Andrew Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Hello I have very hard hoses that I cannot squeeze after a run in my herald and water being blown out of the radiator ever flow pipe. My question is the high pressure problem pointing to a head gasket issue or could it be a bigger problem with head or block. Any suggestion would be welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Andrew. From overnight cold. Remove rad cap and start engine. If within 10x seconds you have water bubbling out of the rad top then without a doubt the head gasket is faulty. The rationale is that the exhaust gases are seeping in to the water ways of the defective part of the gasket. Try that first - it may save a lot of unnecessary other tests. Out of interest, is the coolant gauge showing higher than normal when out on a run and does the needle rise rapidly when the engine is idling after reaching normal running temp ?? Regards. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Hi Richard Yes the temperature gauge does rise rapidly from cold which surprises me for a cast iron engine and then settles at the hot side of normal do you think I should remove the thermostat. Also my petrol gauge reads incorrect I ran out of fuel when the gauge still showed quarter full. I will run the engine as you suggest to see what happens to see if bubbles show. Would you suggest that when I remove the head to replace the gasket I change the head for an unleaded one Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 with temp and fuel reading high you have a voltage stabiliser failure its fitted on the back of the speedo and feeds both gauges with 10.5volts most engines with the small 3/8"studs suffer from washer deformation this looses torque on the nuts and combustion gasses at high pressure enter the water jacket when running as combustion pressure is vastly more than water jacket pressure,, you may find a misfire on start up if some coolant at low pressure has squeezed into the bore over night. if you pull the head refit with heavy duty nuts and washers from places like canley classics for example http://www.canleyclassics.com/triumph-herald-13/60-engine thermostats that have been overheated generally never work correctly afterwards so always fit a new one, make sure it has the jiggle pin air bleed in the rim or you trap air whilst filling, if no air bleed , just drill a 3 mm hole in the support rim . Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Andrew. Get a cylinder head overhaul gasket set, the washers & bolts (as PL mentions) and the thermostat ALL from Canleys. They are spot on and A1 quality. Do not forget the voltage stabiliser as well. Whilst the head is off, you may / SHOULD consider replacing the metal by-pass tube that runs under the exhaust manifold if your car has one; Canleys again ?? Regards. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 I should have said nuts instead of bolts. With regard to unleaded cylinder head - if you have one ready to fit then go for it. But do not buy especially unless you are looking at uprating the heads performance, which is another chapter !! The standard Triumph head can last for decades with modern fuels and you can always add a lead replacement shot if you so wish. There have been numerous threads on leaded & unleaded heads; but the general consensus is stick with what you have (provided it is sound) and adjust timing to suit your engine etc. Hope that helps ?? Regards. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Andrew. Have a look at this old thread in the cooling section, re the return pipe: GT6 Mk1 Water Return Pipe replacement It's an in depth article which I contributed to when I did my Mk2 Vitesse return pipe. Worth reading, if only as a job in the future - but if you do take the head off I would say do this as well. It's a s/s pipe with a fit & forget result. Regards. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 thats a good call richard, quite agree on the unleaded call, save your £££ till you have to , ignore I just got to get some addative vibes and just buy fuel and use it . 97+ is best now we have you taking the head off ..........Ha! best to remove the studs and with a flat block ( of anything) and some fine wet dry a squirt of oil and clean the dull black deposits off the faces so the new gasket gets a proper grip. can you get a compression test carried out....have or borrow a gauge ??? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted July 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 Hi guys Thank you for your help I now have a plan. I am going to remove the head replace head gasket and if head is not good purchase one from Canleys as you suggest I will also get new nuts and washers and a by pass tube if required. I will post on here when complete or half way through the job when I need some inspiration one again thanks. PS I thought owning a classic was going to be good for me and keep me calm Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 depends what you put in a strong brew to aid the frustrations always say these little cars sit and listen to to you , just to test your emotions keep smiling one day all will be calm and reliable.....it takes a while to unravel hidden problems and previous owner cock ups many find the problem has nothing to do with the solution you apply but every bit of effort brings is followed by the smile when driving Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 In life, Andrew, there is not much that beats the therapeutic hobby of classic cars - whatever they throw our way !! Be worth posting some pics of the head and the gasket when off the car; before splashing out. Advice is always cheaper than new parts !! Herald & Vitesse heads are very resilient (iron in their favour) and it may be cheaper in the long run to have your cylinder worked upon - just a thought. I have attached some pics to inspire you !! The first three are from a head that suffered a cylinder head gasket failure (Sunbeam Alpine - alloy head) and the last is from my Vitesse (iron head) which shows the head having been done properly. Good luck & hope that helps ?? Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 Andrew. You may see something like this on your cyl/head gasket: At the 5 o'clock position you can see a black mark. This is where the gasket has broken down causing it's failure. Right fella, time for the garage and fight with the Vitesse steering pinch bolt !! Regards. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinR Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 Before resorting to changing the head gasket, I'd do a test for combustion gasses in the coolant - most garages have the kit, and you can buy them cheaply on ebay. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Leaking-Cylinder-Head-Gasket-Block-Test-Kit-Detects-Exhaust-Gas-in-Radiator-/221147093962?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item337d64dbca The problem could be something as simple as the water pump bearing seal starting to fail - a small leakage of coolant through the bearing can cause the problem you describe. A new water pump would be cheaper and easier than a head gasket change, so confirm the head gasket leak with the tester before changing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 Kevin. Andrew may be able to detect that with running the engine from cold with the rad cap off - as mentioned in an earlier thread. The coolant will soon bubble up and over. Regards. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 Hello Andrew here thought you would all like an update of my high pressure water problem. Bought a replacement head from Canley classics as I was taking the head of anyway. Found one of the waterways blocked up it could be cleared so perhaps the new head was a bid of an extravagance but you never know before you start the job. Anyway new hard fitted new gaskets fitted and new thermostat fitted. Long road test about 25 miles and all is well no presure in the hosed and the temp gauge is reading smack in the middle. I was dubious when refitting the head as I could not believe one blocked waterway can cause this problem. Hope this information is helpful to anyone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 pleased its sorted , new heads a bit extreme but shes running and your driving thats got to be good. the smiles appearing Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Andrew. That's great news, well done. Did Canley take your old head in exchange ?? If not, it would be worth taking to a garage that can acid clean your old head (which will get rid of the blockage, as well) and then either keep as a spare or more likely sell on. The head will be fit for purpose, look good after the clean + there's always a buyer out there !! Regards. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Hi Richard Yes took my old head back to Canley's for a refund on the old unit. Got to say I like Canley's service. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Yes I agree Andrew, always my first port of call. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagnut66 Posted June 5, 2023 Report Share Posted June 5, 2023 Hi, Out of curiosity, what is the working pressure, in 'Bar', for the heating / coolant system on a Herald? Best wishes, Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted June 5, 2023 Report Share Posted June 5, 2023 Well standard rad cap lifts at about 0.5bar so normal operating is a bit below that but of course variable depending on engine temperature... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted June 6, 2023 Report Share Posted June 6, 2023 That will be correct for Jagnut66, but to be pedantic a 13/60 uses a 13lbs one (0.9bar) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted June 6, 2023 Report Share Posted June 6, 2023 True but of course the normal operating pressure will be about the same as the higher pressure cap just means you can allow the engine to get hotter without it lifting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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