can anyone give advice on preventing HGF

1399 Views 15 Replies 11 Participants Last post by Amagoza, Mar 23, 2005

nigel3829

Discussion Starter · Mar 22, 2005

hello everyone,
i always check my car every week to make sure everything is okay and once a month i usually have to top up the coolent level to the max { about 1 cup full }.does the 1.4 k series use coolent naturally or is this the start of something.there are no traces of oil in coolent and the temp gauge is normal.i cannot see any leaks anywhere and i have looked in all the suspect places {inlet manifold, leaky pipes,new header tank cap etc.
friends who have rovers have all suffered HGF but they the sort of people who never lift the bonnet so that is how the problems start.
if the k series uses coolent naturally then i think i should be okay but thought i would ask the experts to be on the safe side.

1 - 16 of 16 Posts

E_T_V

· #2 · Mar 22, 2005

No it doesn't naturally lose coolant. it has to be going somehere. Check for crusty white deposits around hoses and the back of the block and around the water pump area. Also look for them on the radiator too.
There isn't much you can do to prevent HGF apart from drive sensibly and make sure the coolant is always full.

paul.foran

· #3 · Mar 22, 2005

Isnt the lid from the coolant bottle a common thing to replace as well or would this give a more noticable loss if it was the problem?

Phil

· #4 · Mar 22, 2005

could definatly be the coolant cap, 4 quid for a new one. Shouldnt ever use any coolant unless its leaking. Its designed to be a completly sealed system

CAM4V

· #5 · Mar 22, 2005

Best you can do is replace your coolant on or before the specified intervals to ensure its corrosion inhibiting properties are in tip top condition, and keep an eye on the coolant level, and watch out for coolant leaks, if you detect one cure it before the level drops to a level which will cause harm.

Won't guarantee no HGF, but it will certainly minimise the risk!

CAM

Amagoza

· #6 · Mar 22, 2005

:dddc: Don't buy a Rover! lol

Sorry couldn't help it.
Best thing to do is make sure all hoses are ok and have proper clips on them.
Change the coolant cap every couple of years.
Ideally have the later gasket fitted with steel dowels.
Check the coolant regularly and fit a coolant level sensor.
That's about all you can do.

Piltdown Man

· #7 · Mar 22, 2005

Amagoza said:
:dddc: Don't buy a Rover! lol

Lol.Bait taken:lol:

Seriously, don't use rad flush as a rule. It removes the efective plug of gunk sealing the hg & img. I know this from bitter experience:sad2:

Andy.

Click to expand...

nigel3829

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 22, 2005

thanks for the input lads,i changed the cap on the header tank last year so that should be okay,its really strange cos sometimes the level stays the same for a couple of months and then it will drop all of a sudden.
we have just come back from holiday for 2 weeks and when i looked at the car the coolent level was at the min level so i topped it up and its been fine since.
really strange.

sheddist

· #9 · Mar 22, 2005

Sounds like the car warmed up while on holiiday and the cap vented a little fluid with the pressure build up. Since then it has not warmed up so much. Don't forget that although gauge may be "normal" until you have run for some time, some heat is taken off the head by oil. When this warms up, the coolant is working full time. HAve you been topping up with water or a generous anti freeze mixture?

ngolian

· #10 · Mar 23, 2005

Another thing I've read, not specific to this case, but relevant to the subject, is that you can help prevent HGF with a newer type of thermostat. A very technical article somewhere explained that the K-series is unusual in having the thermostat in the return path from the radiator, which helps it warm up quicker, but can make it open late, so part of the engine is very hot and part of it is getting much cooler water from the radiator. So Rover fitted a pressure-sensitive thermostat to later models, which opens if pressure builds up in the system as well as when it gets hot.

MGJohn

· #11 · Mar 23, 2005

The coolant level in the expansion tank can vary even though there is no actual loss of coolant. Next time you check it could be low - then next time higher with the same quantity of coolant. As long as the level remains within the Min-Max guides, all should be well.

