Bob Buxbaum
Jedi Hopeful
Offline
I have been asked to get a 76 Midget back on the road. I pulled the dipstick and found gray "milkshake". The entire cooling system is dry. In a 50 degree garage, it took over 30 minutes for that goo to drain. In total, almost three gallons of that mung.
This is a 15,000 mile car, and has never been stored outside. The engine is now on an engine stand, and the head and oil pan have been removed. The cylinders, pistons, and combustion chambers look fine. The head was "stuck" to the head gasket. Once off and the head gasket carefully removed, I could not see any "tracks" that would indicate a blown gasket. The rockers and pushrods have rusty "hair" and fuzz on them.
My experience with LBCs are a 70 GT6 and 80 TR8. I did mechanical restorations on both. Never fooled with an British four cylinders.
The block will be completely disassembled tomorrow, and I will have the block and head cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaning tank at a machine shop I use for BMW head work. After that the head will be pressure checked. Not sure what I will do with the block.
Questions ---
1) What are the common cooling system failures on these engine?
2) If the head gasket was secure, how can these engines pump the entire contents of the cooling system into the sump?
3) How common are cracked heads and/or blocks on these?
FWIW, when I looked at the goo that was in the lifters, there was actually some green coolant trapped under the goo.
ALL input is welcomed.
This is a 15,000 mile car, and has never been stored outside. The engine is now on an engine stand, and the head and oil pan have been removed. The cylinders, pistons, and combustion chambers look fine. The head was "stuck" to the head gasket. Once off and the head gasket carefully removed, I could not see any "tracks" that would indicate a blown gasket. The rockers and pushrods have rusty "hair" and fuzz on them.
My experience with LBCs are a 70 GT6 and 80 TR8. I did mechanical restorations on both. Never fooled with an British four cylinders.
The block will be completely disassembled tomorrow, and I will have the block and head cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaning tank at a machine shop I use for BMW head work. After that the head will be pressure checked. Not sure what I will do with the block.
Questions ---
1) What are the common cooling system failures on these engine?
2) If the head gasket was secure, how can these engines pump the entire contents of the cooling system into the sump?
3) How common are cracked heads and/or blocks on these?
FWIW, when I looked at the goo that was in the lifters, there was actually some green coolant trapped under the goo.
ALL input is welcomed.
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