Not another head gasket??!!!!

[wakko]

Hey all,

Well it looks like I'm the victim of yet another head gasket failure after changing it only 30,000 miles ago. After already having the head gasket replaced once I'm concerned that the new gasket only lasted 30k, and these thing 'aint cheap to replace!

So questions.... How long would you expect a head gasket to last and what could cause it to fail again if they should last longer than 30k? Also should I replace the cam belt, tensioner and rollers at the same time after 30k and 3 years?

Thanks!

 

[akchappers]

Er yes! It should last longer than that! At that rate you're changing a head gasket at every cambelt service interval! That's a joke! What car is it? And yes while the heads off change belts, water pump if not done already if a cupra an tensioners!
Ak

 

[Harris.]

If its killed the headgasket again then I would be looking at a possible warped head or worse still the head is cracked. The head will have to be removed and checked with a straight edge and by and engineering company.

Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio Z715e using Tapatalk 2

 

[JDUB 20V]

Wouldnt risk a reskim if a 20vt, get another good second hand head and have that skimmed and refit. If not large port allready then get ADR, AGU etc.

 

[wakko]

The car is a 53 LCR with a Custom Code remap.

I guess I'll have to wait to hear from the garage then. Apparently the cylinder head was "re-faced" last time at a cost of £30, I'm guessing this is just to remove bits of the old gasket.

 

[JDUB 20V]

If you remove the head again it will need refacing, so will need to maybe double up on head gaskets, id replace the head with a large port head, better future tuning potential

 

[wakko]

I'd not even thought about upgrading the head while I was at it. i think I've been too trumatised by having the gasket fail again. lol.

Any suggestions on a replacement head and price? Whether I go for it or not will really depend on cost.

 

[JDUB 20V]

I'd not even thought about upgrading the head while I was at it. i think I've been too trumatised by having the gasket fail again. lol.

Any suggestions on a replacement head and price? Whether I go for it or not will really depend on cost.

You 100% sure its the gasket and not oil cooler etc. Have you done a compression test?
I have an ADR (Non turbo large port head) but a few of the valves are bent iirc, can offer to do the job for you if you get stuck.

 

[wakko]

The car has been using a bit of coolant and I thought it was caused by a leak on the recently replaced thermostat. Yesterday the oil light came on, luckily I'd only just set off so i immediately went back home to find the dip stick dry and the coolant header tank full of a foamy brown mess so I'm pretty sure it's the head gasket that's gone. There's been no other inidication of an issue other than the coolant loss. No overheating or loss of power at all.

 

[Dan1720v]

It only needs refacing if there is impurities on the face to start with. Doubling up head gaskets is out the question, and very pikey way of doing things. First of all, what's the failure? Oil in the water? Use of water? Water in the oil?

Edit, just read he above.

You need the head pressure tested first, try and find any reason of failure.

 

[JDUB 20V]

The car has been using a bit of coolant and I thought it was caused by a leak on the recently replaced thermostat. Yesterday the oil light came on, luckily I'd only just set off so i immediately went back home to find the dip stick dry and the coolant header tank full of a foamy brown mess so I'm pretty sure it's the head gasket that's gone. There's been no other inidication of an issue other than the coolant loss. No overheating or loss of power at all.

Could still possibly be the oil cooler issue, have a compression test done and go from there. Oil cooler not a dear fix

Doubling up head gaskets is out the question, and very pikey way of doing things. You need the head pressure tested first, try and find any reason of failure.

Before i had my engine rebuilt i went through all options over the phone with JNL, & if the head is skimmed a little too much then to avoid pinking etc this is an option that can be used. Its not just two gaskets slapped on, the rivet are taken out and the gaskets are stacked then re-riveted. Always best to have turbo car cylinder heads refaced.

 

[wakko]

Where is the oil cooler located? Is one even fitted as standard on an LCR?


EDIT: Also when I think about it, there was no sludge at all around the the oil filler cap like there were the last time the gasket failed so hopefully it will be the oil cooler. Fingers crossed then

 

[Dan1720v]

Could still possibly be the oil cooler issue, have a compression test done and go from there. Oil cooler not a dear fix



Before i had my engine rebuilt i went through all options over the phone with JNL, & if the head is skimmed a little too much then to avoid pinking etc this is an option that can be used. Its not just two gaskets slapped on, the rivet are taken out and the gaskets are stacked then re-riveted. Always best to have turbo car cylinder heads refaced.

You have to skim alot to change the static CR that much to cause pinking. On my ITB'd clio a skim of nearly 1mm only brought the static CR up from 11.8-12:1.

 

[JDUB 20V]

You have to skim alot to change the static CR that much to cause pinking. On my ITB'd clio a skim of nearly 1mm only brought the static CR up from 11.8-12:1.

Its going to be refaced twice now so not worth risk imho.. Failing the oil cooler fix, id call JNL and describe your issue and see what he advises. Could go down a performance route with good future tuning option after speaking to JP

Where is the oil cooler located? Is one even fitted as standard on an LCR?

EDIT: Also when I think about it, there was no sludge at all around the the oil filler cap like there were the last time the gasket failed so hopefully it will be the oil cooler. Fingers crossed then

Its the part the oil filter screws onto.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=BA...pw.r_qf.&fp=37b56e2dbe7dc363&biw=1366&bih=653

 

[wakko]

LOL, I wasn't even aware of the oil cooler. I learn something new everytime my car has a spat. The oil cooler certainly looks like a good candidate so I'll wait for the garage to confirm. Funnily enough they're looking at the oil cooler right now.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[wakko]

Thought I'd post an update....

The garage flushed out the coolant system and filled up the oil. After bypassing the oil cooler they took it for a short run and found some oil had been used. They've now removed the head and found the gasket to be ok and have now sent the head away for testing. I was hoping to be lucky and get away with having a faulty oil cooler but now it seems it'll cost a lot more.

I think the engine code is AUQ, anybody know how much a replacement head will cost?

 

[traumapat]

Thought I'd post an update....

The garage flushed out the coolant system and filled up the oil. After bypassing the oil cooler they took it for a short run and found some oil had been used. They've now removed the head and found the gasket to be ok and have now sent the head away for testing. I was hoping to be lucky and get away with having a faulty oil cooler but now it seems it'll cost a lot more.

I think the engine code is AUQ, anybody know how much a replacement head will cost?

LCR should be BAM. AUQ is the cupra (not sure if theres any difference in the heads anyway though)

 

[wakko]

Mmmm, wasn't there a 210bhp version of the Cupra R? Did this have the AUQ engine or am I being an idiot?

Edit: I've probably got the engine code wrong but I'm sure isn't something other than a BAM.

 

[LEE69]

AMK was 210

 

[traumapat]

Mmmm, wasn't there a 210bhp version of the Cupra R? Did this have the AUQ engine or am I being an idiot?

Edit: I've probably got the engine code wrong but I'm sure isn't something other than a BAM.

Yep your right it wasnt BAM or AUQ though... cant remember the code.