Inlet Manifold Gasket or Head Gasket Failure?

[will-rover]

Hi I wonder anyone could give me an opinion on the problem i have with my wifes 1999 Rover 200 1.1 engine.

• For the past year i have been topping up the coolant about once a month. Not much only about 1/8 of level between max and min on the expansion tank.
• 2 weeks ago when i checked under the bonnet the the coolant expansion tank was almost empty and it had a layer of gunge sitting on top of the little remaining coolant. There was a slight smell of petrol from the remaining coolant/gunge in the expansion tank. I checked the oil and this was clean, absolutely no sign of mayo.
• I drained the coolant and flushed out the system and refilled. Then tried to trace the leak but could not find a trace of any leak.
• It has run fine for the past 2 weeks i monitored it daily and no sign of leak. One thing i did notice is every so often, usually when started from cold there is a clicking noise which appears to come from the fuel injection.
• Then today my wife tells me she checked the coolant and it has dropped slightly but a layer of gunge is sitting on top of it again. (Typical it had to happen now as i am away from home working for a couple of weeks)
• My father in law had a look at it for me and tells me when he revs it is spitting water out the exhaust.

I called a couple of garages for my wife as she needs the car for work and cannot wait until i get home. I explained the problem to the mechanic and told him i thought that it could be either the Inlet Manifold Gasket or Head Gasket Failure. The mechanic totally dismissed that it could be the inlet manifold gasket and said he was certain that it was the Head Gasket. He claimed HGF was a common fault on a Rover and that many garages wouldnt even touch this job as its a nightmare on a rover. He was then pretty evasive when i asked for him to quote a price to do the head gasket saying he would have to see it first.

I would be grateful to know what other opinions are, do you think it is inlet manifold gasket failure or a HGF.

Thank

Will

[Cooperman]

It sounds like a head gasket. So long as the engine has never been allowed to overheat, it's a straightforward job. It is worth changing the location spigots for metal ones when doing the job and use the very latest gasket. Skimming the head is recommended, but that only takes a machine shop about an hour to skim off, say, 6 thou or so.
In terms of time, it should be about a 4 hour job, excluding head skimming, but it may be worth changing the cam belt and tensioner at the same time for no real additional labour time, just the cost of the belt and, maybe, the tensioner. The oil gets into the water because the oil pressure is always higher than the water pressure, so the flow is all one way.
It's a straightforward job, especially on an 8-valve engine.

[will-rover]

Thanks Cooperman.

The engine has never over heated at anytime so i dont think anything would be bent out of shape.

Anyone have an idea how much a garage would charge for replacing the head gasket and skimming the head.

Thanks

Will

[aufo8mycow]

Hi Will....
Prices really depend on who you go to.. Realistically around £300 - £350 (Sometimes more if you need a skim)

DON'T SKIM FOR THE HELL OF IT!! Its piff if anyone tells you better to be safe than sorry etc.. The head only needs skimming if it is warped and as yours has never over heated, I doubt you would need it doing. Don't forget, heads have been heat treated and a skim removes that.. and it usually a one time deal.. although you can skim again.. the compression changes the more you take off.. so again.. DON'T SKIM IF YOU DON'T NEED TOO!

Back to the price.. some garages will think of a number..double it and times it by 5.. its a nice little earner, purley based on the fear those words generate... head gasket falure.... Most people won't try the job themselves and so these cowboys can charge what they like..

If you REALLY don't want to try it yourself. There is a member on here who also advertises on ebay. If you are in the midlands he will do it for £350 (I think discount if you tell him you are on here) and whats better... he will even come to your home or work! Can't get better than that and I further understand his quality of work is very good.

Anyway, be careful, when mine went I was hearing all sorts of rubbish from so called 'mechanics' who hadn't got a clue about the K series engine. Its best to get referrals from people who have had one done. I am sure if you give your location, folks on here will recommend a garage to you... Furthermore, ask for the uprated land rover gasket.

Let us know how you get on.

Sean

[will-rover]

Thanks for the advice Sean.

I would try love to try the job myself, i usually do all work on my cars myself but unfortunately i am in Scotland working at the moment and the car is at home in Northern Ireland. My wife really needs the car for work so she cant wait fo me to return as i wont be back for 2 weeks.

Anyway if anyone can recommend a garage or individual in Northern Ireland who can do this job, i would very much appreciate it. Preferably in County Down - Bangor or Newtownards area or even in Belfast.

