"Huw" <hedydd[nospam]@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:
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>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> What is people's experience. Is it 'abuse' or inevitable on a
>> particular engine.
>>
>> The 1.8 Freelander engines are obviously a bit prone to it but the same
>> engine didn't have problems in the Rover cars so this would indicate
>> because the Freelander is heavier and the engine is working harder
>> there is a much greater chance of it going.
>
> The 1.8 is prone to gasket failures wherever it finds a home. Just one
> look at the gasket, noting the width between cylinders and galleries gives
> a clue as to why. Those spindely long 'through bolts' don't inspire much
> confidence in me either.
>
>
>
>>
>> I've read posts indicating that revving above 3K when cold is much more
>> likely to cause it and to let the car warm up for 10 min - a pain on a
>> 20min drive to work and back!
>
> All engines should be warmed before subjecting to heavy load, even at low
> revs. Highly stressed engines, especially those known to blow head gaskets
> should be driven especially carefully when cold. The reason is that metal
> expands when hot and contracts when cold. It is not the relitive movement
> that is especially important as that is usually catered for. It is the
> fact that usually the maximum clamping force of the head is not achieved
> until both head and block are expanded by heat.
> In the case of the 1.8 I suspect that those long bolts expand reitively
> more than traditional short studs and perhaps the engine is always prone
> to gasket failure even when hot. There is also very little coolant in
> these engines. It is probably the combination of factors that cause the
> undoubted propensity to blow.
The early versions of these K series motors suffered badly from head gasket
failures, partly due to the use of plastic dowels between the head and block
for location purposes. it is said that the plastic dowels allow the head and
block to creep slightly, this creeping being the cause of most gasket
failures. it normally manifests itself as a coolant leak somewhere along the
edge of the gasket to the outside world, and if left unattended for any
length of time results in total gasket failure. If you spot the weep at the
gasket line early enough, replacing with a kit containing steel dowels and a
very good quality gasket seems to effect a cure.
That's been the case with the ones I've done, anyway.
Badger.
