Porous Cylinder Head
03-21-2005, 09:06 AM
#1
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Belfast, N Ireland
Posts: 4,905
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
93 320CE, 72 280SE 3.5, 55 220A, 05 E280CDI, 88 Mini Mayfair, 90 Peugeot 205GTI, 04 Mini Cooper
Porous Cylinder Head
Anyone have experience of this.
My head gasket needs replaced (internal water loss) on a 4 cyl 230TE.
I had it done about 18months ago so took it back to the mechanic to get him to repair it at his cost.
In typical mechanic stlye he scratched his chin and then said that my cylinder head must have become porous ....... sounds to me like a ploy to avoid fixing the head gasket.
Views please.
My head gasket needs replaced (internal water loss) on a 4 cyl 230TE.
I had it done about 18months ago so took it back to the mechanic to get him to repair it at his cost.
In typical mechanic stlye he scratched his chin and then said that my cylinder head must have become porous ....... sounds to me like a ploy to avoid fixing the head gasket.
Views please.
03-21-2005, 12:51 PM
#2
Super Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Motor City
Posts: 696
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
3 Posts
95 E320 Cabriolet, 108K
I too would be put off if a mechanic immediately blamed it on casting porosity. At the same time, if I put myself in the mechanic's shoes, the mechanic has no control over how the customer treats their engines, perhaps allowing them to overheat.
It's hard to point the fault without knowing the failure modes last time and this time. How comprehensive was the head job last time?... did it involve shaving the deck surface? Perhaps if you insist on finding the root cause of the leak, then the mechanic may work with you, and both of you would know what happpened. Insist on proper diagnostics, not just 'replacing the head gasket'.
It's hard to point the fault without knowing the failure modes last time and this time. How comprehensive was the head job last time?... did it involve shaving the deck surface? Perhaps if you insist on finding the root cause of the leak, then the mechanic may work with you, and both of you would know what happpened. Insist on proper diagnostics, not just 'replacing the head gasket'.
03-30-2005, 07:52 AM
#3
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Belfast, N Ireland
Posts: 4,905
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
93 320CE, 72 280SE 3.5, 55 220A, 05 E280CDI, 88 Mini Mayfair, 90 Peugeot 205GTI, 04 Mini Cooper
Well ........ had to tackle the job myself as the car was burning about 2 litres of water a day ....... looked like it was running on steam!
As I suspected the mechanic who had replaced it was talking rubbish ......
When I got the head off I found a small indent in the metal part of the gasket at the edge of nr 4 cylinder ..... it looked like there was a small piece of debris caught under the gasket which had caused the depression in the edge of the gasket ..... this would then have burnt away and opened a path direct between the cylinder and waterway.
Anyway all good now ....... cost me about £75 for head gasket set and a few other bits ...... oh and all day easter saturday.
As I suspected the mechanic who had replaced it was talking rubbish ......
When I got the head off I found a small indent in the metal part of the gasket at the edge of nr 4 cylinder ..... it looked like there was a small piece of debris caught under the gasket which had caused the depression in the edge of the gasket ..... this would then have burnt away and opened a path direct between the cylinder and waterway.
Anyway all good now ....... cost me about £75 for head gasket set and a few other bits ...... oh and all day easter saturday.
03-31-2005, 10:50 AM
#6
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Belfast, N Ireland
Posts: 4,905
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
93 320CE, 72 280SE 3.5, 55 220A, 05 E280CDI, 88 Mini Mayfair, 90 Peugeot 205GTI, 04 Mini Cooper
here's pic of the area in question. there is an indent on the metal ring to the left about 9 0'clock plus of course the split between the oil way and waterways
