Coolant leaking

[1977Nicky]

I have just had my head gasket replaced (with a second hand one) after it went 4 weeks ago, I have also had a new oil filter, radiator, temp gauge - you name it - put in. However, today (after a week and a half of having it back) I noticed the temperature gauge was rising, when I looked at the coolant level, there was practically none (I had checked last week and it was half full). What should I do? Is a complete nightmare - I got a mate to fix it last time and it cost �460 - would have cost �1000 - �1500 in a garage! Any advice would be much appreciated.

[BillyNoMates]

Are you certain it is the head gasket again ? If it is then there is no alternative other than to carry out the work again - this time with a new gasket kit. Why on earth did you use a second-hand head gasket ?

This is never going to be a guaranteed seal. Surely if you paid for the head to be stripped off, you could have paid for a new gasket set - not necessarily a manufacturers kit but an OEM version.

[1977Nicky]

No I am not certain what it is at all, may be just a leaking hose?!?!? - I haven't got a clue about cars. You'll have to excuse my terminology - it was actually a second hand cylinder head that was put in as the head gasket was too damaged to be skimmed. It would have cost me �660 for a new cylinder head and then the cost of other parts would have basically made it a write off. I have filled the coolant up and am going to go and check in a minute to see how much has leaked. The patch I noticed under my car earlier though seemed to have oil in it - I am guessing this is not a good thing?

[kepla]

Nobody in their right mind would consider using a gasket which had already been used - even if it was originally on the same engine. Lifting off the cylinder head to clean-up the mating surfaces and fitting a new gasket only takes a few hours anyway - maybe up to a day if you give it a decoke and light valve grind while it is off. Might as well while you have the chance. The factor which would bump up the price into hundreds would be if the cylinder head was warped and had to be levelled. This either takes an age to do yourself or costs serious money with an engineering firm. Four hundred pounds or more is well over the top unless you had other things replaced at the same time. Somebody who attempts to wreck your engine by fiting a second-hand gasket can hardly be called a 'mate'. Make sure you understand exactly what parts you paid for and why they had to be replaced. Also make sure that whoever did this work understands that it is up to them to make sure they did it properly. A head job is hardly rocket science - it is only about one step up from basic spanner work. Like they say: If you want a job doing properly . . . . . . .

[1977Nicky]

Ok, you guys are really not making me feel better! The cylinder head was warped - I know that much and it was a second hand cylinder head if that makes any difference?

[jake-the-peg]

Did you have a second hand head fitted after something like a cam belt failure?

As everybody's said it will have been a new gasket.

If it was a second hand head It might have been slightly warped which would give you a failure as you describe.

However if coolant's getting into the cylinders in the amounts you describe you'll see quite a lot of white smoke/steam of if it's getting into the oil you'll see a lot of what looks like mayonaise on the oil filler cap.

Check the cheap things first. Look for any perished or damaged rubber tubes. Run the car unil warm and lift the bonnet - is there any steam from the radiator or any obvious leaks from things like the water pump?

If it is the head and it's warped it'll have to come off again and be sent away to be skimmed and put back together again with another head gasket. I'd expect that to cost a couple of hundred quid or so.

Like I said, check the cheap things first