Head gasket damage can not be eliminated completely. So many things can cause gasket damage that it's impossible to cover everything. However, a few simple regular checks along with good maintenance will reduce the chances considerably.

Do lift the bonnet at least once a week and check ALL those levels. Coolant, Oil, PAS, Brake fluid etc... any signs of change investigate. Always use a good quality antifreeze of the correct strength.

Most head gaskets do not actually fail, they are usually damaged first - most often by overheating following coolant loss. Any loss of coolant, even slow progressive loss will show up eventually in the coolant expansion bottle levels. Be particularly watchful for any sudden change of levels and investigate. There's always a reason - the difficult part sometimes is discovering the cause unless there are obvious signs.

So at least weekly, visually check all coolant hoses, their fastenings and their external condition. Don't forget the expansion bottle. You're looking for any tell tale signs of coolant loss and if you find some, even little ones, investigate and rectify.

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projectgaz

· #12 · Mar 23, 2005

Check ur radiator.. Few months ago I found the bottom bar of my radiator was corroded and the fan was hanging by just the top 2 screws so it was bashing the rad and caused a tiny leak.. I've seen a few threads of exactly the same happening too..
Hey what caused HGF?? I mean if u look after ur car and dont rag it like a tit.. is it just wear and tear?? Not entirely sure what the HG is, haha.. Is it where the cool coolant and the hot oil pass and exchange heat?? So is the failure when this passage forms a leak and they start to mix?? Or am I off the pitch completely??

nigel3829

Discussion Starter · #13 · Mar 23, 2005

sheddist said:
Sounds like the car warmed up while on holiiday and the cap vented a little fluid with the pressure build up. Since then it has not warmed up so much. Don't forget that although gauge may be "normal" until you have run for some time, some heat is taken off the head by oil. When this warms up, the coolant is working full time. HAve you been topping up with water or a generous anti freeze mixture?

i always use a mixture of 60% anti freeze 40% water and keep a bottle full in my car just in case.i use the car for my work so its been used constantly all day so the temp of the engine should be up,the gauge always stays on or just below half way.

E_T_V

· #14 · Mar 23, 2005

projectgaz said:
Not entirely sure what the HG is, haha.. Is it where the cool coolant and the hot oil pass and exchange heat?? So is the failure when this passage forms a leak and they start to mix?? Or am I off the pitch completely??

Where the cylinder block meets the cylinder head there are a number of passages to seal. The first is to seal the cylinders operating at high pressures from each other and from everything else around.
There are also oil feeds and drains from the head to seal and again the same for coolant too. So the headgasket does a lot of jobs all at once. The problem sis when the gasket fails or the cylinder head warps creating gaps in the sealing surfaces is that oil and water and even combustion gases can mix and cause a right old mess.

projectgaz

· #15 · Mar 23, 2005

E_T_V said:
Where the cylinder block meets the cylinder head there are a number of passages to seal. The first is to seal the cylinders operating at high pressures from each other and from everything else around.
There are also oil feeds and drains from the head to seal and again the same for coolant too. So the headgasket does a lot of jobs all at once. The problem sis when the gasket fails or the cylinder head warps creating gaps in the sealing surfaces is that oil and water and even combustion gases can mix and cause a right old mess.

Ohhh, sounds complex.. I think I'll just be happy in the fact that mines workin and hopefully it'll stay that way
G

Amagoza

· #16 · Mar 23, 2005

ngolian said:
Another thing I've read, not specific to this case, but relevant to the subject, is that you can help prevent HGF with a newer type of thermostat. A very technical article somewhere explained that the K-series is unusual in having the thermostat in the return path from the radiator, which helps it warm up quicker, but can make it open late, so part of the engine is very hot and part of it is getting much cooler water from the radiator. So Rover fitted a pressure-sensitive thermostat to later models, which opens if pressure builds up in the system as well as when it gets hot.

Doesn't affect 1.4 it's the 1.8 and mainly MGF/TF and it's due to the long path of the coolant to the rad, plus the rad is large and contributes to the thermal shock once the thermostat opens. The thermostat wasn't changed it was the location as the original has it on the inlet side.

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