Blown Head Gasket Repair.

[Muges180]

I recently took my car into a mechanic to get a very slight coolant leak at the back of the engine checked out only to find out that i have a blown head gasket and the said mechanic didnt want to touch it as he was unfamiliar with the engine. As i have my car up for sale i don't want to sell it as is or do a dodgy on it so who would you recommend around the southern area to fix this. I was thinking Boostworx because i would like it done properly. any other ideas? IS this a common and expensive job? What should i be looking at paying roughly?

Basically the leak is coming from the very back of the engine and dripping down onto the gearbox. I can smell coolant after i have been driving but its such a slow leak that it never reaches the ground. I only notice a slight drop in the coolant level after a week of driving. The engine itself runs perfectly.

Any help would be appreciated.

Dan

Edited October 11, 2009 by Muges180

[SLED]

John Keen

[Dohmar]

Basically the leak is coming from the very back of the engine and dripping down onto the gearbox. I can smell coolant after i have been driving but its such a slow leak that it never reaches the ground. I only notice a slight drop in the coolant level after a week of driving. The engine itself runs perfectly.

Any help would be appreciated.

Dan

Are you 100% sure its a gasket? Sounds like one of the hoses leading to your heater core has split. I had this same problem earlier in the year. Will cost a bit in labour depending on your engine and how easy it is to get to said hose... If your gasket had deteriorated you'd probably be finding a bad color in your exhaust due to coolant in the cylinder head...

Boostworx or John @ Southern Hitech can help you if you're down south, Gil @ Road & Track can do it if you're up north

-D

[Madaz]

yeah my confidence lies in Shaun, Boostworx

[Muges180]

the coolant isnt discoloured at all. The mechanic did a preassure test on it and said it was the gasket but im still not overly convinced. might take it into Shaun for a second opinion.

[heslo]

Any white "sludge" underneath your oil cap?

[Muges180]

nope nothing

[CRoNic...]

You'd know if it was the head gasket... milky shit under the oil cap, bubbles in the radiator when you take off the cap, etc.

Sounds like a hose to me. And head gasket repairs aren't cheap...

[heslo]

Spot on, the symptoms don't seem to be there and you're right, head gaskets aren't a cheap repair job

[Muges180]

well that makes me feel a bit better. now i just hope its not a gasket...

[Benzino33]

You'd know if it was the head gasket... milky shit under the oil cap, bubbles in the radiator when you take off the cap, etc.

Sounds like a hose to me. And head gasket repairs aren't cheap...

Exactly.I found the same thing the other day, just a hose. the oil is fine and the radiator isnt bubbly.

Ive located the fault hose after a bit of searching, jus gotta replace it tomorro

[Muges180]

picture the very back of the rb25 between the firewall and the block. thats where its leaking from but i cant see exactly where its coming from because there is no room.

[Dohmar]

picture the very back of the rb25 between the firewall and the block. thats where its leaking from but i cant see exactly where its coming from because there is no room.

yiap definately sounds like heater core/hose leading to heater core

-D

[RubyRS4]

I would hazard a guess and say its your coolant line from behind the inlet manifold, which runs around the back of the head, to the turbo. If the engine has ever been removed, chances are the pipe might have been crushed by the firewall (and subsequently a leak forming), or its simply the hose section right near the inlet manifold. Either way, its a bitch to get to (read: impossible). Removing the engine might be required.

[SLED]

You'd know if it was the head gasket... milky shit under the oil cap, bubbles in the radiator when you take off the cap, etc.

Sounds like a hose to me. And head gasket repairs aren't cheap...

Not necessarily.

the coolant isnt discoloured at all. The mechanic did a preassure test on it and said it was the gasket but im still not overly convinced. might take it into Shaun for a second opinion.

The facts so far:

Coolant leak at back of head.

Coolant level goes down in a week.

Pressure test confirms coolant loss in system.

You can have coolant leaking from a head gasket without it affecting your oil if the passage of leak is directly from an external water jacket....they don't always track to an oil gallery so oily radiators or milkshakes in cam covers aren't always present with blown head gaskets.

The other thing to check is whether exhaust gasses are entering the coolant system but then again, leaks don't always track between combustion chambers & water jackets either.

[Madaz]

^^ yes i had a cracked head on the camry and no oil in radiator or oil filler cap

[Matty 31]

I would hazard a guess and say its your coolant line from behind the inlet manifold, which runs around the back of the head, to the turbo. If the engine has ever been removed, chances are the pipe might have been crushed by the firewall (and subsequently a leak forming), or its simply the hose section right near the inlet manifold. Either way, its a bitch to get to (read: impossible). Removing the engine might be required.

im no expert, but had this happen to me twice. no real warning (temp didnt go thru the roof, no milky residues) but a distinct smell of coolant and a lack of coolant after a few days / week

i think flick had the same trouble with her 32 when she had it too. doesnt bring the temps up to higher than normal temps until theres no coolant / water left in the system

thatd be the first (and less expensive) option to get checked. if those hoses are fine then it'll be the gasket

/2c

[mid life crisis]

I would hazard a guess and say its your coolant line from behind the inlet manifold, which runs around the back of the head, to the turbo. If the engine has ever been removed, chances are the pipe might have been crushed by the firewall (and subsequently a leak forming), or its simply the hose section right near the inlet manifold. Either way, its a bitch to get to (read: impossible). Removing the engine might be required.

ive changed that hose twice now once on my sons car and once on my own first time took me a couple of hrs and the second time less than a hr .

the second time i used a pair of pointy nose pliars about 12 inches long and that made the job a shit load easier . still not a pleasant task at the best of times but buggered if i would pull a motor just too do it tho

[Race__24]

You can have coolant leaking from a head gasket without it affecting your oil if the passage of leak is directly from an external water jacket....they don't always track to an oil gallery so oily radiators or milkshakes in cam covers aren't always present with blown head gaskets.

The other thing to check is whether exhaust gasses are entering the coolant system but then again, leaks don't always track between combustion chambers & water jackets either.

Just what I was thinking.

Can you get a small inspection mirror down there, like what a dentist would use?

[Mr500]

Not necessarily.

The facts so far:

Coolant leak at back of head.

Coolant level goes down in a week.

Pressure test confirms coolant loss in system.

You can have coolant leaking from a head gasket without it affecting your oil if the passage of leak is directly from an external water jacket....they don't always track to an oil gallery so oily radiators or milkshakes in cam covers aren't always present with blown head gaskets.

The other thing to check is whether exhaust gasses are entering the coolant system but then again, leaks don't always track between combustion chambers & water jackets either.

beat me to it. i have a bore scope if you need to use?