[72cat]

If anyone has read my extrememly long story in the 'story forum' they will know why I am asking the following:-
1. What are the obvious noises a blown head gasket will make, or a cracked head.

2. Thermostats are essential, true or false, please expand on your answer.

3. Take about 6 bottle tops [metal disc ones - beer bottle tops] and put them in a plastic bottle, shake the bottle, it gives a tinkling tinny sound, what causes this, specially when the car is hot and going uphill, or under strain. {This is not a timing noise - timing was correct}

4. Would a binding brake [front disc] cause a droning sound by the wheel and would it cause any sound from the steering wheel.

5. What causes the brrrrrrrrrrrr rumbling noise from the engine, on one side, specially when pulling off or under strain, its like listening to a truck when it releases its air brakes.

6. What would cause the steering wheel to make a grinding grating noise when pulling off and turning, power steering is full, or it looks full, could it get an air lock?

Thanks.

 

[Bruce]

2. True. Thermostats regulate temperature and flow. If you run the engine without one, the coolant may not stay in the engine long enough to pick up heat and it could have the engine run too cool (Engine wear is much higher when not up to proper the temp). The wrong thermostat can do the same although one that is too high will also overheat the engine.

 

[Bruce]

3. Sounds like pinging. Possible causes are engine running too hot, the timing could be off (vacuum advance could be culprit here if base timing is good), using too low octane gas, deposits in cyliders causing detonation. Probably are other cases but these are the ones I've had do this to me. Get the temps down and this typically goes away.

 

[Bruce]

4. By the tire, possibly. By the steering wheel, no.

 

[Bruce]

5. Bad exhaust manifold gasket or cracked exhaust manifold.

6. Contaminated PS fluid, a bad gear box, and a bad PS pump can all do this. Check the fluid, if it is clean, lift the tires off the ground and turn the steering shaft by hand at the box while feeling for a grinding or rubbing. If you think you have air in the system, turn it lock to lock while up in the air a couple of time to purge the lines.

 

[72cat]

Thanks Bruce, appreciate it, okay, so No 2 would explain why the temp was so cool all the way home, had to take the thermostat out when we put the 'wondar weld' in, we were worried about that, but it only has to be out for 3 days, then we drain the cooling system, the 'wondar weld' would wonder weld itself to the thermostat if we left it in.
No 3, better check that vacumn advance again, there is a guy asking the same question in the community forum, he has a hole in his vacumn hose and was wondering if that would cause pinging, going to copy your answer and post it there. Baseline timing is definitely okay. We use 97 gas, about the same as USA 95. Had to change to 93 [about 91] upcountry but that was only after thepinging started. Deposits in cylinders a definite probability, does'nt look like the engine has been opened in years, 11 years that I am sure about.
No 5, blew the exhaust manifold on that side a while back, did not have a gasket in so we put in one, one of those silver type ones, should we have checked for straightness like on a cylinder head before putting the gasket in? It is possible its cracked, or has a deep pit in it that just keeps blowing. Will check that when we check the heads.
No 6, lets hope its air or bad p/s fluid, I don't think I could handle having to overhaul an FMX, would be better to try get a C4, gearbox places here cost a small fortune for any work on automatics and I believe the FMX is quite a pain to work on.

Thanks gain, will update when we find something out.

 

[cugrrr1969]

The gear box he was referring to was the actual steering gear box, not the transmission. Definitely try the lock to lock thing first, best and easiest way to make sure there is no air in it. As far as #4 I think you might get a little noise through the steering wheel if it is causing a bad vibration and transferring all that through the linkage and making noise in the passenger compartment. #3, pinging can also be caused by carburetor running too lean. #2 Thermostats are definitely essential, but it won't hurt it if you leave it out for a few days so long as it doesn't overheat. That's about the end of my experience on this stuff. Hope you get it all figured out.
edit: The droning noise from the front wheel could be a bad wheel bearing. Take the wheel assembly off and check out the bearing. If you're not sure how to give a general check to the bearing surfaces then just let me know and I'll do my best to explain it.

 

[72cat]

Phew, that took a weight off my mind, however a bad steering box and/or gearbox is just as bout as bad, parts are not available here, but I will give the lock to lock thing ago, this is a new thing so maybe it is just air. No 4, well I guess I should get that fixed, apart from irritating noise its kinda not that safe, not that she is going to be going anywhere for a while. I bought two thermostats while in Dbn, hopefully the right ones, what temp should they open at, the ones I bought open at 80 or 82 degrees [celcius] thats about 176 or 179 F. Carb I don't think is too lean, more the opposite from the fumes. Plugs were also black and oily, not grey.
Bearings, if I remember correctly, jack up the car a bit, hold the tyre with both hands and see if there is any play when moving tyre from side to side, sorry, bad explanation, but its the best I can come up with at 3am. Am I right? S [husband] suspects bearings but the PO definitely said they had just been replaced and we have only had her for a year or so.

