hulley** » 30 Jan 2008, 09:13

Check the well-known van scrappers on here, T25_Vanspares aka Marcus, Billy739, or Syncrospares (CJ) ..... a running early DG from a rotten or damaged van shouldn't cost more than 3 or 400 quid .... it's the fact you never checked the coolant or realised it was overheating I'd be REALLY worried about.

Ian.

Post by **Mocki** » 30 Jan 2008, 09:19

new owner, if you dont know, you dont know!

it shouldnt be a major thing id its just been reconned to fix this surely

Post by **Aidan** » 30 Jan 2008, 09:53

a head gasket job, unless it got cooked solid, one would think. Oil and filters change, coolant flush and renew once system known ok and warning light systems check including the dbtw

Post by **toomanytoys** » 30 Jan 2008, 11:39

f you were to spend the 3-400 quid on an unknown engine, I would push a little further and go for one of Elite's engines...

Post by **FlipT** » 30 Jan 2008, 19:39

Thanks for the replies!

Yes i should have checked the fluid levels a little more frequently however having been on a train for 7 hours to go and pick it up, i was in far from a sane state of mind anyway, that plus i stoopidly assumed the warning lights may have gone all disco on me and alerted me to the issue. Nope!

I would assume the enginis out of warranty, however as previously posted, it isnt really the engine's fault, just the previous owners who neglected to tell me of the leak! (i had only owned the van for 3 hours when she died!)

Had a look at the elite vw new engine option - seems very cheap to me?! - not complaining! Does anyone here have any experience of them?

Post by **camper** » 30 Jan 2008, 20:13

How about tackling the seller about this coolant leak .Ask some money back if no go a small claims court might be an idea.

Post by **jason k** » 30 Jan 2008, 22:42

the lads in cardiff classic can be a little pricy.
try andy in kingsway motors swansea.
he just rebuilt my motor after head gasket failed.
much cheaper than that as long as no parts needed bar gasket set....

Post by **FlipT** » 31 Jan 2008, 09:54

All doom and gloom!
Just drove the van back from the garage (seemed fine to me?!), and they tell me theres no point replacing the head cus its completely blown =(
To quote them;
"Requires Engine u/s
Extensive welding
Brake hoses/pipes?
Anti roll bar linkarms etc.
unecenomical to repair"

Seems like a bit of a dead donkey to me. That seals it for me.... For Sale "Spares or repair"...

Post by **camper** » 31 Jan 2008, 19:28

FlipT wrote:All doom and gloom!
Just drove the van back from the garage (seemed fine to me?!), and they tell me theres no point replacing the head cus its completely blown =(
To quote them;
"Requires Engine u/s
Extensive welding
Brake hoses/pipes?
Anti roll bar linkarms etc.
unecenomical to repair"

Seems like a bit of a dead donkey to me. That seals it for me.... For Sale "Spares or repair"...

The report from the garage may help as evidence to give you grounds to make a claim against the seller at a small claims court .The vehicle was not fit for purpose.