Head Gasket Woes

MountainGoat · Post by **MountainGoat** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 1:33 am

After Wheelquick fitted my new silicone hoses to my Bongo and topped it up with coolant again last Sunday I drove it 4 miles to my sisters house and left it overnight. Next morning it was topped up with about 2 cupfulls to the full mark.

I then drove 180 miles back to the Scottish Borders via the M6 and A7 with no problems. On checking next morning the coolant level was at the top most inserted probe on Haydens alarm.

I guess that it all depends on how the coolant is put in. Both Hayden's Coolant Alarm and Mason's Alarm were fitted to my Bongo by RoosterUk last Saturday.

BongoMTBer · Post by **BongoMTBer** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:27 am

Thanks all.

Blimey, I thought my old Pug's were a bummer to bleed. It is no wonder there atre so many Bongo's about with cracked head issues.

Out of interest, a Mason alarm would have alerted me if I had not spotted the small rise in gauge. However, the expansion tank was full, so no form of low level warning would have helped on this ocasion.

It would certainly seem that bel and braces the way ahead with the Bongo.

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:44 am

It sounds like your most recent overheating episode was indeed a bleeding issue, you may have purged a lot of the excess air out when you released the header cap bongoMTBer...

All you can do now really is to keep a close eye on things,and check the level daily for the next couple of weeks.

I too have "flippa" hoses fitted, a haydn alarm,and a mason alarm,so with a bit of luck,my coolant system should be ok for a while....

flippa · Post by **flippa** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 1:07 pm

i have been in touch with bongotmer through the pm....i have recommended he removes the bellypan ....and leaves it off for a few days ....just to enable him to spot any leaks....i do hope its just a case of re-tightening a jubilee clip....if the re-filling and bleeding has been done correctly ....2.5 ltrs is an awful lot to top up....if this has been lost ...i'd have to say you do have a leak on one of the hoses....due to a loose clip....i hope this is the case as it is an easy fix

keep us informed

BongoMTBer · Post by **BongoMTBer** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:32 pm

Looks like good news. Thanks for all your suggestions.

Two days of use including a few good runs up and down the M54 and not a flinch from the temp gauge and no more level drops.

Will keep a close eye on things until I am fully alarmed up, but I am at present that I have my Bongo back and thanks to the original dealer, just for the price of a bargain new set of hoses from Flippa.

I also have to say that Ian Taylors customer service and mechanical expertise have truly restored my faith in garages. He comes fully reccomended by me.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:21 pm

I liked Ian very much when I met him. Selling Bongos has to have an element of uncertainty - hard to avoid that, but he was excellent to deal with. I would have bought from him except an irresistable private one came up before he could source my spec.

flippa · Post by **flippa** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:48 pm

thats good news

... lets hope all that grief sets you up for a good few years stress free driving now ...

BongoMTBer · Post by **BongoMTBer** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:45 pm

Shall we run a sweep-stake on 'what next?'

The pump?

The rad?

Only kidding