Mayonnaise

[hengti 2]

Right

 

A little bit of background -

I'm running a long suffering std 1.9 which has recently had its head gasket changed. It's been running hot ever since and I've been through the full list of usual supsects. My last hope was the fuelling; it's running weak (re. plugs) and I thought that, if I could get a bit more colour into them, it might help with the fact that the engine comes up to temp v quickly.

 

I've been fiddling all afternoon (following Rob the Sparkies' advice) but have decided that I'm not really getting anywhere with it.

 

What's worrying me now is that, after checking the oil filler cap, there always seems to be mayo in it ...

I've been running it around off and on for a couple of hours now, and have done a final run down the motorway for a good 3ml; I pulled off and lifted the filler cap off (with engine still running) to see a fair amount of water in the gauze of the cap - I tapped quite alot out of it.

 

Now, the odd thing is that, since having the HG changed, I've been keeping an eye on the water level - and it isn't going down at all.

 

Is there anything else that could account for this? I just don't get where all this water can be coming from if the coolant level isn't going down...

 

I paid a small fortune for the HG work (done Nov 05) and have been back to the garage with it before now as I wasn't happy with temps - but I've been assured it's OK.

 

Is this a definate sign that it's still fecked? What else could be going on?

 

Any advice would really be appreciated - this is driving me mad!

 

Thanks

Henry

[Guest yaztromo]

Firstly make sure all your breathers arent blocked.

 

My 1.9 has huge amounts of mayonaise in the filler and the water level never goes down. It's been running happily like this for ages so I wouldnt stress too much. I just put it down to condensation in the pipes mixing with the oil.

[hengti 2]

Thanks

 

I've thought about the breathers and will check they're all clear - but it doesn't account for where the water is coming from - ?

I'd have thought it can't be condensation as the engine is *well* up to temperature - ?

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

Definately take the breathers off & clean them out.

 

If this didn't get done with the head gasket, you'll have a build up of mayo already in there & it won't clear itself out.

 

You will get a certain amount of mayo anyway even if the car does 20+ mile journeys every time its run imo but keep an eye on it & clean them out when it starts to build up noticably again.

 

Graham.

[hengti 2]

Cheers guys

 

I've taken the breathers off and checked them (pipes were OK); also took the throttle body off and cleaned that up properly.

 

The breather hole in the throttle body is *tiny* - like a pin prick. There was only a thin coating of gunk over it, but I think it must have been enough to cover it over. What a crappy design!

 

I'm still getting mayo, but I think this must be because the gauze in the cap retains alot more water than I'd previously thought - hopefully it'll clear after a few more good runs.

 

Now for the *really* wierd bit ..... the car is now running at correct temperatures!!!!

It takes what I'd consider a normal period of time to come up to temp, and runs at a normal temp too!!

It's fairly cold out at the mo, but, until I'd done this job, it'd always come up to temp (bar 4) really quickly - even in the cold.

It's now taking it's time to come up to the third bar, and pretty much staying there unless I give it a work out.

Can't believe it!! I've been fretting about this for months!

 

Is there any logic in the oil breather circuit helping with cooler running, as I can't get my head around it?!

[205007 12]

throw that gauze away mate its not needed at all

[hengti 2]

throw that gauze away mate its not needed at all

 

 

I thought about this, but decided it's probably there for a reason

I'm guessing that the logic is that the gauze is there to try and hold the condensation/mayo to avoid too much of it dropping straight down into the sump and speeding up oil degredation

am I right?

Edited February 18, 2006 by hengti

[205007 12]

probably to a certain extent

but in the grand scheme of things mate its pretty useless and the car will breathe better without it

[888rmb 6]

I think the amount of Mayo you get is more to do with the ambient temps outside rather than the temp the car gets up to.

I've had XU engined 205s and 405s that fill up with mayo in the winter, and neither had a HG problem.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

I thought about this, but decided it's probably there for a reason

I'm guessing that the logic is that the gauze is there to try and hold the condensation/mayo to avoid too much of it dropping straight down into the sump and speeding up oil degredation

am I right?

