Well i think the heads gone..!!
 

A few weeks back the engine suddenly over heated,
so a new water pump and cambelt ensued, this was due to no heaters and seemed no water flow..

now a few weeks or so later, runs fine does not over heat, runs fine, on tick over temp was under half, i released a bit of trapped air the other week too, but been fine, yet only doing short journeys 15 mile maximum.

then other day the missus went out, and she doesn't bring the turbo in a very OAP driver..
did a journey of 10 to 15 mile then parked up and the top rad hose exploded..!!

i've changed the top hose, re filled the system and now a creamy froth is coming out the header/filler, but not a lot, just a bit so i'm looking like the head has just gone ??

it was supposedly rebuilt by a clinic somewhere so surely if the job was good enough it shouldn't have blown again ??
i always warm it up and cool it down, and being near 40 year old i don't rag my cars about like a chav..!!

so are we saying heads gone ??
what prices are we looking at ??

it's a V2 STI close deck engine..1996..

i've done 1400 mile in a year so it's not used regular..

any recommendations for a rebuild if it's needed, or is it time to sell ???

to say i'm p!ssed is an understatement..

id get the enige rebuilt but thats if you have a spare few grand handy , give engine tuner a call

Sounds like head gasket mate. Not cheap but you could get it done for about 500 quid i would say.

500 quid would be far to cheap it cost about 100 to get the heads skimed then gaskets and then labour more like 900-1100 , but you owuld also want to strip the block down and check and replace the bottom end bearings for good practice

^^^^ What he said.

If the head gasket goes, the bottom end often follows.

And since the engine has to come out, it's false economy NOT to replace stuff like bearings, water pump, etc etc.

turst me ive been there with replacing head and not doing the bottom end all it all end in tears luck for me the company i used sorted me out with free labour so it only cost me a new cranks and bearings as my rods and pistons and block was all good

well this is the dilema..

do i get the heads done on the cheap £500 or less and then sell once done ??
seen a guy on eblag doing head and polishing, skimming etc for £500 12 months guarantee and 12000 miles. he can even do the clutch at no extra cost if you supply, in fact will change what ever bits free if you supply or at cost..

or spend the dough, get it done and keep it ??
but at £1.40 a litre and only doing upto 1500 miles a year is it worth it ??

bear in mid the engine was rebuilt only a couple of years ago by a well known
clinic so should have had all the major bits done if they're as good as they make out, but then the head shouldn't have gone so fast surely ??

i don't know what to do, i'm thinking more cheapo get it done job and palm it off to someone else and buy something different..

How much do you "love" the car - with respect to ever higher fuel prices/motor ins.?

If not bothered, get just the heads done and flog on.

If you "hanker" after her, then do it properly and keep.

Only YOU can answer that Q honestly.

this is it, every time i go out in it i smile, and i know i could get better, but i bought it because i wanted it, it's what i wanted simple, so to get rid would be a shame,
but the cost's and cons out weigh the pros with this one..

to get rid would be a shame, but after all i've had one i've had my fun, and i could use the money to buy something else and have another fastasy...

oh well we'll see..!!

ok it's been 24 hours since i replaced the pipe,
so went out tonight, removed the cap from the header, and it sucked air in, the top hose was flat like the air had been sucked out..or water..!!

started it up, seemed fine, got to temp pretty quick, heater nice and warm, never over heated..
some sludge from the header, only when it's revved, on fast idle and tick over fine, but the water was over flowing after i re filled it, on revving the water level went down, but release the revs and water level came back and started to over flow again..
the water only had a bit of froth, and not oil in the water type sludge, it's litterally just a head of froth, once that had overflowed from the header tank it was good clean fluids, untill i revved it then a bit more froth came out...

so could i have a slight oil to water leak ?? are we still saying the heads ???
it starts, no smoke, nothing different it the way it starts or ticks over or even revs,

i'm wondering if when the pump was changed there's oil got into the water ??
and the new top hose had sludge in it ??

i'm trying to tell myself it's not the head...

what you all think...
and while we're at it, recommendations for the heads to be done local to nottingham ???
what about wow motorsport on ebay at £555 all in ???

id stay away from ebay dude

i'm thinking that, based in leicester wow automotive sorry, sends pictures of your engine, stamps with your reg, does all the right stuff, but never heard of them...

anyone else ??