 

[polanskys]

#4. Also consider front wheel bearings.

Steve

 

[72cat]

okay, just re read the post, sorry, like I said, 3am and brain has already said goodnight, as soon as we get the wheel off I will get back to you, won't be for a couple of days tho', have to catch up on all the missed non car related work first.

 

[cougarshaman]

#1
I just had to deal with this problem today on a v8 mini truck...

Okay, head gasket/cracked valve symptoms...

Water in the oil. Oil will get thin and if you use anti freeze it will become foamy.
Oil in the water. Check your catch can. Is the water dark? dont assume it's the wonder weld making it dark. Smell it. Does it smell oily?
Oil "fizzing" out under slight fizzy pressure from the mating surface between head and block. Get the engine warm to check this. It will usually start after everything has expanded well.
Water disappearing from the cooling system for no apparent reason.

Cracked heads:
Cleveland heads are notorious for cracking due to heat issues. They crack between the valve seats since that is a relatively small/weak area. Poor design work, really.
These cracks usually get worse when the engine heats up and the crack gets bigger. Listen for an erratic/odd idle when the temp starts climbing.
Again, look for oil in the water or vice versa.
The good news is that your head can be fixed if it is cracked. It can be welded between the seats by someone who knows what they are doing like Carolina Cylinder Head in Monroe, North Carolina. And it's an okay fix. 2 or three years ago, I had a cleveland head fixed in this manner and put another 25k miles on it before the engine swallowed a valve. So, I don't mind it, and I'd recognize it for someone on a budget or some resto geek with a rare part.

Good luck.

 

[cougarshaman]

whoops.
replace recognize with recommend.
hehe sorry.

 

[cugrrr1969]

Bearings, if I remember correctly, jack up the car a bit, hold the tyre with both hands and see if there is any play when moving tyre from side to side,

Yeah, to check the free play with the wheel on this is a good check. If you find that they don't feel bad this way then you may want to take it apart to see if there is enough grease in there and give a quick check to the bearing surfaces. You will need to look at the rollers and check for discoloration and grooves. Also when you take it apart put a couple fingers in the center of the bearing and press it into the race and kind of move the inner race with your fingers to feel for grinding in the bearing. Sorry, that's the best explanation I can seem to come up with in writing. Wish I had a way to draw something out but even then I'm no artist. Hope this helps you get it back on the road, trouble free.

 

[72cat]

Okay, head gasket/cracked valve symptoms...

Okay, no water in oil, one of the first things we checked. We drained the oil as per the wondar weld instructions, it was pure black, no sign of water at all, no little bits of anything either, gunk, nice thick black gunk only, which my b-in-law has now painted on his garden fence .
The oil also did not smell burnt, maybe a faint [really faint] burnt smell, but I have smelt [sp] worse than that on cars with no head problems.
No oil in water, only muddy rusty gunk, and now of course nice red wondar weld.
Not sure about the fissing, can't see the block, too much crap in the way, but never heard any fissing and I am sure I would have, my ears are so tuned to odd noises on that engine that I would hear a fly landing.
Water dissappearing, oh yeah, now thats definitely happening, at a fast rate, we figured [eventually] that is was being blown out the exhaust as you can 1/2 fill a cup with the water that comes out after just one rev. On both exhausts, but I have a balance bar, so can't tell which side is giving hassles.

Cracked heads:

Very erratic idle when she is hot, or medium hot. Gets worse as she heats up, almost like she is missing a beat somewhere in the middle of the pattern.
Interesting point, if we take off no 1 plug lead I hear no difference in the engine beat, same thing with no 2 out, only hear a difference when no 3 is taken off. {taken off seperately obviously}.

Carolina Cylinder Head in Monroe, North Carolina.

Bit far I'm afraid , however we have another set of heads which are supposedly better than these, the PO x 2 bought them about 10 years ago and never got round to changing them, also a 192degree isky cam [I think thats what he said, got the cam in the garage] and new springs etc, so taking her apart will not be wasted. He said something about the heads being stronger and having a single valve something or other. I was not really listening as he was talking to S.

 

[72cat]

. Hope this helps you get it back on the road, trouble free.

Its a very good explanation and I know what you mean. I'm going to get the brake cylinder sorted out first and check if the noise dissappears. Seeing as the PO did say he had replaced the bearings, that would be about a year ago.
Then I guess I should check out the steering noise, and if that gets sorted out and I still hear the droning then it can only be the bearings.....................