It is there for almost this exact reason imo, the downside being that it holds the moisture, rusts out eventually over time & breaks up falling down through the breather system & into the sump for the oil pump to collect in its strainer.

 

Usually far better without it but if you want one (or something similar) in there get a stainless pan scrub from a supermarket & stuff that in instead.

 

There is also another gauze which does the exact same thing in the filler neck around the outside of the inner plastic funnel, I remove this as well.

 

Graham.

[hengti 2]

gauze removed

 

anyone any ideas about why clearing the breather system through has apparently helped with engine temps though?

[205007 12]

its a bit like tunes

 

your car is breathing easier and doest have to work as hard to propel you around at warp speed!

[Rob_the_Sparky 9]

No idea, and yes that breather hole in the TB is a crappy design, 2 oout of 3 cars I've had have had that blocked!

[hengti 2]

mystery over

 

the car now seems to be back to running about as hot as it was previously

 

I was *sure* it was running cooler when I'd fiddled though

mebbe it was the free-er running weekend traffic that was helping things

 

onwards! it shall not beat me!

[Guest bernieslaven]

mystery over

 

the car now seems to be back to running about as hot as it was previously

 

I was *sure* it was running cooler when I'd fiddled though

mebbe it was the free-er running weekend traffic that was helping things

 

onwards! it shall not beat me!

 

 

How easy was it to dismantle and clean the throttle body then? Very keen but amateur mechanic, my work to date has been o change an exhaust from manifold to back box, clutch cable change, brake discs/pads change, and not much else!!

 

Any hints would be cool - am buying a new '89 1.9 205GTi on Wednesday and may attempt a T/B clean.

 

Cheers

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

How easy was it to dismantle and clean the throttle body then?

Not very hard at all, easier imo than changing an exhaust.

 

Three nuts hold the throttle body on the inlet manifold & uless you really want to do a thorough job of it you needn't take it off the inlet anyway.

 

The rest is just a matter of loosening the jubilee clips & removing the hoses connecting everything together.

 

Clean it all out & put it back together with the plugs reconnected that you removed & thats about it.

 

Graham.

[Gtiracer 0]

Is this pin prick breather hole fou8nd on the mi16 engine - if so, can someone point out whereabouts it is to me on a picture please, im gettiung mayo and gunk and what possibly looks like quite merky water in my header tank so im getting worried about a headgasket going, should i be concerned, i will take pics later today but theres no water in the oil yet thankfully

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

There is also another guase which does the exact same thing in the filler neck around the outside of the inner plastic funnel, I remove this as well.

 

Graham.

 

 

 

how do you remove this, iv tryed all ways to get to t and failed, does the plastic tube on the inside just slide out???

[steve@cornwall 100]

throw that gauze away mate its not needed at all

 

I used to throw the gauze away, but after getting a small irregular missfire when driving at 30 mph I found the condensation was finding its way into the inlet tract via the larger vent pipe in the cap. 5 quid at halfrauds for a new cap and problem solved.An average days driving has 8 journeys of between 2-3 miles, so lots of warm up / cool down during the day = much condensation

[lagonda 42]

how do you remove this, iv tryed all ways to get to t and failed, does the plastic tube on the inside just slide out???

 

Yes, it doesn't look like it'll move, but it does. Use a screwdriver handle or similar, pushing from the bottom pipe upwards. You'll probably find the gauze solid with crap & rust. I've replaced these with pan scourers which hopefully won't corrode. I think their purpose is to be a flame trap!

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

Yes, it doesn't look like it'll move, but it does. Use a screwdriver handle or similar, pushing from the bottom pipe upwards. You'll probably find the gauze solid with crap & rust. I've replaced these with pan scourers which hopefully won't corrode. I think their purpose is to be a flame trap!

ahh excelent il give that a go on tuesday, im sure my mam has some `spare` pan scrubs