Nodge68
Well-Known Member
I've had a liner lift when the MLS gasket fitted had stuck to the head and No2 liner. I re-sealed all liners, just to be sure it didn't leak.
I've had a liner lift when the MLS gasket fitted had stuck to the head and No2 liner. I re-sealed all liners, just to be sure it didn't leak.
Madmustang
Well-Known Member
Sell it and buy a KA
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
Northern Irelander
Well-Known Member
Not ideal !! ......but don't despair
You need to find out where the coolant is going,
as the others already said, possible the liners have shifted during the rebuild, although losing coolant within minutes is pretty quick!
I don't clamp cylinder liners, but always lock the flywheel with recommended tool which bolts into starter motor holes (I made my own)
is the oil level rising ?
Is there mayo in the oil or in the coolant reservoir?
When you say same smoke, do you mean white smoke out the rear exhaust or steam from coolant hitting exhaust manifold/downpipe?
Northern Irelander
Well-Known Member
Interesting!!
Was it a high mileage engine?
I'm guessing you were off on leave that day when that engine went through the assembly line at Longbridge
haha @Northern Irelander.themileage is about 110,000 so not rocket ship miles.gonna strip it again this weekend and send it off.
Northern Irelander
Well-Known Member
I believe you and that you're competent enough to take on the repair, like the others I was merely reiterating, sometimes it takes a fresh pair of eyes to diagnose the problem.
When the head is cracked off the block, it's normal for some coolant to run into the oil chambers, so mayo could be from that?
but given the rapid loss of coolant, you need to see if it's all going out the cylinders/exhaust, or ingress into the oil
I take it the engine is running rough as ?
I have only had coolant loss via cylinder 1 due to inlet manifold gasket (the green one LKJ101110L), it gave a lumpy idle and it was Nodge68 back then who advised me that the white encrusted valves and spark plug was coolant, but I ran my HGF engine for a thousand miles or more (like you the car was needed as a daily runner) before I could get time off work to tackle the job.
Northern Irelander
Well-Known Member
That's the spirit !............ what ever you do; don't send it off a cliff !!
If you have a compression gauge check compressions before you strip down again, then when the head is off again check liners for movement or 'sinkage' into the block
Northern Irelander
Well-Known Member
If you listen carefully you can hear Ka's rusting, plus it's not legal to fit a tow bar on a Ka !
Ford = Found on Roadside Dead, RIP Henry !
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
The MLS gasket was on my MGF when I bought it. It had only done about 10K miles, but had been driven without coolant, long enough for the cam covers to melt at the bolt holes.
When I lifted the head, I was surprised to find No2 liner lift with it ,as the gasket had bonded very well. I've never had that happen with a factory elastomer gasket, and I've done a lot of K series HGs over the years.
Lol.
I've not worked for Powertrain Ltd, and would probably be horrified by the way some engines were built.
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Nodge68
Well-Known Member
It is pretty much impossible to check the liner seal, without actually re-sealing them, just in case. In normal circumstances the liners don't lift, providing the engine isn't turned while the head is off. If the engine is turned while the head is off, then liners will lift and need re-sealing before the head goes back on.
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
Easy on the K4, more involved on the KV6.
Pull the sump off, remove the oil rail. Mark the piston and liner top on the timing belt end, this is to ensure the piston is facing the correct way round when it's refitted.
Mark the big end cap, so it can be refitted to the rod the correct way round.
Unbolt the big end bolts and remove the cap. Push upwards on the rod to break the bearing surface tension. Pull the liner and piston as an assembly from the block. Clean the liner land at the bottom of the coolant jacket, ensuring it's completely clean and dry and free of any debris. Clean the register at the bottom of the liner, making sure it's free from oil, dirt, old sealer and any other contaminants.
Run a thin bead of Hylomar Blue sealer all round the register of the liner, creating a small fillet in the 90° joint between the bottom of the liner lower skirt and the register.
Slowly lower the liner/piston, making sure orientated to the same way it came out. Make sure the rod goes over the crank pin, making sure the bearing is still on the rod.
When the rod is over the crank pin, refit the rod cap and bearing and re-torque the cap bolts.
Push the liner hard down into the block to seat it. Repeat the process for all liners as quickly as possible, so the Hylomar doesn't have time to fully harden. Refit the oil rail, or the strong replacement (K 4 only), using the correct sealer.
Then clamp the liners down, to prevent them moving until the head is refitted.
Northern Irelander
Well-Known Member
The MLS gasket was on my MGF when I bought it. It had only done about 10K miles, but had been driven without coolant, long enough for the cam covers to melt at the bolt holes.
When I lifted the head, I was surprised to find No2 liner lift with it ,as the gasket had bonded very well. I've never had that happen with a factory elastomer gasket, and I've done a lot of K series HGs over the years.
I see! ............call me a sceptic but my first query would be who did the MLS gasket refit, too many unknowns if the crank rotated in a previous HG repair
That's seriously hot for cam covers, the F has 10 litres coolant as you know,
I had low fat HGF in the F, at first there is fishy/burnt rubber like smell, caused eye irritation in the cabin (soft top up), then 30 seconds later....... swirling plumes of steam out the rear view mirrors, it was an impressive sight to behold, like a jet air plane!
I had pulled on to hard shoulder as soon as I saw the steam, the temp gauge went to about 3//4.
When the car had cooled I started it and drove about 1/4 mile to nearest garage, sadly no radweld, car was recovered home, I was convinced the engine would have sustained some damage, but the head and block were spot on.
Lol.
I've not worked for Powertrain Ltd, and would probably be horrified by the way some engines were built.
I knew Powertrain built the K-series and PG1 gearboxes, downloaded all their brochures before their website shut for good
IIRC during your Rover days, didn't you do some testing with clear viewing panels on the back of engines to check coolant flow and all that?
I remember asking the question on another forum about increasing the diameter of the holes in the gasket to allow more flow through the head castings. More for passive coolant flow when engine is switched off. You advised not to, so I didn't but would still like to do that mod with thermocouples for monitoring thermodynamics in the head
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Northern Irelander
Well-Known Member
True, but where is the fun in that?
Here's one I did earlier, note the FL1 jacked up and engine on it's own red oak engine trolley, with jacks
