Hi all. Been a while since I posted, though I have been reading the threads over the last few months.
So the Pinny started using coolant. Couldn't find any leaks, radiator and cap look good, so I went and had the cooling system pressure tested. Turns out there is either a crack in the head or a blown head gasket. Bummer as the engine only has 140,000 kms on it! (Its a KA24E single cam engine).
The shop threw in a couple of bottles of chemical treatment that apparently works in around 70% of cases to seal up a gasket leak. I will take the car back in a week or so to have the engine and the system flushed and pressure tested again. I am interested to know if anyone has experience with the head leak chemical treatments and how long they last?
If the treatment hasn't worked, it looks like I have a head gasket job to spend a weekend on sometime soon. Anyone here done a head gasket on the KA24E? Any pitfalls to look for?
However, if the problem is actually a cracked head, are there many single cam heads around? The mechanic reckons they can get reco'ed heads for $900 - I was thinking I should be able to get a replacement engine for that! I looked on line for a second hand engine, but there don't seem to be too many around? Mostly the second hand engines are advertised as Navara engines, but aside from some of the ancillary brackets being different, they should be the same engine I am guessing.
Anyway, the joys of keeping old cars on the road with p-plater children serving up the good news to old engines.....!