Any K series experts out there?

[comptoncj]

Got a problem, dont a fair few k series head gaskets an no doubt every mechanic has lol never had a problem with one... Untill now, Car comes in with water in oil, so i changed the head gasket, head skimmed, water pump, thermostat etc took the ball bearing out of the inlet manifold. Car goes away for 600 miles and comes back with water in the oil and a header tank stinking of petrol :S ive lifted the head and cant see any problems with the gasket, the head has been pressure tested and came back all ok... So anyone have any ideas as to what else could be causing this problem?

[wwmnw]

Hairline crack in the block? Would expand when the engine got hot.

[tommy8252]

Is it a porous head? IIRC you test it by scraping a penny or summat on the face of the head if it scratches the head quite deeply its porous. But I could be talking shoite lol

[comptoncj]

This is what i was thinking but how do you test for this? I cant move the pistons to inspect the liners easily due to the sandwich design of the engine! I cant work out how it has done 600 miles before its played up again though? surely if it was a crack it would become apparent as soon as it warms up for the first time?

[Royston]

What size is the K series?

1.6's and above can have hairline cracks in the block, you haven't disturbed the liners whilst the head was off? i.e. turned the crank?

[comptoncj]

What size is the K series?

1.6's and above can have hairline cracks in the block, you haven't disturbed the liners whilst the head was off? i.e. turned the crank?

Its a 1400 and no i havnt disturbed the liners and they all sit at the correct height.

[Royston]

I did my mother in laws @ a year ago (1.4) had it tested, skimmed and valves done, went together with no problems, was straight forward.

Did you use good quality head bolts/ new style revised head gasket with the shim plate? I assume you did, just asking? (I used a Payen head set)

Water in the oil isn't residue from when it failed first time?

[comptoncj]

I used all FAI parts but i didnt use a shim type gasket as the boss bought the old type but ive used both types and never had a problem. and regards to the oil erm well the header tank was empty the oil was creamy and with the engine running you could feel the exhaust gasses coming though the cooling system lol

[MK1_Ben]

I used to work for a company that built MG race+rally cars, K series engines are my thing :)

90% it's a hairline fracture, quite common and as stated, you wouldn't detect it when the Engine's hot as it would close.

Also, what Gasket and bolts did you use? was the Thermostat and water pump done too? If the Gasket isn't replaced with the MLS uprated one with Payen head bolts, and Thermostat or Waterpump done at the same time they have an annoying tendency of going again.

Generally with all the correct uprated parts they shouldn't go again, it was Rovers fault for using the poor gasket and thermostat design which can easily be fixed to create a reliable K series (you don't see them being done constantly on Elises/Caterhams do you :) )

[comptoncj]

I used to work for a company that built MG race+rally cars, K series engines are my thing :)

90% it's a hairline fracture, quite common and as stated, you wouldn't detect it when the Engine's hot as it would close.

Also, what Gasket and bolts did you use? was the Thermostat and water pump done too? If the Gasket isn't replaced with the MLS uprated one with Payen head bolts, and Thermostat or Waterpump done at the same time they have an annoying tendency of going again.

Generally with all the correct uprated parts they shouldn't go again, it was Rovers fault for using the poor gasket and thermostat design which can easily be fixed to create a reliable K series (you don't see them being done constantly on Elises/Caterhams do you :) )

I replaced everything including the inlet manifold gasket for a thicker one, i always change the thermostat water pump etc when i do one and i used a FAI gasket set and head bolts, ive done 5 in the last 3 months and this is the only one thats given me problems we have a mgzr courtesy car which i aslo replaced the head gasket on using the same parts and thats been running fine since i did it last april.

[Royston]

Hairline fratures are a pain to find, when the liners went porous in my Range Rover 3.9, before we replaced the liners I wanted to be sure it was leaking.

All the water galleries were blanked, and pressurised to 120psi, and dunked in a large water tank after being in the hot wash to heat it up, pressure would fall to 80psi and hold, but NO bubbles, it was only found whe it was again pressurised and left in the hot wash machine, and the engineer saw bubbles at No 3 liner when he opened the machine........i.e. very difficult to find

[MK1_Ben]

Did you pressure test it?

[comptoncj]

Yes its been pressure tested twice

[L14MNP]

I replaced everything including the inlet manifold gasket for a thicker one, i always change the thermostat water pump etc when i do one and i used a FAI gasket set and head bolts, ive done 5 in the last 3 months and this is the only one thats given me problems we have a mgzr courtesy car which i aslo replaced the head gasket on using the same parts and thats been running fine since i did it last april.

lol

I know if the uprated gasket has been fitted then they should be trouble free, but I have never seen one of those as a courtesy car. I would laugh if I seen one with it emblazoned down the side - bonnet up and steam p!ssing out. lol

[Lewis.]

I'd be guessing liners. we have 2 rovers as courtesy cars at work (lol) and I did the headgasket on one if them recently, did it all properly: skim, steel gasket with shim plate etc, then just as yours has, it went again shortly afterwards. turned out that the bottoms of the liners were not sealed properly in the block, so were leaking oil into the water. pull the liners out, clean them up and re seal them mate.

[Stuart]

you don't see them being done constantly on Elises do you :)


errrrr S1's are notorious for killing headgaskets, and the S2 is starting to show signs of consistent failures on the K too...


the 1.4 block is freaking amazing, I know the chap who owns Omex had one turbo'd to something like 300bhp, whereas his similar specced 1.8 kept eating itself lol