Ian Johnston wrote:


Or the heads have corroded and the gaskets now leak.

rm

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I'll have another look, but everything seemed pretty clean. I reckon
someone spent some time on it before giving up when those leaking carbs
weren't allowing it to start.
If I was to persist, I'd need to flush out the engine, start again with
fresh oil and see if the problem's still there. As I still wouldn't be
able to sell it with any sort of history or guarantee, I'm not sure it's
worth the effort.

On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 12:00:54 +0100, Willy Eckerslyke wrote:

Fiver's worth of cheapo oil, an hour at most of your time and the
difference - maybe - between "Dodgy Stag engine for sale, head/gasket
problems likely" and "Stag engine for sale, no history but runs OK".

I think it's a gamble worth taking.

Ian

Ian Johnston wrote:

When you put it like that, you have a point!

In article <pan.2007.04.30.11.07.46 (AT) btinternet (DOT) com>,
Ian Johnston <ian.groups (AT) btinternet (DOT) com> wrote:
Nor is it exactly difficult to lift the heads and check things - and I'd
say one that is fixed as regards head/gasket problems would be worth the
effort.

--
*Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"

Dave Plowman dave (AT) davenoise (DOT) co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Are you sure about that? I've heard horror stories about their angled
head bolts seizing and making it a massive headache. Still, I suppose I
can check if they turn without commiting myself too much.

Hmm...
Perhaps I'll start selling off other parts of the car first, while I
decide...

Willy Eckerslyke wrote:

The main studs are slanted through the heads - these do not get any oil
on them (unlike the Sprint engine) and corrode and seize into the head
making it very difficult to remove the studs. (The threads into the
block usually come out OK.) The studs have to be removed first before
the head comes off BTW. I have seen the head lifted slightly and the
studs cut off with a hacksaw. My method of removing these was to two
nuts locking on the end and an air impact wrench with a couple of good
sprays of penetrate left overnight. I also had a thin stainless steel
tube (hole saw)which I drilled down through the head.


Then you could always fill the cooling system with a sealer


before you started the engine did you check the oil for water?? that it
had not separated out in the sump??


Another thing I'd be weighing up would be the cost of gaskets to do the
repair.

rm

Rob wrote:

Thanks again Rob. That's the sort of thing that was putting me off doing
this if I can avoid it.

Stupidly, no. The dip stick was only showing clean oil, but there could
have been a pool of water below that.

Good point, looks like they'd be 40 quid a set, which is something to
bear in mind.

The story has now changed a little. I found an invoice in the car for
work done at the end of 2004, since when the car's done 2000 miles
according to the odometer. It stretches to about three pages,
culminating in a total of 877 quid for parts and labour, including head
skimming and "extra thick head gasket set". What it doesn't say, is
whether both heads were done, but as the thicker gasket would reduce the
compression, I can't see anywhere reputable only doing that to one side.
Or perhaps they only _charged_ him for the head skimming...

They MOT'd the car at the same time, which shows how hard the last
couple of years have been on it. By now, it's so rusty that the drivers
seat is nearly touching the ground and the passenger door's jamming as
the shell distorts. Amazing considering the last MOT would only have ran
out 16 months ago.

In article <59qv1iF2m1kciU1 (AT) mid (DOT) individual.net>,
Willy Eckerslyke <oss108no_spam (AT) bangor (DOT) ac.uk> wrote:
You can usually tell by looking at the inlet manifold. If only one head
has been skimmed it won't sit square. Remove a bolt either side and look
at whether the thread is approximately central. That was the problem with
my brother's one - most of the threads on one side were stripped due to
forcing in the bolts after only one head had been machined. Had to make up
a special gasket after helicoiling.

--
*Gun Control: Use both hands.

Dave Plowman dave (AT) davenoise (DOT) co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Thanks, I'll check that. There was some helicoiling on that monster
invoice too, but then that's probably not unusual with these engines.
I'm thinking I may as well lift off the inlet manifold for a look. I'd
like to think perhaps the water could have got into the oil via the
manifold gasket, but don't suppose there's any access to an oilway from
there.

I'm also trying to find the nerve to ring the previous owner, who's name
and address are on the invoice. It'd be nice to find out what happened,
but I'm not sure he'd be too happy being reminded of all the money he
must have thrown at it.