I just read all 12 pages of the HGF thread.
Well. That's ruined my morning
. But then if they really were that much of a nightmare and not worth the effort then no-one here would be driving them, so there must be some love for the K series and a way to fix it's problems.
In the HGF thread, several failure-rate-reduction-mods (doesn't really sound like there is a definitive "fix") were suggested:
New MLS HG
New oil Rail with shim
Pressure relief thermo
Post shutdown water pump
Sounds pretty smart, if the goal is to keep this sucker as cool as poss at all times. The good news is that mine had a new HG at 92k, and it is now at 111k with now reported problems thus far. I don't know if it was the MLS HG, but I'd suspect so as you'd probably have to
try to get the old style one. I don't know whether it has the oil rail fitted, what should I look for to tell?
I'm pretty sure there is a leak in the coolant system somewhere, but the hoses are not in tip top shape and the circlips are rusty. The pressure thermo kit would replace all this anyway, and I expect Jubilee clips would be the way to go rather than circlips. The guys I've been buying my bits from have the Thermo and Oil rail, but where do i get hold of the new pump?
At the end of the day, I am getting the car for the price of the replacement parts so even if I sell it I'll still break even at the very least. I don't mind delicate machines that need love - means you take better care of them and that means that they sometimes end up better than a so called "reliable one."
Like a lecturer said to me once; "I wish you all had dyslexia, because the dyslexic students get the most support and end up writing the best essays." Guess that might apply equally to cars with dicky engines...
Will.