I might of bought a car with a duff head gasket (how to get home)

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

About M43's:

 

Heads don't crack (I've never seen one crack in 20 years) unless they've been virtually melted but they do warp. It's odd that the M43 blows gaskets for a pastime, yet the previous M40 with the same block and same gasket never did.

 

Coolant leaks are what cause the issue in the main. There is a plastic coolant elbow on the back of the head that needs replacing after 10 years, and another one under the inlet manifold that fits into what used to be No.1 core plug on the original M40. The other is the plastic top rad hose connector on the front of the head. These must all be replaced during a head off operation. The rear coolant elbow is easy on an E34 or E46 and a complete bastard on an E36 due to no room. The corrosion build up around the elbow can be epic and require a lot of cleaning out.

 

The head must be skimmed and always with the front timing cover fitted. If not, the cover will sit proud and oil will leak like a bastard. Always replace stretch bolts.

 

To get the car home, remove the plastic stat unit (careful the 10mm bolts don't snap off in the head.....) remove the stat innards and refit. Undo the bleed screw with a 10 pence coin very slightly so that gasses can vent out. Take three 5 litre containers and fill with water before you leave - you'll need them, and more besides. You can try K Seal. There's a good chance the engine will steam like a bastard from the zorst to begin with, but once up sat a steady 3000 rpm they normally go for 10-15 miles before requiring a top up. Keep the heater on hot and when it goes cool, you'll need more water.

 

Use a good quality gasket, not cheap shit. BMW, Reinz or Payen would be my choice. They're easier than many HG's but it's never a pleasant task.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

This is the car...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/181891901546

I've just been outbid but was thinking of maybe going to £200

What do you think..

The original idea was just to buy it for the side sill covers for my car and retrofit the parking sensors fog lamps and colour coded bumpers plus alloys onto my fathers one as both of ours are Hellrot red but I got thinking about repairing it as something to do really .

 

Looks sweet enough. It's a 1.9 not a 1.6 as well. A bright Compact Auto has a value but with a head skim and the plastic coolant bits replaced, you're into a 200 quid job DIY.

[Vince70]

I've just had a message from the seller and he thinks the car isn't drivable any distance and would need a tow home as the temperature gauge goes up and down within a short period of time which is quite honest of him and he wouldn't risk driving it..

 

It's been for sale and fallen through before as I've seen it on eBay when I was looking for my current daily driver two or three months back but I might still go for it.

[Felly Magic]

If the sale has fallen through and it's been on egay before, walk away, as it's not worth it. This deffo is a case of a car needing to be James Brown'd 

[inconsistant]

I'm only a few miles from Keston, bring it here* and I'll do it while you wait... I did my head gasket in about 9-10 weeks, so the next one should probably take about and hour and a half, I reckon. 

 

 

 

*don't even think about it. But do pop in for a cuppa if it's convenient.

[omegod]

If someones been at the cooling sytem my money is still on an airlock, I did a rad my 318 and had to basically get the front and a foot and a half in the air and leave it overnight to get the air out, symptoms of airlock was the gauge going right into the red after 1 mile

[brickwall]

Drove Rover 25 around for months with a dodgy head gasket. I just kept topping up, and it took 9 months for the thing to finally pack up. Just keep an eye on the temp around town.

[rainagain]

I've just had a message from the seller and he thinks the car isn't drivable any distance and would need a tow home as the temperature gauge goes up and down within a short period of time which is quite honest of him and he wouldn't risk driving it..

 

It's been for sale and fallen through before as I've seen it on eBay when I was looking for my current daily driver two or three months back but I might still go for it.

Depends how much the seller knows, the temp on the Stilo I picked when skywards after about five minutes of running, the error messages on the dash went from 'engine temperature high' to 'engine temperature critical', the seller knew this and told me I would need to tow it. I loosened the cap on the expansion tank and the temp then sat right in the middle. Looks a nice car from the pics, I'd say buy it and pick it up, perform the tricks mentioned above regarding the thermostat and loosening the cap, if these don't work you should have driven far enough away from the seller to call your breakdown without looking suspicious. 

[sierraman]

Did you win the auction?

[carlo]

Looks a good clean spares car, body seems good and if you've already got a couple in the same colour could be a very good source of future parts.  Why not just get someone to trailer it home for you?

[Vince70]

I didn't go any higher in the end and stopped my bidding at £180 and it went for £186 and once I calculated the price of getting it home Plus the £200 in parts and whatever else it needs it would of outweighed the price of the car when realistically it's worth in good condition about £600 to £700 as to give an idea on what the cars are worth the current two that were bought in the last year or so cost £700 and £795 and both had 50 odd thousand on the clock with fantastic history in immaculate condition so it would never materialised good money..

 

I did really want it though as if things went wrong it would of been a good source of spares for the two identical compacts but space at the moment is an issue and I don't want to upset the neighbours and turn the back garden into onslows and start getting complaints and also family members talked me out of it...

 

Also I have the nosiset neighbours and the old girl next door would be watching me for hours at end through the net curtains or just peering at me over the garden fence at me while I'm working on the car and once she hears the swearing when I've sheared a stud or cut my knuckles on a cold winter working outside on it I will start getting complaints lol.

 

I'm putting the house up for sale in a few months time so I've got to keep the neighbourhood looking respectable and fancy moving down to the West Country and the next place will be somewhere remote with a drive and workshop (not worried about the house lol) where I can buy loads of cheap terminally ill cars and abandon them to my hearts content lol

[Vince70]

I did have a think about it and sent a message to the seller this morning knowing that I don't have the space nor the know how on how to repair it and said to him that if the sale falls through for any reason as happens 99.9% of the time on eBay to get in touch and I will take it off his hands for the final price (plus no eBay fees)

 

But it has already been sold and picked up in that short space of time.... So at least my neighbour won't have to look over the garden fence for months at end wondering what's going on.. she must think I must have a car ringing thing going on if I ended up with another hellrot red compact ...Lol

[Felly Magic]

Bullet dodged tbh mate