Engine in pieces!!

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Having never had to even take the rocker cover off an 80 engine, today I (well actually Al) had to take the lid off an engine which decided to share its coolant with the other occupants of the M1 the other day. The temp gauge went high but not past the red and I only had a mile to get off the motorway so it didn't get to the red hot stage. However, It is obvious at least the head gasket has been compromised.
So, having removed the head, the head looks ok,the gasket looks ok, the bores look ok too. one thing though, the engine used copious amounts of oil in the short time of my usage so I think pistons out and examine the rings for wear. this will give me chance to check the big ends as well.

Anyway:-
Questions.

1, Are there any alternatives to the genuine head gasket,if so, are they any good?
2, Do head bolts need replacing, or can they be re used?
3, If rings are needed, which are best
4, Can big end bolts be replaced with cap bolts

Any other helpful suggestions?

Andy

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Paul (Bat21) had a rebuild thread on here somewhere, think his was a cracked block ...

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Here viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8522 and
here viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8724

 

[karl webster]

I was thinking the other day andrew but forgot to mention to you. First loss of water, are the heater pipes that run to the rear heater ok?

Could have been the issue from the engine first getting hot.

 

[nivapilot]

1, Are there any alternatives to the genuine head gasket,if so, are they any good?
2, Do head bolts need replacing, or can they be re used?
3, If rings are needed, which are best
4, Can big end bolts be replaced with cap bolts

1. I have used Milners gaskets twice now, and have found them to be ok. Full gasket set only £80
2. need to measure them to be sure, but yes you can re-use' I would get a new set if doing more than once though.
3. Milners sent me oversize and not standard rings, beware....I got my rings from a guy in Lithuania, £141 delivered....off of e-bay
4. No. Different size bolts.

When my 70 went sky high in the temperature dept, I found the mud in the rad fins causing the problem....could hardly lift it out of the engine room, with all the mud in it.

 

[frank rabbets]

Hi

You've obviously worked on engines before!?

The Factory workshop manual is extremely good for this engine. It describes how their gaskets and big end shells come in various thicknesses to coincide with the codes stamped on the various engine pieces. It gives the test measurements for big end bolts to see if they can be used again or if they are stretched.

If it used a lot of oil it probably needs new pistons and rings and possibly a rebore. Again Factory pistons are best as they fulfill the codes for the engine bock so the correct gasket can be ordered. Degrease and test the bores with crack detector dye and developer [quite cheap].

I cannot stress how good the factory manual is.

Frank

 

[Cptsideways]

If the bores are ok, then a hone & new rings will be all you need to stop it using oil.

 

[frank rabbets]

The factory manual gives the maximum piston wear acceptable.

Frank