Pre91 1.6 With Dropped Liner, Terminal?

[Hugh_ 0]

Evening all. I've got a half share in a 1.6 gti we bought as a trackday car with a known gearbox problem. It's sat in a barn for a couple of months and today was going to be the day of the gearbox swap.

 

It started fine and drove the half mile to the workshop, on getting there noticed the exhaust was a bit steamy. Checked the coolant, no coolant, topped it up and it quickly disappeared again, and no puddles under the car. The oil resembles mayonnaise so all was not looking well.

 

We've pulled the engine and box out and will either replace it or fix it.

 

The coolant level fell almost as fast as it was poured in which leads me to think its dropped a liner. Are the liners/seals replaceabled/available or is it new engine time?

 

Thanks

Hugh

[dcc 855]

sounds like a liner seat. To be honest for the price of a decent replacement, I wouldn't even bother with trying to fix it.

 

You can get the liner seals (about £1 each from a decent engine merchant).

 

likely to have more issues trying to seal it though.

 

meant to read 'replacement engine'

[rallysteve 22]

If its a liner seal then the coolant will be filling the sump. Are you sure its not coming out somewhere?

Steve

[Hugh_ 0]

If its a liner seal then the coolant will be filling the sump. Are you sure its not coming out somewhere?

Steve

 

Yep I'm sure, we dropped the oil and got 1l of water and the rest looked like this

 

Edited May 14, 2012 by Hugh_

[rallysteve 22]

That pretty much confirms that its at least one of the liner seals then

[kyepan 291]

Not terminal,not yet anyway, try whipping the sump off and topping it back up, if it's a liner seal and is emptying as fast as you say a leak should be visible.

 

Then you know if it's a massively gone head gasket or a liner seat.

 

The liners (I have been told) do tend to sink on one side, the thrust side I believe.

 

A good engineer will be ablem to deck the block and recut the liner seats, then get the liners topped. All is possible but that work would probably cost in the order of 150-200. You could up the compression a bit whilst your at it by cutting the deck flush with the piston tops... And it will go like a firecracker.

 

However as said previously, a replacement unit would be much cheaper and quicker.