Bongo Fury

i have tried everything, new rad new waterpump and thermostat but my bongo keeps loosing coolant and randomly overheating.
i'm guessing the head gasket is gone or the head cracked as the expansion tank bubbles when it gets hot.
has anyone done this themselves and do they have any tips for replacing the gasket. obviously i'm gonna have to have the head crack tested.

It could be one of many things. As this is the first time you have posted on this forum, please read the following before some of the old lags start shouting at you:

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... php?t=6857

If still in difficulties, get back to us.

HEADLINE

"OLD LAGS INSULTED BY BONGOMEISTER"

Must be worth at least a years free membership in these days of compensation claims!!!

Hang on Nurse. Let's not get in to that. The poor chaps gota problem. Let's get that resolved before we discuss going to The Hague. This is the Techie section.

OK Ian - you are forgiven by me (don't know about the old lags though!!)

i have just finished the long list.
i think i'v gone through all the bleeding several times tried a new thermostat and w/pump as it was leaking although i suspect the leaky water pump was a result of the bongo keep loosing water.
i just cant get it to keep water in the pressure in the pipes just seems to increase until it spits water out the expansion bottle.
i have done lots of major engine rebuilds on old triumphs so i suppose its about time i got to grips with this jap marvel.
i'm hoping the head gasket is the problem but the head may be the problem has anyone tried one of the new heads advertised on ebay.
£300 seems very cheap for a new casting.

Hi redalan1971

Doesn't sound too promising, does it?
I'm sure you won't have to wait too long before an experienced person replies.
In the meantime, can you give details of the circumstances when it overheats ? Is it all the time or just when driven hard? Is it throwing water out before you would have expected the engine to be hot? Any details you can give will help to narrow it down.

it just seems to spit out water when warming up and takes an age to circulate. the rear heater always works but the front one will only work after a lot of hose squeezing but then when it does work all is well for a short while then it stops working again and the overheating starts. it just seems to be pressurising the whole cooling system 4 no apparent reason.

Hi redalan1971
If it's building up enough pressure to chuck water out before the engine is hot, it really does sound like the head or head gasket is letting combustion gases into the cooling system.
Is there any sign of water in the oil?
I have only just got my Bongo, so have no specific experience of this - similar things have happened to me, with other vehicles, and it was the head gasket in each case.

I had similar symptoms I was told that head was cracked or gasket had gone, turned out to be cooling system was full of crud, did a thorough flush of system, refilled with good quality coolant, and thoroughly bled, no problems for 10 months was an airlock in the system that kept pressurising the system and coolant bubbling into expansion bottle. I hope you resolve the problem soon and at low cost

peter humphrey wrote:I had similar symptoms I was told that head was cracked or gasket had gone, turned out to be cooling system was full of crud, did a thorough flush of system, refilled with good quality coolant, and thoroughly bled, no problems for 10 months was an airlock in the system that kept pressurising the system and coolant bubbling into expansion bottle.

Definitely the first thing to do, cheapest too