water

[marcogolfo]

Hi my baby seems to be using a lot of water and there are no leaks from hoses etc.  Do you reckon my head is on its way out and if so then how much would this probably cost?  Spent a fortune on her and can't see the sense in getting rid of her when i want to keep her forever
thx
regards
marco

[Agreeable Slick]

check for mayonaise in the oil, water expansion tank, if the head is going then you will get bubbles in the oil and white creamy residue in the expansion tank.

not hard to repair but does take a long time, also need new head bolts if you are going to do it, as they bend when they are put on to stop them coming off again.

[marcogolfo]

hmmm not finding any of the above.  Also using about half a litre of oil a month sometimes a litre.  Don't know where the water's going its a bit of a myth.
thx for the reply i'm puzzled now
regards
marco

[Gambit]

try a new expansion bottle cap. the seals go on them and they let pressure out. which inturn drops the water level

also, check for any leaks around the pipes

as for oil. usual story, check for leaks again

my car loses oil thru the filler cap, even with a new one, been told its the rings need changing. easy to see if it is, the top of the block will have a thin film of oil on it, and the sump will be wet cause eventually it runs down the front of the block

[rubjonny]

Replacep as said, also have a close look at the rad as it could be loosing water thru hairline cracks as steam so hard to spot.  A common fault is the plastic flange on the right side of the block leaks.  Cheap & easy to replace

[marcogolfo]

cheers for that i will have a good look when the weather gets a bit nicer.  Been raining up north for a while now.  As for oil it does leak through the filler because there is a thin film of oil on the rocker cover.  I never considered that it would be losing that much oil through there though as it only looks like a little bit but i suppose after time it could do.  Thx guys i will let you know how i get on
regards
marco
what do you guys think of that bars leak stuff?

[Gambit]

i cured the oil leak by buying a new cap from GSF. i found that this didnt cure it as the cap wasnt a tight fit

so i took the rubber seal of the new cap and put it on the old cap. so it more or less has a double rubber seal now. and is a proper tight fit

[marcogolfo]

quality mate cheers think i'll get a new cap cant cost that much

[Gambit]

?2 + vat from GSF for Oil Cap, ?2.50 for expansion bottle cap

cheap as chips

though it may be worth trying VAG for proper items, prices are a slight bit dearer but are a better fit

[marcogolfo]

welp my baby finally broke down and couldn't hold any water anymore.  It turns out that a core plug has been responsible for the water leak