Garage sent the head to local engineers for skimming and they were told it wouldn't be worth doing, so I agreed to a complete overhaul, nearly £500! It took ages so without the car for a few weeks, during one of which I was unwell and in no fit state to drive anyway. With the reconditioned head fitted the car is transformed, more power (though at slightly higher revs) and much improved fuel consumption - as I quipped to friends recently, if I live for another thirty years the saving on fuel might compensate for the cost of repair! It really is much nicer to drive, quieter too, so over all very pleased even if my bank balance has suffered mightily.
My original question about the thermostat has sort-of been answered; I think they must have refitted the old one, which was fairly new anyway, but the gauge stays fractionally above horizontal almost constantly, it had fluctuated quite a lot previously so I guess the gasket had been causing trouble for quite a while.
I don't know if I was sensible to spend so much on a car which has covered 240,000 miles but for what I might have sold it for as a non-runner I couldn't have hoped to have bought anything useful so I bit the bullet! As my wise old Dad used to say, 'Better the devil you know!'
I now have to sort out a few niggles which I shall ask about on the forum in due course.
|