1.8 Freelander engine coolant passages connection inlet passages to exhaust passages

To get that debris cleared between the tiny space between lines, i tried a skinny spatula which i shoved down there followed by a blade... i got it cleared, but as i was getting the 4 blades out of the paper/plastic packaging, i should have grabbed a pair of scissors to cut open the pack - I thought I'd be quick : I used my bare hands to carefully open the plastic/paper packaging in the excitement of putting it to use : my finger slipped as i was tearing away at the paper, straight in to the path of the sitting blade... with blood gushing, i scrambled to get tissue paper to stop the bleeding, index finger only affected, kept it bandaged all day and have finally removed the bandages now, about 10pm, and have sprayed it with the special spray bandage.. The blade worked great though to cut away in to the debris in that small space between the liners. The mobile guy will still blast it, i could put the gasket on the way it is now but i want extra reassurance. I also plan to use special RTV sealant on the block and another on the gasket and a 3rd coat on the top of the shim steel, Permatex Ultra Copper RTV, as it states it's flexible and handles up to 390 degrees celcius temperatures plus new head bolts. Just a question : given that the previous head bolts lost torque last time, would it be okay that i use thread locked on the threads of the bolts or is this a bad idea as those bolts go in to the oil rail thus the thread locker to get loosened by engine oil?

In the meantime, my other post, i;'ve received the sensors for the KV6 box and will refit these and get it going but have left this to wait as the 1.8 comes first. The 1.8 is so simple to work on and take apart after having done same on the KV6..

The 1.8 bolts are stretch bolts. I read on the rover site using them a maximum of 3 times. There is measurement to tell of the bolt has been stretch to the limit but I do not have it handy. Think about it this way. Let's say you use old bolts, and one snaps. Think about removing next .... Not fun. I would never put locktite on engine head bolts.

If this was my vehicle, I would read this thread to make a decision on RTV.

BREAKING NEWS! ~ K Series Head Gasket developments - improved design - MG-Rover.org Forums

Lots of mechanics posted in there.

Replace the head bolts. They are not worth taking a risk with

Thanks guys but I will be as everyone who has used it on MLS has sworn by it. I know there's probably nobody here from Australia, but for my KV6 Freelander when i removed the 2 heads last year, i also removed the block, and took the 2 heads and the block to Karl's Head at Seven Hills (NSW) whose been doing heads and block reconditioning for 15 years at least. He swears by the RTV on MLS and says it has never failed. Since I'm not upgrading the oil rail (i probably should have but forgot to order it when i ordered the rest of the stuff), having cylinder head bolts lose torque on me once (when torqued to spec) means i'm going to try something different, RTV on the block (very light coating), then the first gasket goes down, then RTV on top of the gasket, then the shim plate goes down, then RTV on top of the shim. Will let you all know how I fare with it. The head bolts will be replaced, waiting for new ones expecting them to arrive next week.

Personally, I'd not use RTV with the MLS gasket. But that's just me!!

You know the more i've been reading about the updated oil rail, i think to myself that i need to get it and it's my chance to fit it now that i have the chance to do so.

I think it's a deal, will order it, from what i've been reading, i'd be silly to not fit the uprated oil bearing ladder.

i never bothered with it when i did mine but, even if it doesn't actually make a difference, it will make you feel better

I guess I'm panaroid of seeing dripping coolant coming from the cylinder head area all round, thus, anything which will aid in clamping is worth looking in to. The uprated oil rail is stronger, so I'm thinking, RTV (very light coat, i stress, very light) + uprated oil ladder = less panic, less stress, less paranoia. The engine reconditioner used RTV on my KV6 Freelander and i started it a few times and not a drop of coolant or oil. Once i get the Jatco gearbox back in things should be fine.

Let us know how it goes for sure!

