Overheating block
Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 12:23 pm
Heres the situation:
4.4 Rover block machined, new pistons etc etc. Reco’d heads, new gaskets etc etc, full rebuild. It had a constant air lock from the beginning. Drove it about 50kms on the highway and it blows a head gasket. Temperature gauge was reading normal. Remove heads, discover that the RHS head has gone soft.
Pressure tested the block with heads off, had water jackets covered with plates. Pump the system up to about 15psi and water would stream out of the block where it had been drilled for the oil gallerys to the heads (4.4’s originally ran hollow pushrods to supply oil to the heads). The water was coming out on both banks. The sump was off at this point and NO water was escaping underneath.
The repairers currently have the block and have pressure tested it themselves. They cannot get it to leak at all. WTF? As far as I know, there is absolutely no way water should be running through the oil lines other than if a) cracked block, b) block drilled wrong when doing oil gallerys or c) porous block. What I don’t understand is why they can’t replicate my results with the pressure tester. He reckons he had the pressure up high enough to pop a hose off but not to escape from the oil gallery.
I’m heading to the repairers Saturday morning so the bloke can run me through what they have done. At this stage they can’t fault the block (because its not leaking). My concern is that they will try to wash their hands of it because they can’t find anything wrong.
Anyone suggest some more ideas or things I should look out for on Saturday?
TIA.
4.4 Rover block machined, new pistons etc etc. Reco’d heads, new gaskets etc etc, full rebuild. It had a constant air lock from the beginning. Drove it about 50kms on the highway and it blows a head gasket. Temperature gauge was reading normal. Remove heads, discover that the RHS head has gone soft.
Pressure tested the block with heads off, had water jackets covered with plates. Pump the system up to about 15psi and water would stream out of the block where it had been drilled for the oil gallerys to the heads (4.4’s originally ran hollow pushrods to supply oil to the heads). The water was coming out on both banks. The sump was off at this point and NO water was escaping underneath.
The repairers currently have the block and have pressure tested it themselves. They cannot get it to leak at all. WTF? As far as I know, there is absolutely no way water should be running through the oil lines other than if a) cracked block, b) block drilled wrong when doing oil gallerys or c) porous block. What I don’t understand is why they can’t replicate my results with the pressure tester. He reckons he had the pressure up high enough to pop a hose off but not to escape from the oil gallery.
I’m heading to the repairers Saturday morning so the bloke can run me through what they have done. At this stage they can’t fault the block (because its not leaking). My concern is that they will try to wash their hands of it because they can’t find anything wrong.
Anyone suggest some more ideas or things I should look out for on Saturday?
TIA.