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rover head gasket?

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  • 16-03-2006 3:54pm
    #1
    dubgirl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 190 ✭✭


    hi guys - have a price to fix a head gasket on a rover 400 (98)
    €600 would you think this is worth fixing? Or is it a sign the car is now going to fall apart?

    Any advice welcome

    thanks


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    #2
    alias no.9
    Registered Users Posts: 6,310 ✭✭✭alias no.9


    It's a common enough failure on the rover k-series engine. Whether it's worth fixing comes down to how good the rest of the car is and if you can afford to replace it. Rovers in general will be worth very little to sell, virtually nothing with a blown head gasket, but the €600 you pay to fix it could be enough to see it through the next fet years of happy motoring. What kind of car could you get for that €600 plus another €500 or so you might get selling the rover, as is? €600 does sound expensive for a head gasket replacement though, so shop around and you should get better but stay with reputable garages, otherwise you could be fixing it again in a few months.


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    #3
    michaelanthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 741 ✭✭✭michaelanthony


    That's a good price. I paid 1000. I'd try to locate a good garage though cos it's hard to do a good job done on it. When I got mine done, the garage didn't do the engine seal right and it was loud and sounded like an old car ever since.


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    #4
    MercMad
    Registered Users Posts: 4,269 ✭✭✭MercMad


    These engines give this problem regularly and despite modification kits you are always on a countdown to the next time !

    It WILL go again !

    Sell it , or fix it and sell it !


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    #5
    Fey!
    Registered Users Posts: 4,184 ✭✭✭Fey!


    The biggest problem with the k-series engine and other aluminium engines is that people don't check the coolant levels, so the engines overheat. Some BMWs and the Freelanders have similar problems, IIRC.


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    #6
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,419 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    Family member paid €400 for head gasket including full service. Through his mechanic though, not the $tealer$

    I thought that was very cheap

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    #7
    Lord Nikon
    Registered Users Posts: 3,610 ✭✭✭Lord Nikon


    My rover is for sale if you want to buy it, head gasket was fixed last year and no problems.

    Rover 214 8valve
    1996
    180k miles
    NCT until June 2007
    Taxed until end of May
    Pioneer radio with 12 disc changer

    1500 euro


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    #8
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    Seeing as were pimping our rovers in here. Mines on the FS forum atm.

    It's blue with cream interior.

    114k on the clock.
    Timing belt, oil seals changed and serviced in November. NCT till March 07.

    CV joints could do with getting changed (My mechanic checked it late last year and says no problems).

    Runs perfectly and bodywork is fine. Tiny bit of a rust spot on boot lid where a sticker was removed.

    I have a 6 disc SOny Boot changer that I dont use as I have a cable for my MP3 player. It's not connected but the cables are there to hook it up. Ill leave that in the car.

    €1200 OVNO.

    theres 4 new Sony speakers put in late last year. 2 x XS-HT170 in the front and 2x XS-694 in the back. Only links I can find. http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/car-audio-sp...0s-n/topsites/ http://www.zencudo.co.uk/shopping/co...-s6250435.html

    A full new exhaust was put on late last year (November iirc) in the fast fit (i think that s the name) behind the statoil garage at the square. Cost €250. Should still have the receipt.


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    #9
    JohnCleary
    Registered Users Posts: 10,210 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    MercMad wrote:
    These engines give this problem regularly and despite modification kits you are always on a countdown to the next time !

    It WILL go again !

    Sell it , or fix it and sell it !

    Biggest load of cr4p ive ever heard. My K Series is on 97k and its origional HG

    However, I check the oil & coolant every week and maintain my engine to a high standard... Wonder if it means anything :rolleyes:

    OP: 600 is fairish for a decent job, ive seen cheper, ive seen more expensive. Make sure you get your water pump changed too, and obviously your timing belt.

    When fixing head gasket failure, you'll need to makre sure that both your engine oil & coolant is flushed about 2-3 times to clear any gunk from contamination


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    #10
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,455 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    I'd have to agree with MercMad, They're prone to failure every 30-35k. you've been lucky (and prudent!)


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    #11
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,419 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    colm_mcm wrote:
    I'd have to agree with MercMad, They're prone to failure every 30-35k. you've been lucky (and prudent!)

    A bit like HG failure with FIAT / Alfa really. If you take care of your car, it will last (nearly) as well as any other car and you got it for peanuts. If you are un-sympathetic, you'll turn into yet another fix it tony clone we've seen posting here...

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    #12
    JohnCleary
    Registered Users Posts: 10,210 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    colm_mcm wrote:
    I'd have to agree with MercMad, They're prone to failure every 30-35k. you've been lucky (and prudent!)

    I can appreciate where your coming from, I think your a mechanic (Read in another thread?). I'm not a mechanic, more an enthusiast (heh, whats the diff?!) but anyhow, theres too much generalisation with HGF.

    I am not just 'lucky', I have taken care of my car - simple as. Most cases ive heard of HGF, the owners had no mechanical clue. So in a nutshell, if youre not even a basicly mechanically minded person, an aluminium block is not for you... The K series engine needs to be cared for

    Just my 2c


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    #13
    Spitfire666
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,323 ✭✭✭Spitfire666


    Dont know much about the K-series engine but fixing a HG is not that hard of a job as long as your not mehanicly retarded, and maybe your mechanic is going to flush the oil+coolant for you and thats were the cost is coming in?


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    #14
    JohnCleary
    Registered Users Posts: 10,210 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    Spitfire666 wrote:
    Dont know much about the K-series engine but fixing a HG is not that hard of a job as long as your not mehanicly retarded, and maybe your mechanic is going to flush the oil+coolant for you and thats were the cost is coming in?

    It's not too hard, but can easily be messed up. With the twin cams you have to be careful not to put the timing off


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    #15
    BrianD3
    Registered Users Posts: 8,393 ✭✭✭BrianD3


    Yes, the K series is renowned for blown head gaskets. I think its reputation for this is well deserved as I know a few people who've owned cars with the 1.4 litre K series and every one of them has had at least one HG failure. One fella that it happened to is an ultra fussy retired mechanic who owned his 214 from new and treated it better than his children, yet the gasket still blew at 40k.

    Such a pity that they had this fault as it was/is a great and sweet engine otherwise.


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    #16
    JohnCleary
    Registered Users Posts: 10,210 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    BrianD3 wrote:
    Yes, the K series is renowned for blown head gaskets. I think its reputation for this is well deserved as I know a few people who've owned cars with the 1.4 litre K series and every one of them has had at least one HG failure. One fella that it happened to is an ultra fussy retired mechanic who owned his 214 from new and treated it better than his children, yet the gasket still blew at 40k.

    Such a pity that they had this fault as it was/is a great and sweet engine otherwise.

    I just find it odd that I know a bunch of people who care for their K Series and have never had gasket trouble!

    Gotta agree that theyre a sweet engine... 103PS from a 1.4 ... nothing wrong with that


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    #17
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,455 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    As far as I know, there are a few reasons why they go through gaskets so often. One of them being the gasket itself, think it's made from silicone (Don't quote me on that!) the other being a poorly designed cooling system


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    #18
    JohnCleary
    Registered Users Posts: 10,210 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    colm_mcm wrote:
    As far as I know, there are a few reasons why they go through gaskets so often. One of them being the gasket itself, think it's made from silicone (Don't quote me on that!) the other being a poorly designed cooling system

    Nah theyre not silicone gaskets, however Land Rover have recently updated the gasket design for the K series, aparantly its much better and solves the problems.

    Gotta agree on the cooling system, theres only about a 1.5l expansion tank... crazy for an aluminium engine :eek:


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