New head but still getting bubbles....!

[Mart]

anyone know wether enough bubbles to foam out of top of rad with cap off still means exhaust gases getting into? I think it does but just checking. It still forces coolant out of the expansion tank but not as badly as before. Possible rad cap only or do the bubbles mean bad news still ?

Cheers

[laser_jock99]

Maybe the head gasket hasn't seated properly?

Nevillef

[Andy Dawson]

I change my head gasket a couple of weeks ago for the same reasons and still have problems, i.e. coolant being pressurised. Once I retieve the 2 washers I dropped into the sump I will investigate what's happened.

Current thinging is that I should not have used gasket sealent on the cylinder head (amazing what you find out afterwards), but will get the head checked out any way just in case.

Did you fit the head your self? if not take it back and complain.

[Mart]

I change my head gasket a couple of weeks ago for the same reasons and still have problems, i.e. coolant being pressurised. Once I retieve the 2 washers I dropped into the sump I will investigate what's happened.

Current thinging is that I should not have used gasket sealent on the cylinder head (amazing what you find out afterwards), but will get the head checked out any way just in case.

Did you fit the head your self? if not take it back and complain.

No had it done for me not quite upto that kind of work....plus too many things to know like torque settings and order of bolts to tighten etc etc

Its back with the garage now and I haven't had the stomach to call and find out how its going. Already spent £1700 I didn't have don't really want to know there's a crack in the block or whatever and its gonna cost loads more!

Fingers crossed its just a gasket prob and all well.....fat chance!

Cheers

[Andy Dawson]

Had the head checked today, they skimmed 0.1mm off and found no sign of cracks (may-be there is a god)

If the garage failed to fix the fault then it should be done at their expence.

[Mart]

bad news it looks like there's a hair-line crack in one of the liners. They have pressure tested cold and then hot and found the leak is worse hot. The confidence they have in the new toyota parts leads them to think on eof the liners is slightly cracked. I would tend to agree given the serverity of the cracks in the head I saw.

They are gonna try some sort of block-weld stuff that goes into the coolant for a week then seals any leaks. sets like metel....apparently! Should be sort the prob hopefully.

Looks like the end of the surf for me as I tow a large van I can see it being good enough to last under that kind of loading.

[Koi]

[QUOTE=Mart]The confidence they have in the new toyota parts leads them to think on eof the liners is slightly cracked. I would tend to agree given the serverity of the cracks in the head I saw.[QUOTE]

Not if the gasket wasn't seated correctly

[stevo]

Mart, what have you had done for £1700 ? it is very unlikely to have a cracked liner because your block is a parent bore type which don't have liners, post a bit more info about whats been done and who supplied what for further advice.
Cheers, Steve.

[Mart]

Mart, what have you had done for £1700 ? it is very unlikely to have a cracked liner because your block is a parent bore type which don't have liners, post a bit more info about whats been done and who supplied what for further advice.
Cheers, Steve.

Steve, had the head taken off and saw the massive cracks across all four cylinders and expansion chambers myself. Sorted with the mech to buy a new head from Toyota inc gaskets etc which he did while I waited. He swapped the bits across to the new head and reinstalled it onto the engine. All parts in oil filter were genuine Toyota; £1226 parts from Toyota inc VAT £450 labour Total £1676 all in.



Got car back and had it a few days but didn't get to drive it much (had a prob with the starter motor contacts which I've sorted). Once I sorted the starter and rove it more I noticed the bubbles again from in the overflow tank. Not as bad and only pushed out al little coolant but obviously a prob as it always expelled some coolant when up to temp.



Been back to garage today and they have put some sort of additive into the coolant that finds the 'crack' and seals it (like a liquid metal sealant..!?). Need to go back next Fri/Sat for the flushing and replacement of the thermostat. Hopefully it will fix the prob.....not confident it will be that permanent though.



Clearly the only real fix would be a liner replacement but you say it doesn't have liners?

The mech has spoken to Toyota and other collegues who all think its a block fault as they have never had any probs like this with head replacement.

