Overheating 1.8, help?!

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Becca1605

Becca1605

Member
Posts
40
Location
Hertfordshire
I'm hoping someone can help me, I bought a 1.8 Freelander a couple of weeks ago as a car I could fix up and keep so I knew what I was buying.

The seller stated it was overheating, and said it was most likely the head gasket. My other freelander had the head gasket go too so I knew how to sort it.
I drove the car home, and it was fine. It gets hot if you drive over 45mph so driving round country lanes was no problem.

This is what it's doing....

If I fill the header tank up to the maximum, and drive it, the temperature gauge will stay normal until I drive too far at a speed over 45mph. But even with the temperature gauge at level, if I lift the bonnet the header tank has the water to the top and it's bubbling and spitting out. So with leaving the engine running I can open the bleed screw and the water level will go back down to normal, doing it back up the water will go back up to the top and bubble again. But no water will come out of the hose with the bleed screw undone.
My heating never gets warm, the header tank doesn't smell and the oil is clean.
Turning the engine off, the water level will drop back down and then it will completely drain away, but I can't tell where this water is going?

Before buying it the previous owner had already changed these:
Water pump
Thermostat
Header tank

Could this still be the head gasket or is it something else?
 
hello. if its the 1.8 petrol "k" series engine ,then I would have to say head gasket. this is a massive problem on all k series engine.. rover ,land rover,,lotus ,,MG etc etc.
have a head check done, this involve a glass tube put into the header tank and part filled with a blue liquid, when the engine is run the liquid will turn green is theres exhaust gases in the coolant. in all my years I have NOT YET COME ACROSS A K SERIES HEAD GASKET THAT DIDNT NEED THE HEAD REFACING OR CHANGING.
sorry
 
tyetye said:
hello. if its the 1.8 petrol "k" series engine ,then I would have to say head gasket. this is a massive problem on all k series engine.. rover ,land rover,,lotus ,,MG etc etc.
have a head check done, this involve a glass tube put into the header tank and part filled with a blue liquid, when the engine is run the liquid will turn green is theres exhaust gases in the coolant. in all my years I have NOT YET COME ACROSS A K SERIES HEAD GASKET THAT DIDNT NEED THE HEAD REFACING OR CHANGING.
sorry
Click to expand...

Thank you for the reply! I think you're probably right, I'm happy to change the head gasket but when the head gasket went on my other Freelander it didn't do anything this one is doing so I wanted to make sure before I start it.
 
the head gasket it self isn't to exspensive and not to hard to change ,but I would ALWAYS get the head checked before rebuild.
 
If overheating is suspected, the a hardness test is worthwhile before working on the head. If it's gone sofe, then a replacement HG will last no time at all. If you have any concerns about the head, then replace it. ;)
 
I've got a new header tank cap on the way, would that cause it to do this?
I have no idea what a prt thermostat system is or the jiggle valve?
 
Becca1605 said:
I've got a new header tank cap on the way, would that cause it to do this?
I have no idea what a prt thermostat system is or the jiggle valve?
Click to expand...
The jiggle valve is in the inlet manifold. It's driver's side of the inlet, it's where the small pipe comes out and up to the coolant tank. That valve can become gummed up and stick.
PRT is the remote thermostat mod that peeps install. It goes behind the radiator and replaces the original one. You remove that from its housing. Supposed to allow for more even engine warming from cold...
It could be a HG on its way out. Could be a soft head. I'd have the coolant checked for exhaust gases to confirm HGF. It would be a good pointer anyway. If that's a negative then perhaps give the cooling system a flush out. Disconnect heater and rad pipes flush everywhere as much as you can - backwards and forwards. There are flushing products yo can buy to put in the cooling system to clean it - Not sure what they are like - others will no doubt advise.
 
Nicely described symptoms! From how you've described things, it sounds as though the coolant system is pressurising once you get the engine working hard (i.e. speeds over 45mph).

If you're lucky, this is simply an air lock that has not been adequately bleed (hence the reason why the heater doesn't heat)

If you're less lucky, combustion gases are blowing past the fire ring.

There need not necessarily be any oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil.

There are three causes of pressurisation.
1. A wrong choice of gasket was made when last the head gasket was changed: the MLS type gasket requires the liners to be proud of the block face by at least a couple of thou' of an inch.
2. The cylinder head has previously been overheated, it's gone soft and the replacement gasket cannot seal the combustion chamber.
3. There is a crack in one of the cylinder liners.

If you're lucky, it'll be a wrong gasket choice, and fitting an elastomeric gasket will save the day.
However, for whatever reason, the Freelander seems particularly prone to cooking its cylinder head - and the chances are that this one has gone soft too. In a sense a worst-case scenario. You'll need to find a good replacement head! At least the casting is shared will all 16-valve K-series engines - be it a 1.4, 1.6 or 1.8 litre engine. You'd think "lots of choice"?

