Need help with engine swap

[GP14]

need advice

My radiator was losing fluid through the reservoir quite often so I took it to a radiator mob and they did a compression check. He placed a gismo onto the radiator which had 2 reservoirs of some fluid and they were suppose to turn blue(like a pregnancy test) only the result was slightly yellow which he indicated could be a start of the head gasket going.

He then did a visual check with the radiator cap off and engine on and noticed very small bubbles. He was positive this was the gasket leaking and told me to go get a compression check on the cylinders to make sure.

I have the tester so did it and the result was all 4 were the same although the outcome of 210psi is higher than what its recommended for my 1.8.

Is he right, is this the start of my gasket going and if so what is it going to set me back? Im in Brissy so any recommendations on where to get it done would be appreciated.

thanks

[ducktape69]

bubbles usually mean either ur radiator needs a flush or ur head gasket is going.
is ur coolant a milky colour?

[zoomzoom]

The tester he used has a blue fluid in it, which turns yellow when it the coolant has exhaust fumes in it. This is usually an indication that the head gasket is leaking charge from the cylinder into the coolant.

[16bit]

don't you need to do an oxygen test in the rad fluid to see if its a head gasket?

[GP14]

Thanks all.

Ducktape69. I only flushed it about 3 weeks ago. Its not milky but i think thats because it the early signs of the leak.

Zoomzoom. yah thats what i meant sorry. it turned a bit off green, slight tinge of yellow

16bit. no idea what that is. I didn't see him use any contraption for that test except for the reservoir dye and the pressure tester.

I also spoke to my mechanic and explained to him as well that it stutters on startup for a few seconds. He suspected that fluid was inside the chamber at startup causing the cavitation(as though running on 3 cylinders). Also no. 2 spark plug had dry brown dusty buildup on the plug.

Thanks guys. Now the dreaded question. Anyone in Brisbane replaced their head gasket before and can recommend to me or do i have an alternative. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. BTW how much is this going to set me back.

thanks

[ducktape69]

if ur engine has a fair few km on it...probably a better idea to chuck in a newer engine...

[sabretooth]

It's sounding like your headgasket is on the way out. The test with the blue liquid was to check for the presence of carbon monoxide in the coolant. The reason they test for this is that a break in the headgasket between the cylinder and the cooling system can allow exhaust gas to be pumped into the cooling system. If the result was positive, then - bad news.

I've replaced my headgasket before. To do it you need to remove the intake piping, intake manifold, exhaust manifold, timing belt, camshafts, etc. You don't have to disassemble the head itself.

If you've not done much mechanical work before then you're probably best letting mechanic do it.

[GP14]

Thanks Ducktape. That does sound like an option also. The cars done 200k. What will a reconditioned one cost?

Sabretooth I do most of my mechanical work myself unless i dont have the tools for it but i havent done anything to this extent yet. I would love to but im afraid of stuffing up. Is there a dodgy day in the works?

[sabretooth]

In that case, probably the only \"special\" things you'd want to do are to get the head surface machined flat, and if you have a torque wrench handy... that's it. Rip off the manifolds, cams, head. Have it machined, reverse removal for installation. Easy!

[OMY005]

What model of MX5 do you have? If it's a NA6 you could get an used head off Richard at MX5 plus have it reconditioned. Then have a dodgy day and swap the new head on. Maybe PM Uncle Arthur or RED5 as both have spare NA6 heads.

Andrew.

[GP14]

Thanks Sabretooth. Is it always the case that the head needs to be machined cos unfortunately if i ripped it off I would have trouble getting it to the shop? I am now considering doing it myself after reading on it. It didn't sound as hard as i thought just time consuming.

OMY005 its a '94 NA8. Will give mx5 plus a ring later on to consider my options.

thanks

[OMY005]

Will give mx5 plus a ring later on to consider my options.

Let us know what you decide to do. There are plenty of people who would be able to give you some help/advice with the change over.

Andrew.

[Sean]

You sure the car isn't pregnant?

[GP14]

Thanks Andrew, will do. I've put in some Seal Stop and its fixed the problem for now but i know its only a temp fix. I plan to do this and probably my timing belt, water pump etc hopefully in Dec before xmas so i can go for my driving holiday. Hopefully it will last till then.

Sean, i don't believe she's pregnant although she has been moody the past few weeks

[GP14]

I have decided to go with an engine swap but would like to save money on the labour and do it myself. Unfortunately i am inexperienced for something this major and need help as well as resources/equipment to do it ie. engine stand etc.

If anyone out there can spare their precious time and resources that would be great. I plan to do it anytime between now and end of december but i need a couple of weeks to get the engine ripped out of the existing wreck.

It is also not just the engine itself but the accessories that go with it ie. belts, pumps, alternator etc so swapping it will be a bit easier i guess.

Of course this doesn't go without its perks. Beer or whatever beverage to quench your thirst and pizza will certainly be provided. I am in Brisbane.

cheers
Geoff