Blown hg on the 144.
 

Tooling over to the garage approx 7 miles away, just passing the village sign when I spot big steam following me, looking like it comes from the zorst; make it up the hill to Buzz'z place and stop, more steam comes from general area of bonnet. On checking under the hood we can see no obvious lesions so we fill up with 50/50 mix anti-freeze and give it a test run; no probs with short (two and a half miles) run, bleed air from cooling system, decide that the problem must have had something to do with replacing the thermostat last week, you know, trapped air, localised hot spot, high pressure forced the expansion bottle cap, that sort of thing.

Until it came for time to go home. Two miles down the road there's an ominous hissing from the general area of the heater, so I turn the engine off, coast to a halt, nip out and ease the lid off the expansion bottle - no way, jose, too much pressure. Not enough power in (new) battery to crank engine, hope I've not seized it, BLAST BLAST BLAST, BUGGERY BUMOLES AND F*CK!

A-frame back to Cwrtnewydd and left it there, Buzz will try and do a comp test tomorrow, not full of the joys of spring just at the mo.

C.A.

i know how you feel i had an engine electrical fire on my 144 last night. bugger!! not to badly damaged a weekend rewiring should sort it out and replace 2 petrol pipes :sad-smiley-023:

Crikey Sandy, that's bad news, you've hardly had the car five minutes and that happens!

Btw, how goes the search for steel wheels?

Regards, Nick H, West Wales.

crispy 144
 

found 2 sets but im waiting to hear if they are the correct early type . dont worry though you cant keep an old volvo down she should up and running again by sunday!!!!!

You're right, how does the famous old quote go?

If it moves and it shouldn't - gaffer tape.

If it should move and it doesn't - hammer.

If neither of the above you have an electrical problem.

Nick.

toasted volvo
 

that is superb i shall put a roll of gaffer tape and a hammer in my boot tomorrow and i shall be ready for any situation. although i may carry a fire extinguisher as well !!!!!

Bad news about the head gasket. Done any more checking yet?

John

Monday am will be comp.test and hydrocarbons-in-coolant test.

Then we'll know!

C.A.

Right, update.

Malcolm (Buzz) has done a comp check, all cylinders 160 (none too shabby, eh!).

Hydrocarbons in coolant - zilch, zero, nada; bummer.

Result of above tests= head gasket still intact.

So, what caused the big pressurising of the cooling system? Has the water pump failed, the lack of circulation causing localised hotspots resulting in steam pressuring the system?

Scratching our heads a bit now, anybody got constructive suggestions to make?

Nick H.

ovious one take thermo stat back out and check it using the ketel trick