Cooling System

[humbi]

Hi there, i'm in Sth France and have had the bleed hose blow on the bongo and it has lead to huge amounts of white smoke and subsequent head damage. The engine would only have bneen run at HOT for a max of 2-3 mins but most likely 1 min. Anyway the Bongo is in a garage awaiting head removal, tolerance test and machining before re-assembly. This mevel of damage after such a short overheat time is quite astonishing. I have read factsheet re overheating and symptoms are very familiar. I would advise regular hose changes / inspections and coolant level checks also.

[Doone]

Hope it's sorted soon.
We also give our cooling system an annual flush. Maintenance is better than cure.

[bigdaddycain]

Sorry to hear of your woes Humbi...i hope its not TOO severe on the old wallet

Without getting too paranoid about it, i think i have done as much "preventative maintenance" to hopefully avoid such situations, i recently replaced 9 of the rubber hoses with flippa's excellent silicone items,(including the bleed hose). Have had a mason and haydn alarm fitted,and i like to "double up" on the bi-yearly coolant change by having it replaced annually.

Was the bleed hose resting on the alternator,and chaffed through?



As you may be able to make out on the pic, the bleed hose can run VERY near to the alternator I sleeved mine with some garden hose for a bit of extra protection should it slip down during use. (not in pic)

The best of luck with repairs.

[missfixit70]

Sorry to hear of your problems, many of us have fitted a coolant level alarm courtesy of Haydn Callow on here, gives great peace of mind as the bongo is prone to coolant loss & overheating if maintenance has been neglected in the past & bearing in mind the fact that there are a whole bunch of aging hoses. May be worth considering the Mason temperature alarm too, it makes the almost useless temp guage more sensitive so that it actually moves before the engine overheats & sounds a settable alarm. Both alarms will cost less than £100 & hopefully save any future expense.
The overheating issues are very well documented on the forum, check out the FAQ's & read up on al the old threads if you haven't done so already. It'll be worth acquainting youself with the bleeding procedure on the bongo as if not done correctly it can lead to further problems after repair. Many garages & mechanics think they know what they're doing, but the bongo is a very "unique" cooling system. Good luck with it

[flippa]

sorry to hear of your woes humbi, let me know if you need any hoses......you big show off bdc

[humbi]

Hi Kirsty,
Thanks for your response. I am quite concerned about whether i'll have further woes once system is repaired by this garage in France. They have never seen a Bongo before. Is there something i can do to check to ensure all air is out of system once they have fixed it. Possibly while i'm still with them at garage? I'm at a local library and their internet service does not seem to open documents correctly so i can't seem to check the history correctly.
Thanks

Sorry to hear of your problems, many of us have fitted a coolant level alarm courtesy of Haydn Callow on here, gives great peace of mind as the bongo is prone to coolant loss & overheating if maintenance has been neglected in the past & bearing in mind the fact that there are a whole bunch of aging hoses. May be worth considering the Mason temperature alarm too, it makes the almost useless temp guage more sensitive so that it actually moves before the engine overheats & sounds a settable alarm. Both alarms will cost less than £100 & hopefully save any future expense.
The overheating issues are very well documented on the forum, check out the FAQ's & read up on al the old threads if you haven't done so already. It'll be worth acquainting youself with the bleeding procedure on the bongo as if not done correctly it can lead to further problems after repair. Many garages & mechanics think they know what they're doing, but the bongo is a very "unique" cooling system. Good luck with it

[Mike Jill and Emily]

If you can let me have a fax number at the library or the garage I can fax you the bleeding info if it helps

[lizard]

It seems that some/nearly all imports have been standing around for months. If the importer/dealer dosen't do any proper maintenance checks it leaves tales of woe for the prospective buyer. Head, pump, hoses, rad, etc.


Having said that, with proper repairs and the correct maintenace, the Bongo will give no more trouble and less than some other cars.

[maxheadroom]

Just a thought, does a pipe blow because it is perished or does it blow because the head gasket goes? chicken and egg?

As I have said just a thought.

[lizard]

Ahh, can a bongo engine overheat when running normaly No sign of any problems at all. Design fault It has more hosiery than a stocking factory

Just thinking

[The Great Pretender]

Just a thought, does a pipe blow because it is perished or does it blow because the head gasket goes? chicken and egg?

As I have said just a thought.

A pipe can leak because of age or chafing. The head or gasket will fail because there is a coolant problem.

[humbi]

Hi Again,
My tale is now extending to new lengths. I sorted out new head, gaskets, thermostat, water pump etc etc only to now find out that the block is gone. So after a month of headaches the drama is playing out worse. Anyone now where to source a reasonably priced engine? A block would be more suitable, since i have balance of parts, however not sure suppliers split halves to supply blocks. I know i can pick up exchange or low mileage engines on ebay but are there other options?
Thanks.
ps may need to scrap the Bongo as it is becoming a money pit, so if anyone needs bongo bits there are plenty in Provence!!

[westonwarrior]

you can get a replacement engin for around £800, shipping it back to France is another matter, try a garage like bell hill or bongo bits to see if they can sorce it.

it may be cheaper to get the complete and fit that, than mess with stripping and replacing with the parts you already have then sell the parts for as much as ebay can give you

[mikeonb4c]

Sorry to hear of your troubles humbi - can't think of an easily affordable way out. Very sad to scrap though. What's the year/mileage and overall condition of the Bongo as you might be able to price it such that a UK person would find it worth towing back for repair. If it has to go, it would be simpler than trying to sell bits from that far off

[humbi]

Hi Thanks for responses. The Bongo is an N reg and has done approx 136k kms. It is silver and the body work is in very good condition considering age. There is a smallish bump to front and rear bumper, these are plastic, however there are no dings to side wings or doors. Yes you are right considering the shell it would be a shame to scrap. I am looking into buying a replacement engine and then selling the new head and bits on ebay when i get back. Will post progess as it happens.