Given what I saw with the old head I wouldn't be suprised. I think it maybe time to call it a day with the car and move on. The mech reckons it would be a waste as there's nothing else wrong and it wouldn't cost too much more to sort the block(£700-1000 my guess?). What do you guys think ?

Reluctant to pour any more cash away and not fix it?

Any suggestions ?

Cheers

[Guest]

Steve, had the head taken off and saw the massive cracks across all four cylinders and expansion chambers myself. Sorted with the mech to buy a new head from Toyota inc gaskets etc which he did while I waited. He swapped the bits across to the new head and reinstalled it onto the engine. All parts in oil filter were genuine Toyota; £1226 parts from Toyota inc VAT £450 labour Total £1676 all in.



Got car back and had it a few days but didn't get to drive it much (had a prob with the starter motor contacts which I've sorted). Once I sorted the starter and rove it more I noticed the bubbles again from in the overflow tank. Not as bad and only pushed out al little coolant but obviously a prob as it always expelled some coolant when up to temp.



Been back to garage today and they have put some sort of additive into the coolant that finds the 'crack' and seals it (like a liquid metal sealant..!?). Need to go back next Fri/Sat for the flushing and replacement of the thermostat. Hopefully it will fix the prob.....not confident it will be that permanent though.



Clearly the only real fix would be a liner replacement but you say it doesn't have liners?

The mech has spoken to Toyota and other collegues who all think its a block fault as they have never had any probs like this with head replacement.

Given what I saw with the old head I wouldn't be suprised. I think it maybe time to call it a day with the car and move on. The mech reckons it would be a waste as there's nothing else wrong and it wouldn't cost too much more to sort the block(£700-1000 my guess?). What do you guys think ?

Reluctant to pour any more cash away and not fix it?

Any suggestions ?

Cheers

Mart.

It's relatively easy to get the head seated incorrectly, I did this on mine and ended up with the same symptoms. Took off the head, new gasket, stretch bolts and lots of checking, rechecking and rechecking again solved the problem, now no problems.

I would think it is relatively difficult to damage the block on the 2L engine, it's pretty thick. I think I would get them to remove the head and replace the head gasket and refit, think that will solve the problem - Just my opinion though.

Also as Stevo says, the block does not have liners - liners can be fitted to a badly damaged block by boring out and shrink fitting a liner into the bore, however very few places will do this kind of thing and to be honest the cost of the labour makes it almost as expensive as a new block.


Cheers

[Mart]

Mart.

It's relatively easy to get the head seated incorrectly, I did this on mine and ended up with the same symptoms. Took off the head, new gasket, stretch bolts and lots of checking, rechecking and rechecking again solved the problem, now no problems.



I would think it is relatively difficult to damage the block on the 2L engine, it's pretty thick. I think I would get them to remove the head and replace the head gasket and refit, think that will solve the problem - Just my opinion though.



Also as Stevo says, the block does not have liners - liners can be fitted to a badly damaged block by boring out and shrink fitting a liner into the bore, however very few places will do this kind of thing and to be honest the cost of the labour makes it almost as expensive as a new block.





Cheers

Well the heads come off again after 2 months from the original fault (guy doing it has been really sick hospital the lot!). Anyway checked the block and cylinder 4 is cracked in two places. Engineering firm is gonna sort the block for £1000! And another £460 for labour plus parts to put it all back together. My guess is a total of £3400!!!!!!!!! I did ask about new block etc but was told it would be even more. The car can't be worth more than £5500 at best. Not happy at all. Especially when the temp gauge didn't even move off normal temp the whole time the engine was cooking!!



My guess is that the small split in the top of the rad next to the rad cap allowed enough coolant out to cook the lot. What I don't get is why the temp gauge didn't pick it up? (Ran the car with no thermostat since and temp gauge followed that change fine).



Me thinks that some sort of extra temp monitoring for oil, coolant and trans would give a better pic and stop that happening again. I would have thought that the oil temp would have risen if the coolant loss did cook the head/block ?



Any suggestions on best protection for future ? Comments on why the block and head failed?



Cheers