Head gasket fixed but losing water?

[biggee]

Me again, thanks for being helpful.
4 weeks and 200 miles after the gasket fix I've lost the coolant from the max to the min level. The car is running fine and all looks ok but with no visible leaks, where is the water going???

Also rear window elements are only working on three at most. If I get one from a scrappy are they hard to replace.

Thank's for your help and while I'm on a very happy Christmas to everyone.
Cheers
G
PS what have you asked Santa for?????

[kretur]

I happened to be speaking to an engineer at my local Land Rover garage (NOT a main dealers!) and he was telling me that because the Freelander engine (in particular the 1.8 K) runs at such high temperature and pressure, the coolant basically disappears within the engine coolant system as the engine case expands and contracts!

Like you, I am constantly having to look at the level and top it up, even AFTER the Main Dealer had replaced ALL the pipework after they apparently located leaks requiring this remedy. This is the same main dealer who left off the Coil bracket at the right-hand side of the head, (after replacing all the pipework...) necessitating the above trip to the local garage, to fix it back on in the first place!


Les

[george_k]

This could be happen for a number of reasons in K series. Start from the easy ones like hoses etc.
In my case was the cylinder liners moving when hot so the coolant burnt in the exhaust. Result was new engine and destroyed catalyst.

[fergie2035]

If an engine is losing water its got to go somewhere.

As I see it, it either has to leak out of the system, or leak into the cylinders and come out the back as steam or leak into the oil and emulsify it.

A colleague at work has a 1.8 that's started to need the water topped up weekly. A quick look under the bonnet shows no obvious signs of a leak. My concern about it is that the worst case scenario is that the liners have started to drop which is apparently not economically repairable and so is terminal for the engine block. It could just be a head gasket leaking but dropping liners would tend to cause the head gasket leakage too.

If the spark plugs are removed you might be able to see whether any of the pistons look cleaner than the rest. If water is getting in and being vapourised it tends to steam-clean the top of the piston, or at least change its appearance a bit. If one is cleaner than the others then you know you have a problem and if you think it might be liner problems, it may be time for a trade in.

[TEMPL4R]

I'm just finishing off yet another 1.8 freelander as I type.

The usual problem, the rubber seal around the head bolt holes has given way and dumped the water in the sump. Of all the 1.8s I've done, not one has ever blown a gasket through from the cylinder.

The liners are wet liners and sit on a seat in the block, if you move the pistons while the head is off, they can dislodge and ruin the seal. They don't slip, they chatter and wear the block away, that is when you need a new engine. ( or machine them and shim them, but there are so many spare engines in the breakers, it isn't worth it).

The actual engine is light, powerful and could be very good, if they sorted out a decent gasket. The head bolts through to the mains holds the engine tight together, probably why they never blow the cylinder sealing ring on the gasket.

Out of interest, who has had a gasket blow through from a cylinder, not just dislodge the rubber seals?

Chris

[george_k]

Chris, if you remember.. after 2 gaskets and finally new head & complete mls gasket set i had a mysterious coolant loss. Many days later found the liners unsealed caused by previous overheating. So they resealed all liners back in the block using a special engine block sealant cause they were dancing when engine was hot.
After all this entertainment which cost me about a kidney and a leg and after thousands posts reading around i believe this engine is really crappy.

[TEMPL4R]

They chatter about George. The head sits on the block and the cylinder liners. Any lower difference in height will let the liners move as the pistons reciprocate, it gets worse and wears the liner seat. I have had an MGF VVT wear the head, it cut grooves in the face.
If the liners are too high, the rubber seals don't compress properly and blow through.

Chris

[fergie2035]

If I'm understanding this right it sounds like changing the head gasket is a sensible first step and if that doesn't cure it we should suspect the liner seals.

Is it known why the bolt seals fail?

When the head is off, apart from measuring the liner height above the block is there anything else worth doing? For example, is there ever a case for taking the liners out and resealing them?

[The Mad Hat Man]

Did you just change the Head Gasket or rail as well?

It is not uncommon to have sequential HGF

[george_k]

If the liners are unsealed you will be able to turn them with your hand while the head is out.
If youre gonna reseal them the worst part is to clean well the block inside from oil an smudges before doing the job.