Club 80-90 Forums

Bonjour

Quick question. I drained, flushed and replaced the coolant about 2 months ago and checking today, it's dropped about an inch in the header tank. Now it's been a little hot of late, and because of bloody roadworks, I've actually spent quite a lot of time in jams. So...

Is this a little leak or just usage?

Ta - hope you all enjoyed Wimbledon (if you watched it)

xxx

An inch 'settling' after a coolant change isn't unheard of, I wouldn't start panicking just yet. Give the system a good check over for leaks, if you can't see any 'external' leaks and there is none in the oil (turns to mayonaise) just pop out the spark plugs (when hot) and very carefully check them against eachother. The 'tell tail' sign of coolant leaking into cylinders is one (or more) very clean spark plug/plugs and the others with light brown deposits (which is normal).

Martin

Merci, I'll have a butchers.

Okey dokey.

So there is a definite drip under the van that is coolant. It seems to be dribbling from the push-rod shield on the near side.

I had a look at the spark plugs (and then realised I'd left the removal tool at my dad's), but noticed that there is - for want of a better word - "crystallized" coolant (and a little dampness) around the seals for the water jackets, on both sides of the engine.

So is this a cylinder head leak? If so what, exactly, does that mean?

Is it a serious, expensive and long fix?

She's running brilliantly at the moment. We've done 10,000 in the year since I got her, and had a 600 mile round trip to Lancaster at the weekend, averaging 56mph and 24mpg on lpg. But got a big trip to Scotland planned for the end of August and don't want things to go wrong on it.

Thanks, as always, for your replies.

jamesandtheopenroad wrote: So is this a cylinder head leak? If so what, exactly, does that mean?

Is it a serious, expensive and long fix?

The seals between the water jackets round the barrels and the cylinder heads have perished and are seeping, they can do this for quite some time before giving in completely.

Depending when the heads were last off can determine how much of a can of worms you are opening, sheared off exhaust studs, broken head studs etc etc are all common issues. Best to take the engine out and replace the seals IF you are mechanically competant, otherwise it's assume the position time.

Ian

Bugger.

As I'm not THAT mechanically minded, I guess I'm gonna have to assume the position.

So as I said, bugger.

And just out of interest, how can you prevent the seals perishing or how often should they be renewed?

jamesandtheopenroad wrote:And just out of interest, how can you prevent the seals perishing or how often should they be renewed?

They just age, most corrosion and pitting of the head > seal mating surface is prevented by running a good grade of anti-freeze with the correct corrosion inhibitors.

What mileage has the engine done ? Is it time for a recon unit ? VW Elite are ~£1,000 fitted and guaranteed.

Ian

jamesandtheopenroad wrote: It seems to be dribbling from the push-rod shield on the near side.

Have you checked your thermostat housing ? If that's seeping the coolant can run down the head and along that jacket seal Have you had the allen screw out of the head to drain the coolant ? Is that leaking ?

May be clutching at straws but hey, worth a lookysee fer nowt.

Ian.

Thanks Ian. It's done 84k but as I say, runs really well. I took it in to a garage on the way home and he was already talking about a new engine. Said he could have a look at it in situ but if anything sheared off or he was afraid of torquing back on, that was the only option. Is that right?

jamesandtheopenroad wrote: Said he could have a look at it in situ but if anything sheared off or he was afraid of torquing back on, that was the only option. Is that right?

Not really, heads can be re-sealed and run again (many have) but he's right about the torqueing up ... other than the head bolts everything has to be done by hand and 'feel' is everything with old engines like these. The exhaust is the biggest a*** it's those bolts that shear off and also a new exhaust is £££££££££££££

Here is a thread all about sorting this out, it is quite long but worth reading.

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=52374" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is another one =

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=87097" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just make absolutely sure the coolant isn't coming from further up the engine. I had a coolant expansion bung (not the correct trem) on the underside of the inlet manifold that was weeping. took me ages to find that. but it was dribbling round the engine and looked like it was coming from the heads. The crystals were obscured by the inlet manifold.

Part 19 on here

just had a search Its called a core plug.