Bongo Fury

Personally, if I had a head problem & intended to keep my Bongo on the road for as long as possible, I'd make sure that everything was done "by the book" & ignore the relative expense as it would be an investment in future longevity.

However. There are some who may have decided to patch it up, sell it on & may be prepared to cut corners just to get rid as economically as poss. I fell foul of one of these devious bar stewards when I bought mine. Worth getting to know the seller a bit & find out what side they're coming from. Its a gamble but could pay off if you box clever. any doubts, walk away. There are still plenty of good 'uns out there.

Ian wrote:We have been supplying the following after-market Ford Ranger head gasket for the last 4 years with NO reported instances of failure on Bongos.

Ultra Parts UCA513

It's about £100 retail, compared to about £250 for the Mazda Bongo original.

Fair n'uff - Ultra Parts seem to use OEM type of stuff according to their website.

Ranger gasket is UAA 510 though......................

We are still stuck with a Bongo off the road awaiting gasket and now we have the problem of being given TWO different part numbers by yourselves. Can either of you please clarify which is the correct one we should source, bearing in mind a reputable engine centre has said the Ranger cylinder head is SLIGHTLY different to the Mazda cylinder head.
We could not bear to have gone through all the ins and outs of a Magpie's A** about who is paying and who is doing the job just to end up off the road again without a warranty to back us up. Most of the information given to others is do the job properly to start with.

By the way Mr Bean hope you have had the replies you requested and will be interested to hear what your outcome was...did you buy said Bongo or "walk away".

jimbo44 wrote:We are still stuck with a Bongo off the road awaiting gasket and now we have the problem of being given TWO different part numbers by yourselves.

Sorry for any confusion. I have just checked our suppliers database. Part UCA513 is the one you need, and is specifically for where there is an original Mazda Bongo 2.5 WLT cylinder head fitted. As Dandy says, part UAA510 should be used where a Ford Ranger head has been fitted on the Bongo.

Ian, checking Ultra's electronic catalogue, the Bongo part number is stated as UAA 510, same as the Ranger/B2500 although they BHP figure quoted is wrong.
http://www.elcome.co.uk/xplorerlite/Ultraparts/

Where do you get the other number from?

Do any engine builders out there know the differences between the lower powered Ranger/B2500 engine and the Bongo which would affect the gasket design?

Hi
Thank you so much for replies. Have just been down to the garage and he opened up the box in front of us with skimmed head and the gasket number was UCA513. What a relief. Also says "FOR MAZDA BONGO". We did tackle the mechanic before the head went back to supplier and told him that we needed genuine gasket set, so he must have told the supplier this problem and hey presto we have the number quoted by Ian. Thanks Dandywarhol for your efforts as well. Will keep you all informed when we get our Bongo back next week sometime.

A relieved (for the time being anyway) Jimbo.

jimbo44 wrote:Hi
Thank you so much for replies. Have just been down to the garage and he opened up the box in front of us with skimmed head and the gasket number was UCA513. What a relief. Also says "FOR MAZDA BONGO". We did tackle the mechanic before the head went back to supplier and told him that we needed genuine gasket set, so he must have told the supplier this problem and hey presto we have the number quoted by Ian. Thanks Dandywarhol for your efforts as well. Will keep you all informed when we get our Bongo back next week sometime.

A relieved (for the time being anyway) Jimbo.

Fingers and toes crossed for you Jimbo. I've read on here they should be fitting new head bolts too as they are the stretch type and shouldn't be reused once untorqued, so you might want to make sure they are doing that too

Hello there
Yep we are in luck there as well...unlike us to have some luck.... but we will not look a gift horse in the mouth. Stretch bolts..THE LOT are all included. Apparently our mechanic has a good account with the supplier and they have sorted everything out so that we do not have to fork out for the refit. It is really nice to know that people on the forum all look out for each other. Will let you all know next week how our bongo is running.
Cheers mate

Jimbo

jimbo44 wrote:Hello there
Yep we are in luck there as well...unlike us to have some luck.... but we will not look a gift horse in the mouth. Stretch bolts..THE LOT are all included. Apparently our mechanic has a good account with the supplier and they have sorted everything out so that we do not have to fork out for the refit. It is really nice to know that people on the forum all look out for each other. Will let you all know next week how our bongo is running.
Cheers mate

Jimbo

Just read Simon Jones on another thread reminding of the value of 'flatting' the block using wet n dry paper on granite. Not sure how practical that is 'in situ' esp. with avoiding getting any abrasive in the bores (though they could check carefully for any high spots) but he also suggests using a gasket sealant because - although the practice is out of favour these days - it maxs the chance of a really good seal. Simon had to fit a new head (or was it gasket!?!) and that was now some considerably ago now, so he must have got something right!

Mike, I had the the old head skimmed & pressure tested, but when it was re-assembled using a proper gasket set from Ian, it was still blowing coolant out the header tank. After taking the head to Bellhill Garage for second pressure test, Keith & Tom told me about decking the block & using Wellseal. Using another head gasket from Iezura, I followed their advice & it worked perfectly. Either the first gasket was duff (unlikely) or it was the other two factors that solved the problem. I think I've covered about 6000 miles since then with only one blip which was due to a pin-hole in the bleed pipe which introduced air back into the system.

Decking the block in-situ is very do-able, but care is needed with getting abrasive grit in the bores & water / oil-ways. The secret is to get it all out again .

I have written a lengthy post on this topic previously, so I'll try to get it all written up & passed to Ian for use in a fact sheet.

Simon Jones wrote:Mike, I had the the old head skimmed & pressure tested, but when it was re-assembled using a proper gasket set from Ian, it was still blowing coolant out the header tank. After taking the head to Bellhill Garage for second pressure test, Keith & Tom told me about decking the block & using Wellseal. Using another head gasket from Iezura, I followed their advice & it worked perfectly. Either the first gasket was duff (unlikely) or it was the other two factors that solved the problem. I think I've covered about 6000 miles since then with only one blip which was due to a pin-hole in the bleed pipe which introduced air back into the system.

Decking the block in-situ is very do-able, but care is needed with getting abrasive grit in the bores & water / oil-ways. The secret is to get it all out again .

I have written a lengthy post on this topic previously, so I'll try to get it all written up & passed to Ian for use in a fact sheet.

well done

Hi
Update on the saga of our Bongo....We have sorted out differences with mechanic who is now once again able to be approached. Mind you he has been financially out of pocket with this whole saga labour wise. We have had the genuine Mazda rocker gasket fitted and FINGERS CROSSED Bongo is driving well. No embarrassing oil leaks underneath. All is well in Bongoland again.

jimbo44 wrote:Hi
Update on the saga of our Bongo....We have sorted out differences with mechanic who is now once again able to be approached. Mind you he has been financially out of pocket with this whole saga labour wise. We have had the genuine Mazda rocker gasket fitted and FINGERS CROSSED Bongo is driving well. No embarrassing oil leaks underneath. All is well in Bongoland again.

Fingers crossed for you

I'll bet the mechanic now mutters and curses every time he sees a Bongo going by

How true that is. We might just CRUISE by a few times just to keep him on his toes.

jimbo44 wrote:How true that is. We might just CRUISE by a few times just to keep him on his toes.