Head gasket or other leak?

Technical questions and answers about the Mazda Bongo

Moderators: Doone, westonwarrior

Post Reply
Idris
Bongonaut
Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:53 pm
Location: Chamonix, France
Contact:

Head gasket or other leak?

Post by Idris » Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:55 pm

Drained and Refilled with antifreeze yesterday - bled using workshop manual method (I've bled sucsessfully with this method in the past) -
In the afternoon there was a puddle of antifreeze under the Bongo - Put this down to having overfilled the header tank.
Overnight no problems, no mess on the floor.
Drove to work - downhill <5 miles - parked up, after 3 hours there is a lot of antifreeze on the floor - and its dripping from below the crank pulley - started bleeding leak got worse - never a torrent, but maybe 1 litre in 5 min.
Didn't get the stat open before I called it a day, shut down and hitched home.

Questions - have I blown the head gasket or is there something else behind the timming cover that could blow/leak ( I didn't have tools/lights to take it apart and look, they were at home)

Is it worth trying stealseal (the liquid head gasket fix)?

Having done head gaskets on other cars is the Bongo a relatively simple one? Aux belts+ Timming belt + a bunch of bolts or is there something lurking in there?

Thanks in advance

supposed to drive to Milan wednesday (it's nly 3 hours form me) looks like I'll be borrowing a car.
www.idriskis.com eco friendly skis
wonkanoby
Supreme Being
Posts: 1729
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:00 pm
Location: sunny catford

Re: Head gasket or other leak?

Post by wonkanoby » Sat Oct 11, 2014 4:08 pm

water pump can leak at 6 or 9 o.clock
Idris
Bongonaut
Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:53 pm
Location: Chamonix, France
Contact:

Re: Head gasket or other leak?

Post by Idris » Sat Oct 11, 2014 4:15 pm

wonkanoby wrote:water pump can leak at 6 or 9 o.clock

Is that looking at the front of the engine (back of head towards forn of bongo)? How far in to dissasembly to see? Aux belts and timming cover? or timming belt also?

Tks
www.idriskis.com eco friendly skis
User avatar
Simon Jones
Supreme Being
Posts: 9341
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2005 3:34 pm
Location: Salisbury (ish), Wiltshire

Re: Head gasket or other leak?

Post by Simon Jones » Sat Oct 11, 2014 5:04 pm

If the leak has only started since you drained and refilled, have you checked that you haven't disturbed any of the pipework or not put the clips back fully in place?
Idris
Bongonaut
Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:53 pm
Location: Chamonix, France
Contact:

Re: Head gasket or other leak?

Post by Idris » Sat Oct 11, 2014 5:21 pm

Simon Jones wrote:If the leak has only started since you drained and refilled, have you checked that you haven't disturbed any of the pipework or not put the clips back fully in place?
I drained from the rear heater hoses, the drain plug in the metal upper rad hose (not far in front of the engine) and the lower rad hose (from the rad).

So no

I think the bright green french antifreeze has upset something - hoping it's just the waterpump (been on the search function for the past hour)

What dies on the waterpump? Is it something that can be temporarily fixed with good quality sealant (I meed dismatle glue back togethre and refit - not the pour in stuff)?

If I can do a temp fix it's only to get it runnig while I wait for a replacement - living in France means I have to wait a bit longer for parts - also I live in a place where a car is a necesity

Previously it was filled with water and rust - I think it's rust, at least when I filtered it through a cloth to look at it.
I've only owned it since the eund of june - never give any water problems before - never been overheated (in my ownership).
It does leak oil from both the head and rocker gasket - but not enough to need topping up between oil changes (or eve see on the dipstick) - she has obly 110,000km on the odometer (not bad for a '96)
www.idriskis.com eco friendly skis
User avatar
Northern Bongolow
Supreme Being
Posts: 7713
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 11:33 pm
Location: AKA Vanessa

Re: Head gasket or other leak?

Post by Northern Bongolow » Sat Oct 11, 2014 6:53 pm

Idris
Bongonaut
Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:53 pm
Location: Chamonix, France
Contact:

Re: Head gasket or other leak?

Post by Idris » Sun Oct 12, 2014 11:39 am

Thanks for the pointers

Turns out it is the water pump, leaking out of the lower left (as you look at it) weep hole.

Where can I get a waterpump, with overnight post to France? - all the belts wouldn't go a miss either - I think mine are origional
www.idriskis.com eco friendly skis
User avatar
Simon Jones
Supreme Being
Posts: 9341
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2005 3:34 pm
Location: Salisbury (ish), Wiltshire

Re: Head gasket or other leak?

Post by Simon Jones » Sun Oct 12, 2014 12:32 pm

Club shop is a good place to start. Ian has previously sent items to Europe so will be able to find a delivery option to suit your requirements.
Idris
Bongonaut
Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:53 pm
Location: Chamonix, France
Contact:

Re: Head gasket or other leak?

Post by Idris » Tue Oct 14, 2014 7:04 pm

After a round of panic phone calls yesterday morning mazdabongo.com steeped up and said yes to next day delivery to France - spent a fair bit of the day chasing where it had endedd up, was at the neighbours Fedex had delivered early morning (sent with Parcel force)?

Anyway pump and blets on, bleed and good to go....then forgot to put the overflow tank cap on, had a steamy mess and had to bleed again - lesson learned
www.idriskis.com eco friendly skis
Post Reply

Return to “Techie Stuff”