19 replies to this topic

[mini13]

just a little more to add to this,

 

diesel is quite "lubricatey" its quite good as a penatrating oil, dunno what paraffin is like in comparison, but i'd guess less oily than diesel.

[red81]

Hope I can start this thread up again, as I noticed today white sludge on my radiator cap. 

 

The engine is running fine A series over 100K, but I suspect a leak in the waterways somewhere.  This is based on me having the head converted to unleaded, when i picked it up from the garage I noticed they had used a sealant with the new gasket (coloured blue).  I asked the question and the mechanic said that historically minis always suffered with water leaks at the front of the engine hence the gasket seal.  Sometime later I replaced the gasket, dry, and she's fine, compression test gave approx. 10 bar or 150 psi each pot.

 

My question is, my block has never been skimmed and I'm not sure about the head, and despite all the anti gasket seal comments I have seen I'm considering replacing the gasket with gasket seal to avoid the breakdown when the water does finally break into a pot.

 

I'd appreciate your thoughts?

[nicklouse]

Do you have the breathers connected to the carb or do you have stupid filters fitted? 
 

fo you take the car for good long drives or do you just start it up or pop down to the shops and back?

 

much more info needed.

[sonikk4]

If the car barely gets warm ie short runs as alluded to by nicklouse this will defo cause this issue.

 

My 998 Clubby when we first bought the car had a serious amount of gunk all over the rocker arms, springs etc etc, in fact that bad it had started to corrode two pushrods, valve springs and the rockers. as well. It had spent 10 years in a bodyshop being started,moved, started moved, eat sleep repeat.

 

I changed the hg as a matter of course, flushed the breathers as well. There no loss of water and no water in the oil so just not run properly for a long time.

[Earwax]

This is to Red81.   

 

Most machine shops if fitting unleaded inserts would check the head for straightness as a matter of course. 

 

I too am not sure if you have a problem as such - so the above advice is prudent.

 

Also test your radiator cap and maybe cooling system for holding approx 14 lb of pressure

 

Again it would be prudent to check the head stud/ rocker stud  torque settings and if required tighten

 

If and only if you eventually need to remove the head - then i much prefer a headgasket solution on ultraclean and non-oily surfaces.- - check both the block and head for straightness 

For other surfaces i am fine with gasket and sealant solutions or even sealant only solutions but not the head. Good luck