39 replies to this topic

[glyn]

my turbo was very smokey before MOT just gave it a right good thrashing (on private road ), it just scraped through with winding the mixture right down got it set up properly after, iv done about 200 miles now and it hardly smokes.

[Shaz_mini_Beast]

think i will have to do that tomorrow, its in at 11am, wish me luck

[mike.]

Theres stop smoke oil treatments you could try. They thicken up the oil and it worked well on my mums car.

Halfords sell it, theres a few different ones but it was the wynnes one we tried.

[Shaz_mini_Beast]

she passed! but then i blew the head gasket so now back to the drawing board with the cooling. new 4 core rad, thermostat and 2 new head gaskets. it could have been worse.

[Turbo Phil]

she passed! but then i blew the head gasket so now back to the drawing board with the cooling. new 4 core rad, thermostat and 2 new head gaskets. it could have been worse.

I'd be asking myself why the gasket failed, unless it was a poor gasket they don't just fail for no reason. Did it overheat that badly ? If so I'd be getting the head & block faces checked for flatness to.
Otherwise it could have been detonation that took the gasket out, or poorly or incorrectly torqued head, or just a bad gasket I guess .....
What gasket was it ? What torque setting did you use ? Did you retorque the head after engine had got hot ?

[mini.cooper998]

hi Phil,

Think a few things have lead to it

we are using a decomp plate so 2 fai headgaskets probably worth buying Payen for the next 2

not running a heater but running the heater tap back to the pump

there was no thermostat in it or blanking ring, and a standard 2 core rad

we didnt get chance to re-torque it after it had heated through fully

Also what torque should we clamp the head too. just kept with standard 1275 haynes manual setting may also suspect that the head wasnt level to start with.

Its gone out the end of cylinder 1 clutch end streight out the end which is the usual hot spot.

Any suggestions folks

[Wil_h]

Interesting. Any photos of the failure. I had problems with failure of the gasket in this area and the only way I could solve it was fitting extra studs. Having said this, I did subsequently find my torque wrench was reading 20% low. Worth noting is that detonantion does not usually fail the gasket at this point.

I personally don't believe in re-torquing, there is no evidence that it does anything, I guess it won't do any harm.

So check the flatness of surfaces and think about checking your torque wrench.

[mini.cooper998]

not stripped it yet but on quick visual inspection it looks like the top gasket has blown straight out the end taking the water gallery seal with it.

is standard head torque setting right or should i be going higher with a turbo

Andy

[Wil_h]

Torque settings are to do bolt shear strength wher high torque is required, so stick with standard torque.

Also, use a decent gasket.

[mini.cooper998]

are payen ok

will try checking torque wrench as well

Andy