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Posted by: ripper911 Feb 19 2011, 11:37 AM

So... I've recently had my heat exchangers replaced becaue my old ones were old and leaky. But, it's still loud! Head Gasket leak!

So, since I need to use this car as a daily driver, I have to know.
Is is safe to drive around with a head gasket leak?
it seems to run fine, it just sounds like a lawnmower.

Posted by: Scarlet75 Feb 19 2011, 12:00 PM

Didnt you just get it serviced?

Posted by: underthetire Feb 19 2011, 12:37 PM

Leaking anything in the combustion area is pretty much the same as a plasma cutter. Good things turn bad pretty quick.

Posted by: sean_v8_914 Feb 19 2011, 12:50 PM

plasma cutter...good description

head leaks sound like a wet flag flapping i a storm breeze

Posted by: silver74insocal Feb 19 2011, 12:53 PM

i hope they gave you your old parts cuz they most likely have nothing wrong with them. did they tell you it was a head gasket problem?

Posted by: RJMII Feb 19 2011, 12:58 PM

head gasket problem turns to this in a hurry:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=115794

That plasma cutter comparison was pretty good.

Posted by: underthetire Feb 19 2011, 12:58 PM

Mine sounds then same btw. It's only once it warms up does it sound terrible. Pretty sure I have a badly cracked head, along with #3 valve sunk. I drive it to the grocery store and back is about it, just to burn up the remaining gas. Kinda want to scatter the motor since it's a bus 2.0. Might be fun.

Posted by: McMark Feb 19 2011, 02:00 PM

Totally drivable as long as you consider that the longer you drive it the worse the damage will be and the fact that you may end up stuck somewhere if the cylinder gets really bad.

Posted by: ripper911 Feb 19 2011, 03:10 PM

Before I picked it up from the shop, since I picked it up on a weekend and didn't speak to the mechanic, he told me that there is a head gasket leak that is causing cylinder #3 to miss at idle but that it does fine once you get going.
That is my experience with it, I was hoping I'd be able to live with it for a little while but I guess it's gotta go back to the shop sooner than later.

Posted by: r_towle Feb 19 2011, 03:43 PM

Was your mechanic AA?
If so, I would trust what you were told.
If not....I would suggest a leak down test to confirm you dont have a valve seat that is crooked.

Rich

Posted by: ripper911 Feb 20 2011, 09:24 AM

Yes it was AA, I didn't get a chance to talk with Sean when I picked the car up, so I haven't really gotten an opinion from him about the driveability.

I got it back and was still driving the work van for another couple of weeks, so I haven't really started driving it again until tis weekend, but I wil be contacting them first thing this week to se what I need to do.

Thinking about cleaning up the Bug!
drive it until I get this fixed...

Posted by: Jake Raby Feb 20 2011, 07:40 PM

If you have a head gasket leak, I'd not fire the engine up until it was properly addressed.

If not expect to need a new cylinder head, cylinder and probably a piston.. Drive it to death has a real meaning.

Posted by: Dr Evil Feb 20 2011, 08:12 PM

I cant believe they told you it was OK to drive with a head gasket leak. That is just wrong and stupid

Posted by: ripper911 Feb 21 2011, 09:35 PM

well now it's at the office, I'll have to drive it home at least...

I'll have a couple of days off to try to get the bug back on the road, I get the feeling that the head gasket fix might not be cheap.

Posted by: HAM Inc Feb 22 2011, 08:51 AM

If you have 2.0 bus heads they will need to be tossed regardless of the damage caused by the head gaskets, unless they are relatively young AMC 2.0 bus heads.
A compression test is easy to do and will tell you if something is wrong, but only a leakdown test will tell you where the leak is.

Posted by: HAM Inc Feb 22 2011, 08:59 AM

This is what eventually happens when one continues to drive with a leaking head gasket. This was an otherwise cherry 2.0 914 head. It went on the scrap pile. What a shame!

Posted by: HAM Inc Feb 22 2011, 09:03 AM

Another angle. I could have repaired it, but once a casting has received this sort of damage it is compromised to severely. I felt it would have been good money thrown after bad and sold the customer a good core.

Posted by: ripper911 Feb 22 2011, 04:15 PM

I remember they did a compression test and it was fine...

