Steve Whiteley Posted July 8 Report Posted July 8 dear all, So, after the last issue: Which I seemed to get sorted, but since has been idling a bit roughly (take note).....today, luckily whilst headed home, temp gauge went to max. Eeek.....no smoke or steam, assumed maybe stat had gone, so drove gingerly back in the baking heat - 10 mins drive. When back in drive, poppped the bonnet and burny oily smell, smokey around rocker cover edges where fluid, am assuming oil or maybe oil/coolant mix, has leaked a bit over hot engine. Currently awaiting it cooling down before checking levels etc. Reckon it could be a leaky head gasket though and hence my idle issues too? If so......replacement is the way I assume? Not ever done any rockercover/cylinder stuff, so may need a man that knows. Or would you guys recommend a compression test first to confirm - I'd need to get a test kit. Was poss going to Kent group breakfast meet this morning too, but had a sick dog to sort....maybe a blessing!...though not for the dog Thanks all. Quote
Steve Whiteley Posted July 8 Author Report Posted July 8 Hold the front page......it's cooled enough and - no coolant! Filling, it pi**es out the bottom hose. Looks like the clip just needed a good tighten!! Ok, need more 4 Life coolant now then. Quote
charlie74 Posted July 8 Report Posted July 8 Hopefully that’s it fixed. Definitely check your fluid levels and look for contamination in both oil and coolant for mixing of aforementioned fluids. If any evidence of this suspect your head gasket to be blown. If not, I would still do a compression test for further reassurance that it’s ok… Quote
rcreweread Posted July 8 Report Posted July 8 4 hours ago, Steve Whiteley said: Hold the front page......it's cooled enough and - no coolant! Filling, it pi**es out the bottom hose. Looks like the clip just needed a good tighten!! Ok, need more 4 Life coolant now then. Steve - I would ditch your 4 Life Coolant as soon as you can - there are plenty of views on this forum which question it's efficacy and hence its need. I believe when hot it's flammable, hence why race circuits will not allow it's use, not for that matter do many TR specialist engine builders. It might have seductive marketing, but the bottom line is that it actually makes your engine run hotter, which by most accounts is not a good thing and finally, you've hit the nail on the head - you shouldn't mix it so what do you top it up with if you haven't got any....hmmmm. Bin it and stick to blue antifreeze mixed 50/50 with water - perfectly adequate and much much cheaper! Cheers Rich C-R Quote
RobH Posted July 8 Report Posted July 8 No Rich - 4- Life isn't that neat glycol stuff like Evans, even though the name suggests it. It is water based and supposed to last 10 years. Quote
rcreweread Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 9 hours ago, RobH said: No Rich - 4- Life isn't that neat glycol stuff like Evans, even though the name suggests it. It is water based and supposed to last 10 years. Rob - ok thanks for the correction and apologies to Charlie. I think I would still prefer to stick with the tried and tested Bluecol and water, even though it needs to be changed every 2 years. Cheers Rich Quote
trchris Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 Just as a foot note in a 6 the coolant mix doesn’t need to be as high as 50/50 a 33% mix is fine you only need the stronger mix with the 4 cylinder engine I’ve started using Prestone antifreeze in the 250 as it has a longer life so less changes are needed Chris Quote
RobH Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 1 hour ago, trchris said: Just as a foot note in a 6 the coolant mix doesn’t need to be as high as 50/50 a 33% mix is fine you only need the stronger mix with the 4 cylinder engine The mix ratio is nothing to do with the engine type Chris, it just defines the freezing temperature of the mixture. A 50% water/glycol mix is good for -35ºC. A 33% mix only protects down to about -15ºC. There is no reason to use the stronger mixture in a 4-pot unless you expect the temperature to dip below -15ºC, and if it does, you certainly need it in a 6-pot too ! Quote
Steve Whiteley Posted July 9 Author Report Posted July 9 Thanks all. I already went straight to reordering another 5L of 4 Life and chucked the rest of my spare 4 Life (about 4 L) into the rad. I've had the same lot of 4 Life in the 6 for 10 years plus and it's always run at a perfect temperature.....never any trouble. So think I'll stick with it. Charlie - I checked oil - level all good and clean as a whistle (not long past a change) and no sign of mixing. While we're here on cooling systems - last lot of hoses I bought were from the TR Roadster place in the states, as they did the orig looking green coated ones (I like to keep COV as orig looking as poss, as Dave Lewis made it). These are about 12 years old now and the green coating is peeling off. Still seem to do the job though. But.... Do you folks have a recommendation of good coolant hose kits? Preferably orig looking. Ta. Quote
stuart Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 17 minutes ago, Steve Whiteley said: Thanks all. I already went straight to reordering another 5L of 4 Life and chucked the rest of my spare 4 Life (about 4 L) into the rad. I've had the same lot of 4 Life in the 6 for 10 years plus and it's always run at a perfect temperature.....never any trouble. So think I'll stick with it. Charlie - I checked oil - level all good and clean as a whistle (not long past a change) and no sign of mixing. While we're here on cooling systems - last lot of hoses I bought were from the TR Roadster place in the states, as they did the orig looking green coated ones (I like to keep COV as orig looking as poss, as Dave Lewis made it). These are about 12 years old now and the green coating is peeling off. Still seem to do the job though. But.... Do you folks have a recommendation of good coolant hose kits? Preferably orig looking. Ta. I believe TR Shop keep the green hoses. Stuart. Quote
trchris Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 2 hours ago, RobH said: The mix ratio is nothing to do with the engine type Chris, it just defines the freezing temperature of the mixture. A 50% water/glycol mix is good for -35ºC. A 33% mix only protects down to about -15ºC. There is no reason to use the stronger mixture in a 4-pot unless you expect the temperature to dip below -15ºC, and if it does, you certainly need it in a 6-pot too ! Hi Rob l was more referring to the stronger inhibitor protection offered in the 4 pot because of the liner seals as some may be running steel ones , not the temperature range l may have been a bit vague in the last post Chris Quote
DRD Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 4 hours ago, trchris said: Just as a foot note in a 6 the coolant mix doesn’t need to be as high as 50/50 a 33% mix is fine you only need the stronger mix with the 4 cylinder engine I’ve started using Prestone antifreeze in the 250 as it has a longer life so less changes are needed Chris +1 Quote
stuart Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 2 hours ago, Steve Whiteley said: can't see them on there Stuart No point in looking on their website as its currently on the 2020 version! Just ring them up is always the easiest. Stuart. Quote
Steve-B Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 3 hours ago, Steve Whiteley said: can't see them on there Stuart The TR Website is hoooooppppppelessly out of date, I always call them and don't even bother looking on it... Quote
PriceLes Posted July 10 Report Posted July 10 I might consider one of these units, with the option of fitting a sensor to each end of the cylinder head. An alarm seems an excellent warning over a gauge limited to cold, normalish and cooked. (Not to mention the cost of a cylinder head worst case) https://engineguard.com.au/?srsltid=AfmBOoredPTUOrIdU8iMadp0dYLtP6gkfSD8cBAkLbDpkyEDbfAZwZBS Quote
Steve Whiteley Posted July 15 Author Report Posted July 15 more cooling woes. Tightened up all hoses, refilled with fresh 4 Life. Headed out.....ruddy temp shot up again when out of the village. Pulled over....coolant pissed around again. Turns out the top hose had a split underneath it! Luckily, had kept the old one and that got me back, then as stopped in garage, bottom hose leaked from rad end (I'd not reached that jubillee screw) Pain in the a** So, I shall be getting a full set of new hoses - and more ruddy coolant! I'll call TR shop then. Thanks all. Quote
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