Hi all
Simply: the old beastie's temp guage hit red, 1 mile from home. I limped her back, coasting down a large hill to get the temp down a bit. I left it for an hour to cool down (me, not the car, I craped my self!!!) and then I had a look at the engine bay, there was watery, rusty looking oil all over the rear , right hand side of the engine bay.
I looks like it has dumped its oil out of the coolant filler tank!!! By the look of the oil spread, it looks like oil and water mixed somewhere, the engine over heated and forced the mixture out of the coolant filler cap all over that part of the engine bay.
Assuming that the head gasket has blown and hoping that the head is not warped ( I tried to keep it as cool as posible, honest guv), I started taking the head area apart. Once the cam covers were off I could see the cams.
Now, I was expecting to see the same kinda gunk all over the cams that I have all over my engine bay. But, no. The cams look relativly perfect. The oil is clean and pretty nice. It all looks as it should be.
So, before I forge ahead removing the head, could there be another reason, other then the head gasket, for the oil and water mix coming out of the coolant filler cap? I dont understand how the crappy oil an water mix is not on the cams, but it is in the coolant system. Surely after a mile or so, the water and oil mix would be everywhere in the engine and coolant system.
So, can anyone throw any light on this before I get cracking on the head?
Cheers AC