A cracked liner can be a pain to identify, but in my experience, pretty rare. Much more likely to be one of the problems mentioned above!

I've done the head gasket replacement on mine (I had to replace the cylinder head) - more here: https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/return-of-the-land-rovers-kilo-hippo-delta.304131/

Good luck, and welcome to the mad house! :D
 
rob_bell said:
Nicely described symptoms! From how you've described things, it sounds as though the coolant system is pressurising once you get the engine working hard (i.e. speeds over 45mph).

If you're lucky, this is simply an air lock that has not been adequately bleed (hence the reason why the heater doesn't heat)

If you're less lucky, combustion gases are blowing past the fire ring.

There need not necessarily be any oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil.

There are three causes of pressurisation.
1. A wrong choice of gasket was made when last the head gasket was changed: the MLS type gasket requires the liners to be proud of the block face by at least a couple of thou' of an inch.
2. The cylinder head has previously been overheated, it's gone soft and the replacement gasket cannot seal the combustion chamber.
3. There is a crack in one of the cylinder liners.

If you're lucky, it'll be a wrong gasket choice, and fitting an elastomeric gasket will save the day.
However, for whatever reason, the Freelander seems particularly prone to cooking its cylinder head - and the chances are that this one has gone soft too. In a sense a worst-case scenario. You'll need to find a good replacement head! At least the casting is shared will all 16-valve K-series engines - be it a 1.4, 1.6 or 1.8 litre engine. You'd think "lots of choice"?

A cracked liner can be a pain to identify, but in my experience, pretty rare. Much more likely to be one of the problems mentioned above!

I've done the head gasket replacement on mine (I had to replace the cylinder head) - more here: https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/return-of-the-land-rovers-kilo-hippo-delta.304131/

Good luck, and welcome to the mad house! :D
Click to expand...

Thank you for all of that, you've definitely left me with lots to think about!
I thought it was an air lock, so I ran it at the weekend hoping to get rid of it but that hasn't worked. I'm guessing if it is an air lock it needs sorting better, but I'm also thinking it could be the HG, the HG went on my other Freelander and I sorted that, but the symptoms of this one don't seem the same.

Thanks for the welcome, but I've been here a while! I just don't use it as often as I used to sadly, but now I've got this one you'll probably see more of me :D

Looks like I'll be busy at the weekend again, is it worth stripping the engine down and having a look?
 
Personally I'd go chasing that potential air lock - there is definitely air or gas in the system, and until you're 100% confident that it's all been expunged you won't really know whether gases are being fed into the system via a failed fire ring etc.

I'm an optimist: let's assume it's an airlock and sort that before stripping down the engine :D
 
If you take the coolant cap off and start the car there should be a stream of water coming out of the small pipe. In my MGF it was a strong jet of water came out but on my K series Freelanders it was less strong. Either way you should see something coming from the wee pipe.
 
rob_bell said:
Personally I'd go chasing that potential air lock - there is definitely air or gas in the system, and until you're 100% confident that it's all been expunged you won't really know whether gases are being fed into the system via a failed fire ring etc.

I'm an optimist: let's assume it's an airlock and sort that before stripping down the engine :D
Click to expand...

I hope your optimism is correct! What's the best way to get rid of an airlock? Because on Saturday I opened the bleed screw and ran the engine to try and get rid of it but that hasn't worked. And would the airlock prevent the water coming out from the bleed screw because nothing comes out when it's undone.

Would the air be getting in through the header tank cap? That's been suggested to me a few times.
 
Alibro said:
If you take the coolant cap off and start the car there should be a stream of water coming out of the small pipe. In my MGF it was a strong jet of water came out but on my K series Freelanders it was less strong. Either way you should see something coming from the wee pipe.
Click to expand...

No water comes out from anywhere. Even with the bleed screw undone nothing comes out.
 
Becca1605 said:
I hope your optimism is correct! What's the best way to get rid of an airlock? Because on Saturday I opened the bleed screw and ran the engine to try and get rid of it but that hasn't worked. And would the airlock prevent the water coming out from the bleed screw because nothing comes out when it's undone.

Would the air be getting in through the header tank cap? That's been suggested to me a few times.
Click to expand...
Just a thought but it might be worth taking off the little pipe and blowing into it to try and free the jiggle valve if it is stuck.
 
Alibro said:
Just a thought but it might be worth taking off the little pipe and blowing into it to try and free the jiggle valve if it is stuck.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna look for this jiggle valve and hope it's something as simple as that. If that is stuck, can it be fixed or will I need to replace the pipe?
How would I know the jiggle valve is stuck also?
 
Alibro said:
Do a quick google for K series jiggle valve. I've never worked at it but there is loads of info for it.
Click to expand...

Seems you might be right, if that's stuck it'll keep overheating due to an airlock so to speak. Could be a reasonably easy fix if that's what's doing it!
Now I just need to find this pipe and see this jiggle valve.
 
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