My Beasty is Dying :(

[smithy010]

My Mk1 has been using a little bit of water in the last couple of months. I have been moderately concerned of late.

Then, the other day, it got a bit warm, and now, it is starting fairly badly, and blowing white smoke, mainly only when idling though...

It is still using water. Sounds like a head gasket, or worse to me..

This just adds extra impetus to get the Diesel Conversion on the run.

[Mario]

Hi there... check your oil..(dipstick) if its looking dirty brownish, meaning water is mixing with you oil, you may have blown either your head gasket or at worse, cracked your head....., but dont panic to soon.. its not that big a deal..... if that's what it is?.......changing a head isnt a big job.. mario.

[brackie]

Gasket

It's either the head gasket or corrosion between the water jacket and exhaust ports. As Mario said, have a look at the oil as this will tell you whether the gasket is the more likely culprit.

[smithy010]

The oil looks fairly normal. it Doesn't look like there is any water in it.

I hope it is corrosion between the exhaust port and water gallery. If it is possible that this could happen, then it's more likely that, because it has been using some water for the last few months. I changed the coolant the other week, with new glycol, and that may have cleaned some corrosion away from the hole and made it worse.

Would that explain the white smoke?

[awestonvp]

White smoke is probably steam, so yep that would explain it

[Mario]

you may have stuffed a valve, it may not be seating proper..... best bet, take the head off and have a look.... all will be exposed........ black crap on the seal of the valve will be the giveaway.... Just hope you havent cracked the block...thats a pain in the arse.. mario.

[neil]

I suppose it depends how much money you want to spend and how long you
want to keep the car.
Have heard stories and I believe you can still buy them on the black market
asbestos tablets to put in the radiator to block cracks in heads and radiators.
Farmers swear by them for there old tractors.
Neil.

[smithy010]

Chemiweld?

[smithy010]

The white smoke is very damp. (put your hand in front and it gets wet). So there is definitely a high water content.
Can't pull the head off yet. Unlike other's, my car is in use every day.

The talk of valve seats or seals concerns me, because i was previously told (on this forum)that i don't need to use Lead replacement stuff in the mk1, and as i have not got around to buying a new bottle of the stuff, i haven't been using it because i thought it was ok...

The diesel will fix it all. Albeit with startling slowness...

[aprr32]

silverseal, about $4 from Repco-swear by it.