James_RST

what head gaskets do the 1.8 zvh engines run and what head bolts?

any uprated versions available?

finally got the temp sender unit and guage working and cars over heating think its probably the headgasket as had a big water leek when a hose split on me, anything else i might of missed? any checks i can do.

thing is i did a block test the other day in the header tank and the fluid didnt change colour which means there should be no combustion gases in the coolant system and its all well. think i must ahve been doing the test wrong or something. any ideas?

*title edited looks like there are a few who need some help with zvh and overheating!*

zvhturbo

I think the 1.8 engine is the same dia bore as a normal CVH Turbo engine so you can use any Escort/Fiesta RS Turbo parts.


I have a problem with mine that the CVH water pump is not man enough to push the water around the engine at low revs.
The higher the engine is revved the better the colling, but below 1500rpm the water movement was very small.

I have just put a post up asking if anyone knows if you can get uprated water pumps but noone has replies

Perhaps an electric water pump?

James_RST

dunno water seems to go round ok its coming in and out the header tank as per usual cars

any other quick guess tests i can do about the head gasket etc?

James_RST

bump

James_RST

Right im soo confused, guessed i may have an air lock as the coolant has been emptied/ refilled, neways ran the car with the header tank cap off for five minutes varying tha idle from 1k revs to 3k revs, cars stationary but with the fan on. Temp guage barely registered climbed just a little.

what the fuk is going on, any techys wanna guess

mattbibs

coolant wont pressurise without the cap on so the temp wont rise.

hope im right - thats how i think mine works!

James_RST

balls, so basically thats why it didnt register. i thought if your head gasket was gone they should boil over if ran without the cap?

Another question how much fluid do you fill up your bailey header tank with? theres no min or max marks so how do you know how high the level should be in the tank?

bastard thing is doing my head in

mattbibs

with the cap on and the car up to temp it will boil over if you take off the cap as its been pressurised. without the coolant system pressurising then it wont boil over.

i dont have a rule for alloy tanks but my mate who has one dips his finger in (when cold obviously!) and learns how high up the level should be. then remember that level everytime you fill it up.

James_RST

learns from what though? how do you know how much should be in it in the first place

surely if a car is up to temp and you take the cap off any of them will boil over?

i dunno im confused cant think why if it is the headgasket that it didnt show up on the block test

mattbibs

yes any car should boil over - mine does now & the HG is fine.

when my HG went i was told to look for bubbles in the coolant when ticking over from cold and the cap off as you described. also white smoke out the exhaust (not just condensation) & oil mixing with coolant in the header tank is signs of HG failure. but im no expert so dont quote me on that!

& the coolant level should be about half way up the tank like the standard items - use a bit of common sense!

James_RST

lol ok i got no white smoke bar the condensation

i cant see any oil in the water although its bloody hard to in these bailey tanks

cars hot so dunno about the bubbles from cold thing

think i might hafta pop it round to my mechanics but really cant affod it atm

mattbibs

try looking for bubbles now - i only said from cold cos i dont want you to burn your head looking through steam at the pressurised coolant!

James_RST

cant really see any, just a bit of rippling and perhaps a touch of bubbles not anything clear where the water returns to the tank

i had the head gasket go on my last FRST and changed that myself, had it pressure tested and refaced etc,

i dunno i know it needs a new set of tappets so i might take it off the road for a couple weeks and get the head off etc

but before i do any1 else any advise?

creedy

HELP i think the words are for this convo!!
my 2.1 zvh ERST has had the same probs, the water in the header tank disapears when the car isnt running but only after it has been running, a bit of white smoke from the exhaust but only when warmed up and idlein after being raced ( none when movin along ) there is also alot of condensate coming out of the oil filler cap which means white sludge in the top of the rocker cover and oil breathers, dnt think its the head gasket as it has been like this for 2 weeks and there is no lost of power.
help me please!!

James_RST

creedy mate i wouldnt be driving or racing your car!

if you have white sludge in your filler cap and a loss of water after running you almost certainly are burning water etc which would indicate a head gasket failure possibly worse

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im pretty sure i know the source of my problem (it split a water hose and went tits up)

im gunna strip my head off tomorrow so please if any one can describe or show photos of a failed head gasket that would be top

creedy

yeah but wouldnt just lose power all together?? my mate Fezzy turbo did.

neal

James_RST

not necessarily, my sister had a head gasket failure on her 200 quid polo but rather than fix a shit heap she just topped it up with water every few journeys, went on for nearly 10k before she scrapped it for a ford escort! never lost any power or stopped working just got very hot and drunk water lol

unfortunatley my car didnt cost 200 quid and i dont fancy having it scrapped so fixing it i will be

again if any1 can confirm what head gasket and bolts i need for a 1.8 zvh that might be useful

creedy

ok i mite do wot ur goin 2 do just to make sure, the gasket i need 4 mine is a 2.0 zetec one i would of though u would need a zetec 1 2?? and the bolts are specials.
im goin to get mine from mad for it.

neal