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head gasket leak to cylinder? 

 

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 Post subject: head gasket leak to cylinder?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 1:12 pm 
Oompa Loompa
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Location: Melb
VIC, Australia

My EF sometimes start rough and stays that way for a few seconds, today it start rough and lasted couple of minutes and low coolant light came on this time. i had lost coolant there was only a bit left in header tank. is this sign of leak of coolant into cylinder ? can it be anything else? my oil looks fine
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 Post subject: Re: head gasket leak to cylinder?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 3:49 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Ride: EF XR6 Wagon, AU2 XR6 VCT

Power: 148 rwkw

Location: Auckland
New Zealand

A blown head gasket can give those symptoms, and E-series are prone to that problem. You can confirm if you are leaking coolant into a cylinder by checking your spark plugs. They should all be somewhere in the tan/brown/grey colour range (or black if you are running over-rich). If you have one or possibly two spark plugs perfectly white, it's because they are getting steam-cleaned with coolant.

If all your spark plugs are normal colour, coolant is probably not leaking into a cylinder. Check the sides of the block under both intake and exhaust manifolds for signs of coolant running down, as the gasket can blow to the outside.

While it is running rough on start up, disconnect each fuel injector one at a time. Revs should drop and it should run worse or stall each time. If it doesn't, you have found the cylinder that is causing the rough running.

Hope this helps.

 

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 Post subject: Re: head gasket leak to cylinder?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 4:12 pm 
Oompa Loompa
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Location: Melb
VIC, Australia

ok thanks...what would cause it to run rough if it is an external gasket leak? I have checked plugs and none look steam cleaned. i have had a small head gasket weep on exhaust side for ages but i hardly ever lost any coolant so i never fixed it. there are no new stains there now so i dont think that is where I am currently losing coolant.
in any case i went to supercheap and chucked some cargo seal up in it. hopefully shell be good as new now :lol:
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 Post subject: Re: head gasket leak to cylinder?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:23 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Ride: EF XR6 Wagon, AU2 XR6 VCT

Power: 148 rwkw

Location: Auckland
New Zealand

I can't guess why it would be running rough. Maybe remove the plugs with the engine cold after it has been sitting overnight. If it's running rough on cold start due to coolant in the cylinder(s), then you should see signs of moisture in the cylinders. You might be in luck and not have the dreaded head gasket failure.

The coolant loss is still suspicious, but maybe it's only to the outside of the block. A cooling system sealant like Bars Leaks might be enough to sort it - for the short term anyway.

If you want to eliminate the possibility of coolant leaking into a cylinder, I believe there is a test kit you can use to detect combustion gases in your coolant.

 

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 Post subject: Re: head gasket leak to cylinder?
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 10:05 pm 
Oompa Loompa
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Location: Melb
VIC, Australia

i havent looked at plugs when engine is cold yet only after i had driven it when it would be dried out. i did notice after i put the sealant in and went for a drive there wasnt the same amount of pressure behind the cap as before, i dont what that means but i think its all pointing towards coolant leaking into a cylinder as the engine cools down. :(
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 Post subject: Re: head gasket leak to cylinder?
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:09 pm 
Parts Gopher
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What type of weather is the car sitting in? and for how long do you leave it? what type of fuel are you using? Ive found the colder damper weathers are no good for them as my ed does this in winter. And the type of fuel you use can make a difference. Bad/dirty fuel can make it not fire properly.
Just a thought not saying this is deffinetly your problem

Green

 

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 Post subject: Re: head gasket leak to cylinder?
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:14 pm 
Parts Gopher
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And does it blow smoke? if so what colour? I think white smoke is coolant.. or maybe thats black smoke.

 

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 Post subject: Re: head gasket leak to cylinder?
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:31 am 
Getting Side Ways
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Wire smoke it running lean or coolant, black is running rich, blue is oil.
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 Post subject: Re: head gasket leak to cylinder?
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:00 pm 
Parts Gopher
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well there you go, if theres white smoke you could have a blown head gasket, but if it was a blown head gasket you would realise a diffence in the performance when you drive.

 

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 Post subject: Re: head gasket leak to cylinder?
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:09 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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check the dipstick , whats the oil colour

 

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 Post subject: Re: head gasket leak to cylinder?
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:19 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Ride: 92 EB s

Location: DORRIGO
NSW, Australia

My eb had a leaking head gasket when I bought it, drove fine for about 30,000ks then started using water and having poor start and idle, no smoke tho.
You'll also notice excessive pressure in the cooling system. Strange waterleaks. Ect
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