Pictures too if you can! Your videos are great too

rtv can only ever be used as a temporary repair.

i wouldn't entertain it's use for more permanent applications, although a very experienced mechanic mate of mine uses it routinely.

good luck with your motor

The mobile guy came and blasted the engine block to Smithereens and the cylinder head to kingdom come! LOL mind the language it's just my excitement as it's still the weekend... Anyways, 3 'strings' came out of the block, i'd been trying to fish them out unsuccessfully, i tried using wire, no luck, long pliers, no luck, guess what they were? Small orangy pieces, about 1-2cm in length, of the old elasto seal on the older original head gaskets! Anyways, on the bottom of the head he found some imperfection that will probably cause leaks and recommended that I send it off for skimming and machining, and that I will do during the week. Will be going to Karl's Heads at Seven Hills tomorrow morning before I head off to work.. Though haven't worked out how i'll handle a cylinder head in a business trousers, business shirt and business shoes? Change of clothes lol? We have a spare car that I use while i fix up the Freelanders, it is a 99 Foprd Festiva 1.5, never misses a beat. I changed the timing belt on it, soo simple, just a mere single over head cam shaft, and changed the rocker cover gasket to stop the oil leak, and never missed a beat. Though before I did any work on it at all, I did my research and found that the Ford Festiva, fully imported from Korea and made by Kia Motors, had the original brake pads, brake shoes, and the clutch friction disk as asbestos. So, I got the asbestos free alternatives, and in 2012, took it to AutoMasters who renewed the clutch disc and all brake pads/shoes and thoroughly vacuumed to remove any asbestos dust. Unlike the UK who acted in 1998 or 1999 to ban it, Australia only introduced a full asbestos ban in 2003, so that's why Ford allowed the Festivas to be imported here with asbestos brake pads, brake shoes, and clutch friction discs, etc.

BTW you might like this thread, someone going through the K series engine, almost piece by piece with pictures.

K-engine project - a possible low cost rebuild - MG-Rover.org Forums

Same pictures but a lot more technical replies:

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=1380874

Hi Zefrench,

thanks for that. Havent been here for a while been a lill busy with work.

Thanks for that link, this time i'm going to do it the right way, no more head gasket without the oil rail. So today, I renewed the radiator, the 1.8 K series is so much simpler having done the same job on the KV6 : no need to remove the front bumber on the 1.8. Just remove the electric twin fan then remove radiator and manouvre it out. I then removed the sump then the oil pick up pipe and oil rail. I removed all traces of RTV on the oil sump and cleaned the sump as well as mating face on the engine. In went the new oil rail and bolts tightened to specification followed by RTV on the mating face on the sump, followed by the sump going in. Tomorrow's the head gasket if all goes well. I've decided i'll be using Hylomar gasket dressing spray for the head gasket.
All good so far.
No rush, no stress, no pressure, no worries equals nil or mininal mistakes...

Hi all,

well, last weekend I removed the sump and renewed the oil rail with the newer uprated one as recommended by Land Rover, following which, I fitted the MLS head gasket and shim with new head bolts, and sprayed Hylomar sealant on all the following : on the engine block, on both sides of the head gasket, on both sides of the shim. None of the mating face of the cylinder head. I torqued and did up all the head bolts to specification, and i stopped there as it was about 6pm and 30th March sunday and time to retire for the day. Nothing else has been put back yet, water pump still off as is oil pump, intake manifold is off, etc. I somehow feel paranoid and very uneasy that, perhaps, Hylomar sealant has blocked the coolant passages in the shim, that is, the tiny holes on the intake side (the holes on the exhaust side are larger) fearing that the Hylomar may have further spread out to cover those holes once i did up all the bolts. This is what i'd love to do to calm my paranoia and fear to allow me to continue : does anyone know how i'd be able to test whether the tiny coolant passage holes on the intake side of the shim and gasket are blocked, without having the remove the head bolts and lift the cylinder head off? My thoughts are that i could simply shove a tiny pipe in to the various coolant openings in the cylinder head and willy nilly flood the cylinder head with coolant and see if it leaks in to the engine block as it'll eventually have to come out through the small opening near the water pump. What do you think of this? Even if water does come out, I'd not know which of the 4 small holes in the shim/gasket are clear and which might not be.

Spray Hylomar should be fine. If you are worried, flush the cooling system after test running the engine.
I've used the same process for lots of HG's . Not had a problem with blockages so far.

Hi,
project is complete, and I've videoed it all here : 1.8K Freelander Head Gasket Renewal and Overheating Fix - YouTube

I also shot a smaller video of what the leak sealer did to the cylinder head (never again chemical leak sealer), check the tiny passage holes on the short footage. Leak Sealer blockage of Cylinder Head 1.8K Freelander - YouTube

I renewed the head gasket on the same car back in 2012 but forgot to change the oil rail.. that's why the gasket lost clamping load this year and failed again. Coolant leaked from the cylinder head.