Thanks

Will

[tommyb460]

hi guys, i've had a HGF on my 1999 214 16v today, pulled over before the temperature got too hot so hopefully no warping. I used to have a 1 litre mini and i changed the HG on that myself with fairly little trouble, looking in the Haines manual for my 214 though they've given it 4 spanners, I'm sure the mini was only 3 spanners, i want to have a go at it myself but just wondering if there's any one stage that's especially hard?

Also does being a 16v make it harder?

Thanks for your time

[will-rover]

Just thought i would bump this question up if thats ok.

Can anyone recommend a garage or individual in Northern Ireland they can recommend who can do a Head Gasket.

Preferably in County Down - Bangor or Newtownards area or even in Belfast.

Thanks

Will

[will-rover]

Originally Posted by aufo8mycow

Furthermore, ask for the uprated land rover gasket.

Let us know how you get on.

Sean

My wife took the car down to a garage which someone recommended to us. They confirmed it is a head gasket failure and quoted £320 to do the job. I told her to mention she wanted the uprated Land Rover gasket, which she did. She has booked it in for Tuesday.

I just called the garage myself to confirm that they will be fitting the uprated Land Rover gasket. They said "NO" it is not suitable, he said he was aware that he should fit the uprated Land Rover gasket to the K Series rover engine but not this engine.

The car is a 1999 Rover 200 1.1 engine (the sort of limited edition creamy white one with green tinted glass). The mechanic says it is a Rover metro 1.1 engine which is in the car.

Is he right in saying that this is not a K Series engine which is in this car but a Metro 1.1 engine.

I am now a bit confused as i was sure it was a K Series engine and i should get the uprated Land Rover gasket to be fitted.

Will

[aufo8mycow]

Hi Will

He may be right. I understand the LR Gasket will work in 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 but not sure about 1.1 . Other members may have a clearer idea.

If he isn't fitting the lr gasket. The composite gasket looks better than the pressed one, although both use beading. Realistically, once its done it will give you many years of worry free motoring anyway, with most people hanging onto a car for around 2 years. I wouldn't be that worried about it anyway, as whatever he fits should (As long as serviced and coolant checked regular) there should be no reason why this won't last.

Just make sure he finds what caused it to go in the first place. It might be worthwhile having the cam belt, cam belt tensioner, water pump and thermostat changing at the same time (If you buy the parts the price should not go up as all this has to be replaced while stripping the engine down (Except the water pump)

Hope it all goes well anyway, sure it will now be fine though

Sean

[Sejin26]

I think it will work on it. The 1.1 and 1.4 used out of the Metro/100 wear both multi point injection at the time they wear installed in the MK3's. They might be 8V engines but it's still the same basic head as the 16V. I would look furthur into this. I dont see why it cant be fitted.

[will-rover]

Thanks Sean and Sejin26 for the replys.

It would be great to hear from anyone who has had a Head Gasket done on a Rover 200 1.1

I just want to have the best possible gasket fitted as i intend for this car to be around for a few years yet. So if you have had a HG fitted to a 1.1 engine was it the uprated Land Rover gasket you had fitted.

Also does anyone know is the Rover 200 1.1 engine a K Series engine.

Will

[morris-mg]

1.1 is just an 8valve K series. As to whether the landrover gasket can be fitted sureley if somebody checked the partnumber for a 1.1 head gasket and a 1.8 headgasket it'd tell you if it were compatible.

[aufo8mycow]

Looking on ebay, it says the gasket is the same on 1.1, 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8.

Anyone else know?

Sean

[Sejin26]

But in 2000 Rover changed the 1.1 to a 16Valve unit. So it might fit that no problems. I would go and say it will fit, after all like I said before the heads are the same etc.

[JasonEbay]

It's the same as the Metro engine.

Yes I've carried out head gasket replacements on this model and the Landrover gasket does fit.

[jaysonjay]

HI IV JUST DONE A HEAD GASKET ON A ROVER 75 2.0 V6 WATER DOES RUN THROUGH THE MANIFOLD IV JUST FINSHED HAVING THE HEADS DONE AND THERE IS STILL WATER OIL COMBINING TOGETHER FOUND WORN OUT MANIFOLD LEAK IT WAS NEVER THE HEAD GASKET SO BE CAREFUL TO GET IT CHECKED PROPERLY BEFORE WASTING MONEY I ALSO KNOW NOW SOME ONE ELS WENT TO THE GARAGE HE SAID YOU NEED A NEW HEAD GASKET CHARGED HIM £940.00 HE NEVER CHANGED IT HE JUST CHANGED THE MANIFOLD GASKETS £11.50 WHAT A PROFIT BE CARFUL OUT THERE GET THINGS PROPERLY CHECKED NEED ANY ADVICE send me a message