Rover 200 & 400 Owners Club

hey guys,

well i might know what is actually wrong with my 216, but would like your opinion as well.

here are the symptoms: -
engine dies 90% of time on run down to stand still
slight loss of water
becoming increasingly difficult to start, especially if turned off hot previously
running very lumpy until 3k rpm, then she kinda kicks back to life.
1 plug darker in colour than the others, but contacts and leads are fine
no mayonaise as of yet
bubbling sound coming from the back of the block somewhere, (sounds like around the nearside side of inlet manifold some where)

also (unrelated to this issue, i am losing a very small amount of water through the rad. This will be replaced asap)

i am thinking it is about time i changed the head gasket, what do you guys think? (only other option i have is the inlet manifold gaskets gone. as the inlet has a water jacket.)


cheers tony

Inlet gasket would be first on my list to change. Then if not then the headgasket would be next assuming there are no hidden coolant leaks (the rear coolant rail is a common and hard to spot one).

well it has to come off any way to check the head gasket, but thinking logically, if there is a leak there, it could create head gasket like symptoms, as it is injecting water into a cylinders inlet of air/fuel. much like what the head gasket failure would do.

i will start checking it out as soon as i am able to get out there and remove the inlet to ceck her out.

i am hoping it is this, as it is a much easier, and cheaper job.

thanks e_t_v


tony

hey guys, well the mayonaise has come,
i have put in some rad weld (not the blue one, but the gold one) and she is running,like a dream.

but i have just bought this.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT

£40 + p+p not bad i thought, being as my local parts supplier wanted £45 just for the gasket.

i will be fitting a new cam belt at the same time, along with a good deep service.

flushing out every thing, and replacing all the fluids, points, leads, plugs etc etc.

all in all about £200 of parts. ive done this to all my cars when i purchase them, treat them well, and reap the benifits *laughs*

well, i finally got round to start doing this today, hence my other post about the g/box.

i have gotten to the point
inlet off.
rocker off.
top cam cover off.

cant undo the crank pully bolt.
waiting for missus to get back so i can go to halfords for star key and a replacment 15mm socket.

the inlet gasket was fooked. there were 2 splits in the middle. this would not have caused the problem, but around the water jacket the gasket was in bad shape. but there is evidence of instant gasket (setting sillicone type. black) the crust was very close to the number 1 and 4 inlet pipes. not entirly convinced it was leaking in tho. but it may have well caused an issue.

hopefully get the head off tomorrow, replace the gasket. and hope to hell some one came come through for me to help get this bolt out so ican change my cam belt at the same time. altho the condition seems good. i would like to be on the safe side.