Club 80-90 Forums

hey guys and galls!
nice forum u got here too! had a good read this mornin! !

any way, i have bought my first van, its a 1990 panel van, and its pretty tidy nik! (MK1rich came to have a look with me wen i picked it up) well i payed a silly price for it, dirt cheep, but it has a slight problem : here goes


apparently the head gaskit has gon ! BUT in closer inspection, it seems fine.
the problem im having is that the EXPANSION tank is spewing out water (wot was left of it) and ALSO Exhaust fumes!

has any one got any ideas ? its the JX Turbo derv lump, the chap said its done around the 80k mark, so its in good nick too!
iv heard that they have "charge coolers" on these?

Thanks for any help guys an galls!

Kris

Exhaust fumes in the coolant and constant bubling/boiling points at head gasket or a crack in the head or block. There wouldn't be anywhere else coolant and exhaust gasses are in the same place.

ahh rite, i thought that myself, but apparently they have a watercooled intercooler thing (ok.. im new lol ) so could that have split, sending pressuer down the water lines,

if it was head gaskit/head, there would be water in the block? but to be fair, it PURRRRS!

its not a guarentee that oil and water will mix when the gasket fails. I'd get the engine block tested by a garage to help point you in the right direction. Also, no water-air charge cooling as far as I'm aware, but even so, it would be clean intake air not exhaust gas being cooled. Start preparing to remove the head, sadly, but not til you get the block test done!

ok fella! nice one! thanks for your help !

No problem. Welcome to the forum, BTW!

haha! thanks! ill be active on here now! i love Vans! haha!
ill let u know of the problem to WHEN i have done it !

thanks again!

Kris

Theres no form of intercooling on a standard JX, turbo goes streight to the inlet manifold, and possubly out throught the silly dump valve instead of the engine.

The only heat exchanger they have is an oil/coolent one on the oil filter to keep the oil cool(er) and warm it up quicker from cold - many say they need more oil cooling really.

The fact is they run pritty hot and are known to crack their heads if you keep overdoing it. Mine sounded just as you describe - pissed coolent out the expansion tank (behind reg plate) and drained it from the one in the engine bay till the warning lamp came on, also filled the rad with air. Refill the tank and bleed the rad would alow another 100-300 miles before it happened again. If I drove it like a granny (no, REALLY slow, 40max) without letting it boost it would hold water longer but as soon as it got remotely warm, off it went! Head gasket looked fine when I stripped it, as did the head, one new head later and its been fine since. The theory is its a hareline crack in the head that only opens when hot, its normally invisable which might mean a cracked head could pass a presure test. Never tryed presuretesting mine, I replaced it for fear it would be a waist of money to play with - its on the shelf at home if I ever chamge my mind.

I try not to punish it up hills too much, if the temp rises alot I lift off a bit - should help its life, when the van was younger it was probubly thrashed everywhere so anything over 50k has potencal for cracking, depending on how it was abused. Mine managed about 120k and was a utility companys fleet vehicle - probubly done alright, I'd like to think it'll have a better life with me so should last?

oh rite, so supected head then too!
could prob pic one of them up! i know of a GTD down the road from me.

thanks for all the help peeps!

Kris

Mine was doing what your is doing, head was cracked (inspection showed it to be very badly cracked when I took it off after replacing the complete motor for a good low mileage one) ran OK though

head it is then!

thanks again guys, wen i get her home (its up the chaps house for now - need to sort insurance) then ill have a gander!

thanks dudes!

Kris