cracked head I guess

[Smokerace]

Well thanks for the warm welcome people. Ok so I bought a 2.4L on a H reg, went to Leicester on Sat to get it. It drove perfectly but 20 mile or so up the motorway up went the temp guage rapidly. I pulled over before it hit red, popped the bonett and found coolant lightly spraying out from the heater left (in) heater hose around the clip. Out comes Mr RAC (I joined 2 days before getting it see just in case) and puts on a new clip. Off I go again, another 5 mile up the motorway and I can smell coolant ! Then I can see coolant coming out the gap betwix bonett and wing pull over, lift bonett and its blown the bleeding heater hose apart !!!!! out comes mr RAC again, bypasses the matrix and performs a sniff test. Well it was one of those types that you hold above the rad with cap open and squeeze a ball end to draw the gasses in. After a few mins it did mildly change colour.... but he sucked up some water in there to I noticed. Anyway I got recovered home. I guess the head has gone, but has any one come across it blowing the hell out of a pipe before ? I thought it might have just pushed it all out of the balance tank. Also I see Milners off road do a head built up are they any good do you know ? Stevo has one bare head left but I am working to a budget and his price sadly falls outside it..
Any thought appreciated.

[blackpoolsparks]

Thought?
My thoughts.
Go back to Leicester and give the chap that sold it to you a beating.

[Smokerace]

Well thats one option mate, but I need to fix the truck first coz I dont wanna go down there on the train again !!

[Wolfracer]

^^^ WHS, the one above him...

Mine happened severall hundred miles into ownership, and i still felt pi$$ed off. I'd have told the RAC to tow me back to leicester... leave it on his drive, undriveable and then see if he doesn't want to help out...or give you your money back .

ETA, Welcome BTW, and if you are keeping it, then Roughtrax also do a fully built head. In any case, we don't hear of "replacement" heads breaking, so get it fixed and enjoy.... it WILL pay for itself in smiles per hour!

[flounderbout]

Well thanks for the warm welcome people. Ok so I bought a 2.4L on a H reg, went to Leicester on Sat to get it. It drove perfectly but 20 mile or so up the motorway up went the temp guage rapidly. I pulled over before it hit red, popped the bonett and found coolant lightly spraying out from the heater left (in) heater hose around the clip. Out comes Mr RAC (I joined 2 days before getting it see just in case) and puts on a new clip. Off I go again, another 5 mile up the motorway and I can smell coolant ! Then I can see coolant coming out the gap betwix bonett and wing pull over, lift bonett and its blown the bleeding heater hose apart !!!!! out comes mr RAC again, bypasses the matrix and performs a sniff test. Well it was one of those types that you hold above the rad with cap open and squeeze a ball end to draw the gasses in. After a few mins it did mildly change colour.... but he sucked up some water in there to I noticed. Anyway I got recovered home. I guess the head has gone, but has any one come across it blowing the hell out of a pipe before ? I thought it might have just pushed it all out of the balance tank. Also I see Milners off road do a head built up are they any good do you know ? Stevo has one bare head left but I am working to a budget and his price sadly falls outside it..
Any thought appreciated.

Tedious - I feel your pain. But don't be too glum. I have had two heads blow - and one was on the day I bought it. I was unamused.

However I have a new Roughtrax head on one courtesy of TonyN (its been happy ever since), and the other one will shortly be a Lexurf . Every cloud and all that...

[Smokerace]

yeah well I reckon you gotta accept this sort of thing can happen when you buy an old crate. Besides I didnt pay a great deal for it and if the head has gone at least I can fix it up and enjoy it without worrying that it might go in the future. So I aint to miffed about it, sure could have done without it but hey ho sh1t happens eh..

[Wolfracer]

yeah well I reckon you gotta accept this sort of thing can happen when you buy an old crate. Besides I didnt pay a great deal for it and if the head has gone at least I can fix it up and enjoy it without worrying that it might go in the future. So I aint to miffed about it, sure could have done without it but hey ho sh1t happens eh..

But on a better note, if your steering clunks on full lock, then let us all know, we have a fix for, errrr free!

[blackpoolsparks]

yeah well I reckon you gotta accept this sort of thing can happen when you buy an old crate. Besides I didnt pay a great deal for it and if the head has gone at least I can fix it up and enjoy it without worrying that it might go in the future. So I aint to miffed about it, sure could have done without it but hey ho sh1t happens eh..

Great attitude.
You should have bought a Land Rover, lol
You're right it's only a few hundred squid and you're bulletproof.

[Smokerace]

well so far the steering is ok, but I will bear that in mind ta

[Smokerace]

Yeah been down the Landrover route, loved it but you could watch it rot away in front of you. In the end I swept it up of the street lol

[Brussels john]

Doesn't have to be your head.

Hi, Have you checked out the coolent system, replaced the cap and the thermostat. Always a good idea to clean out the system as well.
One thing that will cause this problem is the Viscous fan. If that is not working correctly the collant in the rad will just boil and never cool down.
It's a tricky job but worth doing, you can buy the silicon oil on line. There are a few threads on here which will hel you.

Good way to check you fan is to see if it spins. Without the engine running just try and spin the fan. If it is hard to move or will not complete a full revolution with one push, then you need to re-oil it. Garages over here will always tell you that it is the head. Unfortunately they are not savey on the workings of the viscous fan.
If you can get it to East London I don't mind taking a look.

[Smokerace]

Thanks John, but London is a bit far (300 mile). Really appreciate the offer though. I am going to set to it at weekend and have a look, I have ordered a new rad cap, the fan spins ok but I was thinking of locking it up. Its supposed to have had a new water pump and stat, but who knows eh. I suppose I will use my sniff test and maybe carry out a compression test before stripping the head down.
Would I be right in thinking that the two smaller pipes that run off the main heater hoses and go under the truck on the right hand side are for the rear heater matrix ?
Anybody had experience with the Milner heads ???????

[Diesel Turbo]

Thermostat

Hi, mine did the exact same thing, but mine was the thermostat stuck and blocked, run it without the stat after back flushing it to make sure of no blockages, and on filling make sure no air locks, if it does it then and the fans are working fine, you probally have a head that has gone

[Brussels john]

Don't Lock up your fan

Hi again,

Don't lock up your fan, if you are going to take it off to add heavy silicon to lock it up, you might as well do the job correctly and add the correct silicon oil.
What I forgot in my previous post, was that the fan can either lock up, or spin free when it runs out of oil or if the oil burns inside the fan. If you re oil it ( I have a bottle of the oil if you require one ) I think you will notice a great difference.
I would do as others have suggested and replace your thermostat. Before doing that flush the system through. If someone has mixed the coolants in the system at some point, you will have sludge everywhrere.
A good way to clean out the system is to hose it through, re fill it and add some citric acid or a calagon tablet. Run it till it gets hot, let it cool down and flush it through again, when clean re fill the system with deionised water and coolant.
Good luck and give me shout if you require the silicon oil.
John

[Smokerace]

Hmm cheers John, I will have that silicon of you please, let me know how much you want and the best way of paying you (paypal, postal order). I will do the stat this weekend before I strip it down. Whats the best type of coolant to use in these ? And if you could let me know the correct procedure for changing the oil in the fan I would be very gratefull.