11 replies to this topic

[mini998]

My mini is heating very quickly,and when it is hot its very hard to start the engine(which i posted in a diff thred)

is it due to bad head,and how can i tell whether head is gone or not!!!!!!!!!

[Wesser]

Look at the dip stick see if there's water bubbles in the oil on it - There was on mine !!! 4 hours to do the head gasket - No Problemo.

[Guess-Works.com]

Is it loosing ( using ) water, if not then it's unlikely to be the head gasket, If it is loosing water, and there is no evidence of elmusioning in the rocket cover ( will look like the head of guinness ), get the water system pressure tested, it could be that you have a leak.

Now assuming from your details, you're in slightly warmer climes that our selves, minis will run hot, have you tried an alternate thermostat, and also a smaller pulley on the water pump so the fan rotates faster, or even an additional electric fan ?

[mini_claire]

when my head gasket went , i had no syptoms or signs i just lost power one day when i got it traliered home and took the head off the gasket had gone between three and four. both oil and water were clean no traces of anything :saywhat:

[clubman katie B.F]

the classics are: is your engine using water, do you have what looks like nasty mayonaisse under your rocker cap, is your car overheating lots, if you put your hand near the exhaust with the engine running for a couple of seconds can you see lots of moisture on your hand? low compression in two adjoining cylinders can indicate the gasket has gone between two cylinders

[philster]

My mini is heating very quickly,and when it is hot its very hard to start the engine(which i posted in a diff thred)

is it due to bad head,and how can i tell whether head is gone or not!!!!!!!!!

could actually be that the timing is out which can cause engine to get too hot and usually make them a pain to start.

[Madmax]

thats because it blew through quickly claire, if a head gasket does gradually it leaves a white/creamy residue on the rocker area

[philster]

usually if you get no warning signs and its not used any oil or water it will have gone between 2 cylinders, i've never had one go between and oil or waterway but i've always been a bit fanaticle about the cooling on my mini and usually its caused by severe overheating. Blown the gasket between the cylinders must be 15 times now! now i've got a brick under the pedal so i can't thrash it lol.

[miniman5]

ok take the rocker cover cap offf..... done that? tee hee, theyle be mayp in the top of the rocker cover, then start the engine and go and put you hand over the hole where the cap goes and if theres presure comming throught then its gone

[siggy]

Mayo in the rocker cover does NOT indicate head gasket failure.

Siggy

[Mini]

Head gasket failure will invariably result in overheating, as Siggy states, mayonnaise in the rocker cover is not a definate indication - it can be caused by many factors.

Any engine that pushes water out is a prime suspect for headgasket failure, you may or may not have water mixing with your oil, the easiest check is to remove the plugs, if you find an odd colour (usually rusty, but not always) on one or two plugs then you should suspect the gasket. The definitive tests are a combination of compression test and rad pressure, most garages can do these if you don't have the equipment yourself. Either way, changing the headgasket on a Mini is fairly straightforward, follow the Haines manual step by step & you won't end up in trouble. Max torque should be 45 Lb/ft - don't be tempted to overdo it!

[clubman katie B.F]

compression tester £16.99 from halfords, i do mine every couple of monts to keep an eye on things