Chasing a slightly lumpy idle...still

[AllHailKingVolvo]

Thanks Dave and MA!

I’ve got some Carlube ATF-U from when I owned my auto 745 (was using it yesterday to lube up the injector O-rings when I fitted them) so will pop some in tomorrow.

I wondered if that SteelSeal stuff would sort out any head gasket issues...I have a friend who swears by the stuff as some sort of miracle juice, but i’m not sure it would sort a leak between cylinders as it would be away from the water jacket. Unless of course the stuff works its way into the gasket itself to seal any gaps. I’ve no idea how it works!

I’ve spent today cleaning the inside of the car from top to bottom, it’s positively gleaming. Amazing how well the Trico and plastics have held up over the last 28yrs, the carpets are pristine too, thanks to the plastic floortrays...which are also pristine!

I’ve given up on the in-tank pump and am going to hand it over to my local garage to do the replacement. After spending three hours today sitting in the boot of my car (all 6’7” and 19 stone of me!) faffing about trying to remove hoses, clips and connectors that were all rusted to b*ggery and didn’t want to budge, I’ve decided to surrender to the professionals on it. The owner of the garage loves the car and did the clutch and cambelt for me earlier in the year, so I know he’ll get it right and probably sort it in an hour. I have the parts so shouldn’t be too costly hopefully.

Money has temporarily run out for car fun so it will have to wait a few days, but not too long!

[AndyV7o]

Im extremely dubious about steel-seal, I cant see how either, it can do the job, or, if it can do the job how something which can seal a headgasket wont gunk up other things...

[Laird Scooby]

Good call on the ATF-U Phil!

I would avoid Steel-Seal like the plague though. As you rightly summise, it only seals leaks it can get to from the water jacket. It can also cause blockages in other things that desperately need the flow and is a no-no on certain cars.

Give the ATF in the oil a go, don't expect an overnight improvement as it takes time to work but if you have got a sticky ring on one of the pistons, or even a sticky valve somewhere, it should free it all up nicely and protect the engine while it's doing it.

As for the in-tank pump, while your mate at the garage has the car in bits, it might pay to renew the two rubber hoses for fuel flow and return from the tank - they should be accessible on a ramp, in your driveway you have to drop the tank to get to the forward end of them! One is 8mm bore and the other is 12mm bore if memory serves correctly - chances are they're perished like mine were. One end of each has to be disconnected from the in-tank pump/sender unit to change the pump anyway so the job is more or less half done!

[GreenBrick]

Originally Posted by mocambique-amazone

You will need a pressure lost check to find a fault at the head gasket between cylinder 1 and 2 or 3 and 4.
A compression test isn't precise enough.
The head gasket is prone to fail between two cylinders.
Thank you for the number of the nozzles
Regards, Kay

When the HG went between two of my car's cylinders, both those cylinders were down on pressure noticeably, and the coolant pipes were pressurised even when the engine was still cold.

[GreenBrick]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I would avoid Steel-Seal like the plague though. As you rightly summise, it only seals leaks it can get to from the water jacket. It can also cause blockages in other things that desperately need the flow and is a no-no on certain cars.

And K-Seal leaves copper flakes stuck to everything in the cooling system, still haven't worked out how to clean it all out of my Jeep yet.

I know this sounds dishonest/sad, but I think a lot of people only use a "magic" HG leak fixer when they don't intend on keeping the car, so probably don't know how long it lasts for.
I did use some stuff that looked like chicken soup once, and I saw the same car still driving round at least 7-8 years after I sold it, but who knows if it had had the HG done during that time?

[AndyV7o]

I used K-seal in an emergency 5 years ago when my car suddenly left a very large puddle in a few minutes, header tank was below empty after a 5 mile drive. Radiator core had failed. It would get me about until a new rad was sourced. Trouble is tomorrow never comes, no money and a non leaking radiator results in the same radiator still being in the car 5 years later! Still not leaking though, and heater works very well... Done runs from sheffield to wales often, some trips to scotland, family holiday in a scorching hot summer down to lizard point in cornwall, and one to wales, both fully loaded including roofbox...
Of course it was supposed to get a new rad and an intense flush, I make no excuses for my actions (well, except having no money)

[AllHailKingVolvo]

Originally Posted by GreenBrick

When the HG went between two of my car's cylinders, both those cylinders were down on pressure noticeably, and the coolant pipes were pressurised even when the engine was still cold.

Very interesting...what effect did it have on the driveability of the car? My cooling system holds some pressure when warm, but not an abnormal amount...none at all when cold.

I’ll have the garage who are doing the fuel pump do a pressure/compression test and fit the pipes you mentioned Dave...worth doing properly methinks!

[GreenBrick]

Originally Posted by AllHailKingVolvo

Very interesting...what effect did it have on the driveability of the car? My cooling system holds some pressure when warm, but not an abnormal amount...none at all when cold.

I bought the car on ebay, went to collect it and tested it all out, before handing over any cash.

I started the engine and quickly noticed that the radiator hoses soon became hard, even though the engine was still cold. I also noticed mayo on the oil filler cap and neck, and the coolant looked very new.

I got 200 quid knocked off the price and drove it 100 miles home very gently. It was a bit lumpy, and that may be down to the o2 sensor being compromised by coolant on it. It made it home and then I swapped the engine for a good one.

I still have lumpy idle, and an going to swap the o2 with the one from the donor car to see if that helps, as the compression on the new engine is a lot more even.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by GreenBrick

I still have lumpy idle, and an going to swap the o2 with the one from the donor car to see if that helps, as the compression on the new engine is a lot more even.

I don't know if i've misunderstood Matt so bear with me - the donor car is the one that supplied the good engine?

Coolant tends to kill Lambda sensors in short order, they only have a limited lifespan anyway, usually about 10 years or 100k miles, whichever comes first.

[GreenBrick]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I don't know if i've misunderstood Matt so bear with me - the donor car is the one that supplied the good engine?

Coolant tends to kill Lambda sensors in short order, they only have a limited lifespan anyway, usually about 10 years or 100k miles, whichever comes first.

Yeah the donor (Wira), with good compression, was a recently MOTd car that I bought for the engine/drive train and interior, after I got the blown one (Jumbuck) home.

The blown engine had done 45K and the donor had done 35K
I will see what changing the o2 sensor does next.
Just hope my Jeep (blown HG also) still has a good o2 sensor (it just passed an MOT so fingers crossed).

Both Proton cars are 14yrs old, but low mileage.