Posted by: ripper911 Feb 22 2011, 04:16 PM

wow, it just cuts right through...

Posted by: r_towle Feb 22 2011, 05:21 PM

It should not be fine if you do indeed have a head gasket leak.
The compression test should have revealed one cylinder with lower numbers...
A leaky head gasket and a poorly fitted heat exchanger sound alot alike to most people.

Rich

Posted by: Jake Raby Feb 22 2011, 06:46 PM

A combustion leak and an exhaust leak sound nothing alike...

Posted by: Vacca Rabite Feb 23 2011, 09:04 AM

If you know what you are listening for. I don't, and I know more then the average car owner, and maybe even more then the average 914 owner... You do, but you know way more then most - live and breathe the stuff.

What is the difference in sound?

Zach

Posted by: ripper911 Feb 24 2011, 12:23 PM

I got an estimate on repairing it, and I've decided that it would be cheaper to buy a new engine and have it installed.
So thats the plan, and I guess I'll drive it when I need to until then since I'll be replacing the engine soon.

Posted by: Vacca Rabite Feb 24 2011, 01:49 PM

more fun, too. Especially the driving part!

What are you going to build?

Zach

Posted by: r_towle Feb 24 2011, 02:23 PM

You just love to disagree with me...
To some, as Zach said, it may sound the same.
I know the difference...some may, some may not.

A compression test would reveal the truth...a leak down test would reveal more.

They are both cheap to do and I would suggest you may want to look into having one done again.

If I recall correctly, you brought your car in to have new Heat exchangers installed.
Since that time, you have a new sound.
makes me go hmmmmmmm.

Rich

Posted by: ripper911 Feb 24 2011, 02:45 PM

the ticking/wet flag sound was there before, but I thought it was because of the heat exchangers, turns out it was in addition to them...

Not sure about what kind of engine yet, I think I may try for something a little more fun.

I wonder how much they would charge m,e to put the 3.0 from my 911 in it? Nah, I don't think I'll be doing that.

Posted by: McMark Feb 24 2011, 02:47 PM

A baby and a chainsaw sound nothing alike. A combustion leak and an exhaust leak sound slightly different.

Posted by: Scarlet75 Feb 24 2011, 05:30 PM

So what size engine are you going with?

Posted by: Jake Raby Feb 24 2011, 06:44 PM

Exhaust leaks are continual, combustion leaks are always worse under load.

Posted by: krazykonrad Feb 24 2011, 09:03 PM

Might I suggest re-torquing the head studs as well as the head nuts. You may (or may not) have a leak because the studs have worked themselves out a little.

Konrad

Posted by: ripper911 Feb 26 2011, 10:36 AM

I'll be getting a newly rebuilt 1.7
should be better than the last engine, which I drove to florida and bought, which came out a rusty car and was claimed to have been rebuilt 30,000 miles prior.

Posted by: Scarlet75 Feb 26 2011, 10:38 AM

Sweet! Glad you didn't give up on it. And also glad you are leaving it air cooled

Posted by: Dr Evil Feb 26 2011, 10:43 AM

It could have been rebuilt 30Kmi ago......right before it was parked under a waterfall and left in a meadow for 10 years

Posted by: ripper911 Feb 26 2011, 10:56 AM

I would never put water in any car!

The fact that we don't have any air-cooled work vans annoys me, I'm sure people wouldn't mind me pulling up in an old microbus hearse...

Posted by: xperu Feb 26 2011, 12:52 PM

I think have an exhaust leak which I beleive is causing a load popping noise and I just happened to see a flash when looking through a gap in the sheet metel; I believe it's sucking cold air, I first thought I needed a carb adjustment, but I think differently now, do you think this is the correct assumption? if so, does anyone have the correct torque value for the exhaust nuts[b]. P.S> sorry if I jumped in on your thread. Regards Mike

Posted by: Jake Raby Feb 27 2011, 10:22 AM

Sounds like you also might have a head gasket leak... Thats the only way that combustion would be see under the sheeetmetal..

Posted by: ripper911 Mar 25 2011, 12:33 PM

Alright, now I am having a 1911 built!
It'll be nice to have a little more power!

I'm still driving it, it idles funny and makes some noise but it seems to be doing fine when driving.