We all know how it goes. If something?s going to go wrong, it?ll do it at the most inopportune moment imaginable. I suppose it was almost inevitable, that after 5 years in the family (and nearly 13 on the road) that the car was going to break down in a big way.
Coming back from a day trip in Perth, within 5 minutes from my relatives house to which we were staying, it became apparent something?s wrong. You know how it is, you?ve got that feeling in your gut something?s not quite right, but you can?t put your finger on it. Performance below 3000rpm became very poor and there was a constant misfire which was getting progressively worse, to the point where progress was in a ?kangaroo? kinda fashion. Within spitting distance of ?home? the misfire was gone, but so was the performance. Pulling over, restarting the engine did little but create a huge big cloud of smoke and steam at the back. Uh oh (or words to that effect)
Opening the bonnet, the expansion bottle was steaming away like a teapot and the oil filler cap was spread with ?mayo?. Yep, it's the head gasket.
Head gasket failure, at any time or place is inconvenient, but 150 from home whilst visiting relatives was very bad timing. To make matters worse, it was a Saturday, at 4o?clock, and we all needed to be home in time to go to work/uni on the Monday morning.
After being towed home, we (dad, me and my uncle) began a tour of every open garage, dealership and accessory shop that was still open, but the answer was all the same ?nah, don?t have one of those. I can get one on Monday if that?s any good? which it wasn?t. Saturday night, things were looking bleak, but my uncle knew a man who used to run Polos, so on Sunday morning we paid a visit. The nice gent managed to supply all the tools which we didn?t have, and even managed to ring ahead to shop he knew, and reserved a head gasket set for us. Top bloke. Top garage too, open until 2 on a Sunday, and the parts were in stock, very helpful too. (Essport, Dunfermline)
Returning home, surgery began in earnest. Luckily, my uncles? a mechanical engineer and my dads an electrical engineer so things were in good hands. Luckily because the failure was quite sudden, and I stopped quite quickly (like I had a choice) no real harm was done and the gasket was changed in about 3-4 hours. We managed to get home by 00:30 Monday morning, just enough time to get some sleep before work and uni.
Some of you back roomers must have some better story?s where its was ?more good luck, than good judgment?
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Well done! I would have been totally up the proverbial small water way without any form of propulsion.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Top marks for perseverance! Great Job, good result. Was it a Rover K series motor? Any idea what the cause of the HGF was? Did you have to buy a set of head bolts?
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Polo with a K series?
may be strange to hear but other engines suffer HGF as well.
excellent you got it sorted so quickly though - waiting for my dad or uncle to do something and the car would be a classic !
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Its not obvious hes talking about a Polo, just some mention of a bloke 'who used to run Polos' which could have been a local nightclub for all we know! (I know the car is mentioned in the profile).
All the same, well done for sorting it, I'd have scrapped it personally!
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Thanks for the positive comments. But, I?m not out of the woods yet. The car got us home without a glitch, but its idling fast and smells as if its running a tad on the rich side. I checked water and oil levels the following morning, and it seems to have been a success in the sense there was no water or oil loss. However, the little bit of emulsified oil on the filler cap is still there, so I think the current oil is finished.
With that in mind, I've booked into my local VW indy to change the oil, oil filter and antifreeze (because we had to re-use what was drained thus it wasn't as clean as i would prefer and its been watered down a bit too). Also, I?ve asked them to check the idling issue as well.
"Was it a Rover K series motor?"
No, its the old Polo that?s mentioned in my profile.
"Any idea what the cause of the HGF was?"
It appears to have been a fault in the gasket/poor quality gasket. Its blown across from one of the waterways into the bore. Comparing the old and new gasket, there are some marked differences. Mainly, the cut-outs for the waterways were only drilled holes, as apposed to the full shaped cut-out on the new one. This left a 'bridge' of gasket material across the waterway passage, if you know what i mean. Where it's blown, the gasket material has began to crumble away, probably where this 'bridge' of gasket material has finally given way. Not due to over heating anyway.
"Did you have to buy a set of head bolts?
No. We had to buy a full head set (including parts to re-build the hydraulic tappets etc) and head bolts were not included.
"may be strange to hear but other engines suffer HGF as well"
As far as I know, these '91-'94 Polos had a fair few HGF due to the mating surfaces not being as good as they should have been, which is probably why there are quite a few around which have had them replaced at least once.
"I'd have scrapped it personally!"
Bit of a waste of a good car. Its not the usual piece of 12 year old tat. Plus, that wouldn't help me get home ;-)
"Everyone, and I mean everyone carried water, oil and a decent box of bits..."
Maybe I should have kept that Haynes manual that's cluttering my bookshelf in the boot. I do have some tools, but not ones capable of changing a head gasket!
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In the 70's/80's while living in SW Africa we had a neighbour running an old V4 Ford who carried spare head gaskets wherever he went. He could change a gasket on the roadside in less than an hour.
Considering that he could be stranded 100 miles from the nearest garage with the thermometer pushing 110 deg. it was a pretty sensible precaution.
When I asked him why he didn't buy something newer and more reliable he told me:
"Better the Devil.."
Kevin...
PS. Everyone, and I mean everyone carried water, oil and a decent box of bits (tools, wire, belts, hose repair kits and a selection of nuts, bolts and fasteners).
And a gun.
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I bet the gasket went between cylinder 1 and 2. Quite common. Very easy to replace on the Polo, good car to do jobs on.
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Reminds me of when my Fiesta's ignition barrel decided to disintegrate whilst I was 300+ miles from home - fortunately a tent peg saved the day and I managed to get the car running and in to a Ford dealership in Cardiff. A classic case of the Lord giveth and he taketh away. The night before I'd won £60 on the lottery, the new lock was £50!
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My bet would be back left corner cylinder ( 1 ) to waterway. Well done good job.Regards Peter
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My bet would be back left corner cylinder ( 1 ) to waterway. Well done good job.Regards Peter
If cylinder 1 is at the cam belt end, then yes, that is entirely right. You know what I?m going to ask now though do you, how did you know that? Seemingly this is a common problem, but why? Its at the water pump end, does that have an influence?
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