Where did my coolant go? Update...

Scottd · Post by **Scottd** » Fri May 19, 2006 10:44 am

Just wondering is this a (potential) problem with all S1'S? i.e. summin else to look forward to?

What year is your car?

cheers

Scott

robin · Post by **robin** » Fri May 19, 2006 12:58 pm

They fixed it for the 99 model.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:32 pm

97R, Thanks for the info Hiscot, I'll keep an eye out for that. At the moment I'm jst going to watch it like a hawk (Or a paranoid early S1 owner

) and see what happens. I haven't seen any more water loss as yet but I have my AA parts and Labour warranty should it go pop. At the moment it's fine.

Is the rivet a problem only on the drivers side? Mine doesn't get hot at all, only slightly warm after a long run.

Rich

(Elderly S1 faction)

hiscot · Post by **hiscot** » Fri May 19, 2006 6:28 pm

yep mine was drivers side and only got hot when it dumped its coolent,
other times it went once overnite checked water and thourght wheres that gone car sat on grass so no water stain
and driving along 5 miles from home but cooled down topped up and lasted about 6 weeks
for peace of mind i would get a presure test it wont cost too much and may save hgf

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri May 19, 2006 6:37 pm

True enough. I'll investigate, I may bodge one up out of my old pressure cap and a bicycle valve.....

Rich

Bodger extrordinaire

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sat May 20, 2006 7:59 pm

I'm still loosing coolant, but only very slowly and my temp dropped on the way to Scotts today. Needed bleeding again. On the way back it was steady as a rock.

A few questions:

I'm getting worried that it's the dreaded HGF, where can I get a block test done or a kit for DIY?

Should it be the worst then has anyone got experience of changing one in situ?

I really don't want to change it on spec, the only thing that worries me is the crank bolt being f'king tight and not moving. The rest is just fiddly as long as the liners are the right heights. Can liner height be fixed without major surgery?

If it do have to change it then I'll look at doing the pipe in the sill, changing the water pump and the tentioner, anything else?

Cheers
Rich
(Worried faction)

hiscot · Post by **hiscot** » Sun May 21, 2006 12:17 pm

most garages can presure test .under presure look at the plastic manifold easy fix, ( while off change thermostat )around the block/head = gasket possable sealent failure so dont worry about liner heights , hoses on rad loose ? rad end tank leaking ? sill pipe ,sill pipe hoses ,heater
rad/sill pipe = clam off sill pipe is a pig to do head gasket is straightforward use tipex to mark cams ect
the key is finding the leak before doing anything else cause if its misdiogonised your back to square one

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sun May 21, 2006 1:43 pm

Cheers again Hiscot, but I have no sign of leaks anywhere. I have checked all the rad hoses, heater and the inlet manifold (as best I could) I have also had the plugs out and they aren't shiney or rusty...

I'm just parnoid

The sill pipe is still a major possibility.

Rich

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sun May 21, 2006 4:02 pm

I'm going to see if I can borrow our Video 2000 probe (Flexible endoscope thing) from work and have a look-see down the sills.

I'll take photos if I can so yuo can all see what the sills look like.

Rich

robin · Post by **robin** » Mon May 22, 2006 8:08 am

Excellent - looking forward to the endoscope. FWIW, my car has had a slow coolant leak for an age and I recently found that the water elbow hose had a tiny leak on the underside - it probably only leaked when heat cycling. Anyway, that may or may not have been the actual leak - it could be that our temporary repair to the coolant pipe in the chassis rail has come undone ...

HG is not a hard job. The bolt will come undone. Assuming you've got standard wheel ramps you need a 2ft bar (not 3ft, as it won't fit!) and a cut-down 22mm socket (better double check that, pretty sure it's 22mm). I can probably relay the cut-down 22mm socket back up to you via ScottD as he is commuting at present, but you can just as easily cut one down I suspect.

With the wheels still on and someone sitting in the car with foot on brake and 5th gear selected you just pull - it will pop! Make sure you use threadlock when putting it back on and do it up FT (200+Nm). It gets ugly when it comes undone ...

The rest is pretty straightforward, if time consuming - you should change the timing belt and tensioner (saves doing a C service later).

Cheers,
Robin

Eek - what was that apostrophe 's doing in saves?!

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:53 am

Cheers Robin. I'll try and get the probe tonight. (Steady now... I have no doubt that has already seen the inside of several tradesmen, but it gets fecking hot!)

How did you fix the pipe? I take it you had to remove it?

Rich

robin · Post by **robin** » Mon May 22, 2006 10:39 am

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:Cheers Robin. I'll try and get the probe tonight. (Steady now... I have no doubt that has already seen the inside of several tradesmen, but it gets fecking hot!)

How did you fix the pipe? I take it you had to remove it?

Rich

Correct - remove front clam, remove skin and flesh from arm undoing various jubilee clips (note that the one inside the rear chassis rail can be undone through a convenient access hole in the bottom of the rail, but you are best off with a flexible drive and a socket as the head will be rust-o-rama ...)

Get a ~100mm hole saw and cut a hole just next to the fog light in the front crash structure - the service manual details correct place to cut IIRC.

Now simply remove, find scrapy /punctured point and bend using your knee - it doesn't need much of a bend - a couple of mm should be enough to clear what's left of the rivet spike. Then fill the hole with liquid metal (I cannot remember exactly what we got hold of in Spain, but given you have time available you could and probably should get someone to alloy weld it rather than filling) and cover with a S/S jubilee clip - the S/S clip will win any future fights with the rivet

Re-insert pipe, noting that with the jubilee clip on you may have to make a small mod to the chassis end plate to get the clip through. Spend years fiddling with the pipe until you can get it back through both foam spacers at the back end.

Job done

Robin

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon May 22, 2006 10:42 am

Sounds like a fun job! I'll see if I can find a bit of SS plate rolled and sleeve the bugger, that'll do it.

By bend do you mean dent, or is it more technical than that?

robin · Post by **robin** » Mon May 22, 2006 7:32 pm

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:Sounds like a fun job! I'll see if I can find a bit of SS plate rolled and sleeve the bugger, that'll do it.

By bend do you mean dent, or is it more technical than that?

No I mean bend like a pipe bend - you want say a 5 degree angle in it so that the ends can still go through the holes they were always meant to, but the pipe stays clear of the sharp rivet.

Cheers,
Robin

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue May 23, 2006 3:19 am

OK, I have used the video probe but I couldn't get past the foam blocks at the end of the sills. No sign of a leak there.

Really nice gadget to play with. If anyone can think of a use for one (Easy now shug...) drop me a line and I'll ask nicely....

Rich