Less Economical

snipped-for-privacy@googlemail.com gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

No reason why it would be, unless the exhaust was blowing before.

Cam timing might be a tooth out, but the performance would be as flat as a pancake, too.

Did they put a new thermostat in? Might be a lower temp one. Or the old one might have been buggered and not opening properly.

get the garage to double check the cam timing, just in case, almost nothing else is adjustable. if it is running cooler it will be less economical. I would check that the thermostat is fitted and opens at the right temperature as that is the most likely fault. the year and engine type will effect how easy it is to check or fit a new thermostat

Thanks a lot for the replies. Will phone the garage tomorrow.

Ed.

Have you heard an engine with a head gasket blown to the outside world (instead of to another cyclinder or the oil/coolant channels?)

It's louder than a blowing exhaust.

PCPaul gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

I've never heard (or heard of) a blow between combustion chamber and outside. I've had a blow between coolant and outside.

blowing to the outside is rare these days, I haven't seen one for years and years. but poor running can make things seem noisier. especially if it is blowing back through the inlet from adjacent cylinder blow.

Erm... I've had a blow between combustion chamber and outside. Several times. What's coolant, anyway?

the op is talking about a water cooled engine

Indeed. But Adrian's comment wasn't restricted to water cooled engines. Which it should have been, if you look at his email address... :-)

re

Hehehehehe. :)

Actually, to be (slightly) more relevant, I *have* had a blow clean through to the outside on a TU engine - you'd know about it though, there was a trail of mixed steam and smoke for about a mile behind the car.

Ian Dalziel gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

It was, because I've never had an air cooled car with a head gasket even fitted...

My tells me he had a car with no head gasket, water cooled and not even a cylinder head joint.

Any one care to hazard a guess what it was?

True, true. I've got one, though. And blown it.