Steam coming from engine bay? UPDATE!!!!

[StickerPaul]

Are you running a swirl pot ?

If so, have you checked the pipe above the power steering pulley as they sometime touch and go over time.

[mboon]

I have a bailey header tank in stainless steel (I hate the bloody thing) and this has the standard cap on it. All the pipes feel firm when the car is up to temps and it never overheats etc. Gasket is under 5 years old... would this be enough time to cause it to rot?

[mboon]

Are you running a swirl pot ?

If so, have you checked the pipe above the power steering pulley as they sometime touch and go over time.

I dont think it is mate, had one on my last car and cannot see it anywhere. I run a oil catch tank. Took that off yesterday and nothing much in it etc. Little bit of water came out of one of the hoses connecting to it though if that means anything. Looked more like condensation which had built up. Only talking a few drops.

[Sunnysidebb]

I have a bailey header tank in stainless steel (I hate the bloody thing) and this has the standard cap on it. All the pipes feel firm when the car is up to temps and it never overheats etc. Gasket is under 5 years old... would this be enough time to cause it to rot?

WRC head gasket should be fine even after 5 years....but it wont fully seal against a warped head on full boost. That's the problem with WRC head gaskets , the block and head have to be perfectly flat and warp at all causes problems such as you have .

[coswurv]

It's a group a gasket fitted Frank not a wrc steel one so mboon has said.

[mboon]

Yes mate, Group A. I was starting to think the WRC and Group A was the same lol.

[Sunnysidebb]

Yes mate, Group A. I was starting to think the WRC and Group A was the same lol.

Sorry when he said ARP bolts my brain just went into WRC Mode and completely ignored the GPA bit.lol
Anyway before doing any expensive head investigation a coolant pressure test is necessary imo, that way pipes can be tugged and pulled to see if there are any hidden problems.
a gPA head gasket such as the YB611 is quite strong but doesn't normally put up with much blowing, along with no huge pressure increase in the bottle and the fact the temp dosnt rise suddenly for a few minutes after the flutter and steam it does look likely you have some form of coolant leak so I would definitely have that pressure test done.

Still try backing the boost right off and see what happens?

[mboon]

Cheers Frank. I called the garage today and have it booked in all day Friday.
I will ask Mike to pressure test and check the manifold bolts etc.

Two things I am scared about...

1: The car has to be driven on full boost to create the problem

2: I am not sure the new spanking clean front end is going to get into his workshop

O the joys lol

I will keep this updated when I find out the problem

[Sunnysidebb]

Cheers Frank. I called the garage today and have it booked in all day Friday.
I will ask Mike to pressure test and check the manifold bolts etc.

Two things I am scared about...

1: The car has to be driven on full boost to create the problem

2: I am not sure the new spanking clean front end is going to get into his workshop

O the joys lol

I will keep this updated when I find out the problem

Sometimes heads become soft and so warp its a fact of life and part of the course of ownership. If it only does it on full boost it does point toward the head or gasket
Hopefully, its just a pipe or joint that's leaking. If it is the head , so long as you have enough thickness left you can get a few thou skimmed off.
Fingers crossed it something simple's

[mboon]

Cheers mate. I hope so. I think if it is the head and it means backing the power off then I might sell up as it wont be the car I originally bought. Will have to see. Its one thing after another at the moment and with the sun coming out and not being able to use it really annoyes me

[coswurv]

Cheers mate. I hope so. I think if it is the head and it means backing the power off then I might sell up as it wont be the car I originally bought. Will have to see. Its one thing after another at the moment and with the sun coming out and not being able to use it really annoyes me

I wouldn't get to fed up mboon, a head gasket on a yb is an easy job to do and its not all that expensive, head skim is only about £30-£40, gasket YB1261 is about £40, head bolts you don't have to worry about as you have arp studs and nuts and like frank said they don't last forever they tend to rot over time and leak.

[Sunnysidebb]

I wouldn't get to fed up mboon, a head gasket on a yb is an easy job to do and its not all that expensive, head skim is only about £30-£40, gasket YB1261 is about £40, head bolts you don't have to worry about as you have arp studs and nuts and like frank said they don't last forever they tend to rot over time and leak.

Well said....
Chin up, get it done and give it what for and enjoy.

[StickerPaul]

If you decide to sell as it is, PM me a price.

[cootsie]

Check the header tank .. It might be cracked and only starts dribbling when it is hot and has a bit of pressure on it.




(OH MY!! that doesn't read well.....lol)

[Scouse]

Sell, sell, are you crazy man? Get it sorted and then get out and use it!! I had to rebuild mine not long ago and that turned out to be expensive, but it's on the road and can only get better. As for the oil on the underneath, mine was way worse than that as my oil cooler seal to block was missing (my own fault, I think) and I was using about a gallon of oil a month!!! Since been fixed and no oil marks on the drive, happy days!




Scouse.