Oil Leak/ Head gasket?

[jimamberdog]

Hi,

We had bongo problems ( overheating ) about 6 months ago. The garage we took it to diagnosed a head gasket problem. apparently there were gases in the coolant system. There was always a lot of oil around the head, so I figured they were correct. They took the head off ( said that they didn't think the gasket looked bad) and x rayed it ( said it was ok), changed the head gasket and bolts and put it back together. This didn't fix the over heating and when the water pump finally went a couple of weeks later a new pump sorted out the problem. The bongo is now dropping oil all over the drive and needs regular top ups. Whilst I am not particularily competent when it comes to looking at engines, the oil seems to be coming from the furthest bolt on the right when looking at the engine from the passenger side. Is it possible that this is spraying out of somewhere else onto the head or do I really have a problem with the head gasket again?
Having spent loads getting it fixed last time, I am a bit sceptical that replacing the gasket will fix the problem. The Engine has done 91K miles and I am considering putting a new/reconditioned engine in. Does anyone know an approx cost for doing this and would this give the peace of mind I am looking for?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[francophile1947]

Is it leaking from the actual head bolt, or just the rocker cover? Leaks from the rocker cover seals are common.

[mikeonb4c]

It sounds driveable and if you culd get it to Discount Trucks at Newbury and say (nicely) 'just fix it' then I think they would do the best thing, and at the best price, because they have an excellent reputation on here for quality, commitment and value....and they are Bongo specialists. They regularly fit replacement engines.

Good luck - keep us posted

[jimamberdog]

Looks to me like it starts where the furthest bolt on the right is and the oil spreads towards the front along the join of the rocker cover. When the garage had it apart, they skimmed the head and checked it for cracks and said it was ok. They were n't bongo specialists and it took them ages to sort out. It is driveable as long as I keep an eye on the oil levels, but the missus has lost confidence in it and is threatening to trade it in on a Ford Galaxy , but We have 4 kids and need the room that a bongo offers and up until the last 6 months have had no problems.

[dave_aber]

Don't get stressed. It is a simple leak to fix, and isn't anything like a head gasket job.

Yes, it is a gasket, and it's on the head, but it isn't "THE" head gasket.

As Mike says, it is driveable, get it round to a decent garage and it will be a simple enough fix. Never used Discount trucks myself, but they do get hundreds of good recommendations on here..

[Doone]

The bongo is now dropping oil all over the drive and needs regular top ups. Whilst I am not particularily competent when it comes to looking at engines, the oil seems to be coming from the furthest bolt on the right when looking at the engine from the passenger side. Is it possible that this is spraying out of somewhere else onto the head or do I really have a problem with the head gasket again?

If it needs topping up that often, it sounds like a pretty bad leak. But (fingers crossed) the cure may be something as simple as tightening up bolts or replacing the rocker cover gasket. If you clean it up, it's sometimes easier to find the source of a leak. If you want to try it yourself, there's some advice HERE when 'mikeonb4c' had to find where a leak was coming from. Otherwise you could go to a garage and ask them where it's leaking from.

The Engine has done 91K miles and I am considering putting a new/reconditioned engine in. Does anyone know an approx cost for doing this and would this give the peace of mind I am looking for?

I guess it depends on what's causing the leak. We've owned 3 bongo/fredas now, all of them did as high or higher mileage than that and we wouldn't replace our engine unless it was beyond repair. If the leak is fixable I'd get it sorted asap.