Bongo Fury

Today I noticed a little coolant loss and traced it here.
Passenger side quite deep.


Low down on the side of the engine.


A green cruddy leakage mixed with oil. White in places


Is this as bad as it looks?

My research suggests this is classic head gasket failure. What are the chances that the head has gone altogether?
It drives fine, no smoke. Temperature gauge has never gone over 11oclock even on a long run.

What should I be looking for?

Nippon Tuck wrote:What should I be looking for?

A bank loan

To be honest a leak on the outside of the head gasket isn't as bad as one on the inside but nether the less it needs sorting sooner rather than later as if it lets go completely it could destroy the head which will double the bill

THANKYOU.

I appreciate that it's hard to tell without a pressure test, but does the fact it is running fine suggest it is only the gasket?

What should I expect to pay for a replacement gasket, if thats all it is?

Could be a pin hole in the pipe that feeds the turbo which I believe is inside that metal sleeve. Can you slide a piece of something heat proof such as cooking foil in the gap between the pipe & the block. If it is a leak from the pipe you should see a dribble down the foil.

Never heard of a head gasket failure which is visible from the outside, so fingers crossed its nothing that serious.

That gives me a little hope.

I'll check that tomorrow.


Thanks

Hi
First look suggests that Simon is right.
Bleed it properly after replacement.
While it's off, replace both Turbo hoses...and have a darned good search for any leaks elsewhere. Personally, I'd replace all the hoses...a few hundred quid is cheaper than a cooked head. ONLY MAZDA HOSES AND CLIPS
Cheers
Helen

someone shoot me down again but isnt that the oil cooler that bolts on to the side of the block itself, it is a large casting with a load of bolts around its edge that holds it to the block using a gasket, try just tightening up the bolts first, but failing that take it off and replace or make a gasket.
it will need bleeding afterwards so take care.
anyone good with the lushy thingys put up an exploded view of this side of the engine please im off to bed

Northern Bongolow wrote:someone shoot me down again but isnt that the oil cooler that bolts on to the side of the block itself, it is a large casting with a load of bolts around its edge that holds it to the block using a gasket, try just tightening up the bolts first, but failing that take it off and replace or make a gasket.
it will need bleeding afterwards so take care.
anyone good with the lushy thingys put up an exploded view of this side of the engine please im off to bed

http://lushprojects.com/bongopartsmk2/c ... mgno=.html

Hi
I think the part you have in your photo is 13-546 shown here...turbo coolant pipe:
http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... o=.html#19
Cheers
Helen

Northern Bongolow wrote:someone shoot me down again but isnt that the oil cooler that bolts on to the side of the block itself, it is a large casting with a load of bolts around its edge that holds it to the block using a gasket, try just tightening up the bolts first, but failing that take it off and replace or make a gasket.
it will need bleeding afterwards so take care.
anyone good with the lushy thingys put up an exploded view of this side of the engine please im off to bed

Hi Ady,I always thought that an oil cooler, cooled oil,why should it leak water.

Cheers..

Hi
I must admit that that piccie shows a bit orangey-brown like dried oil in the flash from the camera, so it could be either oil OR water...Waiting with bated breath
Cheers
Helen

maxheadroom wrote:

Northern Bongolow wrote:someone shoot me down again but isnt that the oil cooler that bolts on to the side of the block itself, it is a large casting with a load of bolts around its edge that holds it to the block using a gasket, try just tightening up the bolts first, but failing that take it off and replace or make a gasket.
it will need bleeding afterwards so take care.
anyone good with the lushy thingys put up an exploded view of this side of the engine please im off to bed

http://lushprojects.com/bongopartsmk2/c ... mgno=.html

big kiss when i see you mate .

rita, i have never been in there but i thought/hoped the link above would show that it was the oil cooler and that the way it cools the the oil is that it is fitted into the water jacket at the side of the engine.
to me, it would appear that the coolant is leaking at the gasket, that would be easy to fix, more worrying would be oil in the coolant, that would point to corrosion internally as the 2 systems shouldnt actually be in direct contact.
check whats leaking, is it coolant, or oil or both would be a good indicator.

Hi Nippon Tuck,

A strong possibility is a leaking Core Plug.

Cheers.

Northern Bongolow wrote:

maxheadroom wrote:

Northern Bongolow wrote:someone shoot me down again but isnt that the oil cooler that bolts on to the side of the block itself, it is a large casting with a load of bolts around its edge that holds it to the block using a gasket, try just tightening up the bolts first, but failing that take it off and replace or make a gasket.
it will need bleeding afterwards so take care.
anyone good with the lushy thingys put up an exploded view of this side of the engine please im off to bed

http://lushprojects.com/bongopartsmk2/c ... mgno=.html

big kiss when i see you mate .

rita, i have never been in there but i thought/hoped the link above would show that it was the oil cooler and that the way it cools the the oil is that it is fitted into the water jacket at the side of the engine.
to me, it would appear that the coolant is leaking at the gasket, that would be easy to fix, more worrying would be oil in the coolant, that would point to corrosion internally as the 2 systems shouldnt actually be in direct contact.
check whats leaking, is it coolant, or oil or both would be a good indicator.

Agree with Ady,just wanto to say its a pain in the backside, as turbo/alternator/filter etc all has to come off, i've seen a couple of them crack along the top edge, no idea why?

Julian