Headgasket On GT Advance Starlet

[revolution12345]

Hello guys, firstly want to say hello, just joined. I recently joined turbo town:drive: Bought a 1995 Starlet GT Turbo Advance, turbo was away and it had been damaged slightly on front. The radiator was burst but I didnt notice this when I went to look at it.

But anyway, cut a long story short. I replaced the turbo with one I had out of a damaged starlet. Fixed the radiator. Started it up and it was missing and running very badly.

Carried out a compression check. Got 200 200 180 160.


The misfire was from 1, surprisingly considering low comp on cyl 4. The distributer was fouled up cleaned the contacts and its 100% now, real fast car.

But sitting idling car is fine, as soon as I drive it pushes all the water into the expansion bottle. I checked for blow by from dipstick, appears ok.

Removed the thermostat and its working ok. If I leave the rad cap off and give the car a quick rev coolant shoots up out, this shouldnt be the case with the rad cap off.

Ive come to conclusion that the fella before has drove it without coolant and give it a real cooking. So it looks like a headgasket job.

The fella I bought it off said he driove it from guys house which he bought the car from and the temp guage never moved and I couldnt believe, such an idiot.

I know the head must be warped.But have you guys ever seen the block warp on the 4E FTE?

Thanks Paul

 

[danturbo4311]

yea the blocks do warp to, mine did, try another compression test & put some oil down the ones with low compression see if it raises, as you may have piston ringland damage not only headgasket, does sound like headgasket has gon try a block/sniff test that will confirm it for sure

 

[Jay]

Welcome aboard mate.

Sorry to hear of the hassle. Warping the block is not a common occurance. Usually we'd get away with a light skim of the head and a fresh head gasket but if it's been really cooked it is possible to damage the block.

It'll take you to take the head off and inspect to know for sure unfortunately.

Jay

 

[revolution12345]

Thanks for the help, started into it their at 9 o clock and was looking at the gasket by half 11!:haha:

First look is not good, gasket has meltd and actually got that warm that it has ran lik molten metal. What a complete idiot, imagine the smell of that engine when he was driving it with no water in it. People like that drive me up the wall.

Sadly I cant carry out that oil test fella now that head is off. All I can really do is try and see if their is much play in the pistons in the bore. The original honing marks are still on the bores which is nice to see. But there is a small bit of play at tdc on the pistons, but its hard to tell, sometimes its hard to tell by that tho.

Is there any other way of checking the block for warp other than ruler and a light?

I have some photos of what headgasket shouldnt look lik :slap:
I will post them up tomorrow.

Head is going for a skim and pressure test tomorrow.

One question I do have, is the bottom ancillary pulley, quite difficult to get off, any ideas, mines is on solid. I want to replace the timing belt whilst I have the chance.

Any one have a exhaust manifold, mines is severly cracked.

Thanks

 

[Mike D EP82]

hi mate sorry to hear. i found the easiest way to remove the pulley was to remove the bolt and attack the centre with wd40 and gave it a tap all the way round with a hammer. dont hit the edges though as theyre really brittle. i oiled the pulley slightly to ease future removal also

 

[nexia201]

to remove pulley put socket with long bar on it and give it a very short start and it will undo itself 2 sec job

 

[Captain Starlet]

When removing the bottom pulley i found it a cunt.

Didnt want to put a puller on it as would just break into a hundred bits.

Just lube her up and try and get a bar in either side at the back and just rock it till it comes free.

 

[Dave@TM-developments.com]

Warped blocks are quite common, usually between cylinders

 

[Dave@TM-developments.com]

One question I do have, is the bottom ancillary pulley, quite difficult to get off, any ideas, mines is on solid. I want to replace the timing belt whilst I have the chance.


Thanks

Get a proper puller, not a lot of money

 

[sx_turbo]

Warped blocks are quite common, usually between cylinders

x2


the reason being the fact the blocks are very small, and the walls between the cylinders being very thin

 

[Mike D EP82]

to remove pulley put socket with long bar on it and give it a very short start and it will undo itself 2 sec job

tthe bolt will come loose but the pulley is always a cunt to get it off the end of the crank

 

[vick]

welcome along

 

[revolution12345]

Bit of an update, left the head in to powermax in N.Ireland. Getting it skimmed and pressure tested, hopefully have it back this evening

Have got my hands on a manifold to. Ordered new water pump timing belt and front crankshaft seal. Will have it all by this evening hopefully

So will keep yous updated on the situation, right Im not going to get the block skimmed, going to take the chance on just getting the head done.

As for the pulley I screwed 2x bolts into the holes in it, made up a puller plate and basically jacked it away from the crankshaft.

 

[revolution12345]

Got my head back, all is ok with it. So if I still have problemos after that, suspected block warp. Havent got round to checking it. Replaced water pump and cleaned all the sealing areas tonight.

Here are some photos of the car and the headgasket.
Any one know what wheels they are btw?

 

[Chris@CCM]

there toms wheels pal that car came in with my old one a far few years back now trevor imported it cool car

 

[revolution12345]

Thanks for that chris, good to get a bit of history.

What do you make of that headgasket, got an awful cooking I think.



Right, that what sanchez said, they look very like his. Are they an expensive wheel and would I have nay chance of getting 2 centre caps?

Thanks

 

[Chris@CCM]

Funny the wheels that came in on ur car ended up on my old Gt and those wheels came of my old car tho jay had them to start with lol hard to tell from the pixs pal but the blocks need skimed from time to time worth checking if it's flat or not

 

[revolution12345]

LOL so they've been around the block.haha I honestly cant think what wheels to get for the wee car, maybe just respray them ones if I can get 2 centres caps.

Im cleaning up the gasket face tonight, so I will check then. Hope ta goodness its alright.

By any chance do you have a number for jay? really need a bonnet asap. Send him a message on here just waiting on a reply.
Thanks

 

[Jay]

Give me a second..

 

[Jay]

Those are TOMS rims and I used to own them.

Original pic from years ago :

I bought them for £70 from Steven in Bangor and set them in the garage.

YBY sourced me a set of topmounts that I needed for my GT for £65 and spied those wheels sitting.

So they were swapped for a set of topmounts and put on YBY's Advance. He then swapped them with another guy for some other alloys and they ended up on that GT Advance. It lived in Ards for a few years with a guy called John. I helped him with a few parts.

If you email TOMS Racing via this site: CLICKY

They may be able to source a new set of caps for you. Those wheels are worth a few quid in the right condition and look nuts next to regular rims.