NOOOOO $$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!!! :(:(:(

Drivers have them as standard though don't they?? I'm sure mine has although it's an 1.8.

4.5k on a conversion and something as simple as a bit of wiring would have probably warned you before it was too late

I think (and i may be wrong!) the rad isn't sufficient for track use. It's okay on the road as you'll probably run out of road or come up to some cars on the street before the rad effiency played a factor.

The track is a different matter as it's flat out everywhere for longer periods of time, You had no warning that the water level had gone down as the sensor wasn't pluged up but you did notice the temp gauge was higher than normal but you'd been told this was a normal place for it to be.

Gutted for you mate, get the water level sensor wired in for piece of mind


Edited by: royalblue8vgti

 

So Rich, how much are you looking at to have it all sorted? Have they quoted you yet?

 

royalblue8vgti :

Drivers dont have the coolant bottle sesnro, jus the gti's, i've had both 1.6 and 1.8 drivers, neither had it


I suspect the light coming on would have been too late anyway, i'd tend to go with goldens idea that the gasket blew and pressurised the system and burst the expansion tank.

 

er...but the rad fan didn't work when he pulled over, so at a standstill the car was just getting hotter and hotter. You had to then hardwire the Rad Fan in a hurry, but you missed the boat as the headgasket had already blow due to overheating.

This then caused the expansion tank to leak badly, but by then , most of the coolant had p1ssed out anyway.

So the cause IS the fact the rad fan was not activated, so the temp switch must have been faulty.

Oh dear

 

Bad News, but may as well make the use of the bad situation and upgrade the head with a bit of P&Ping.

 

If Rich was loosing coolant from the day he got the conversion;

...would that not mean if the expansion tank was leaking, it could have caused/aided the headgasket failure?

If not, what could cause the H/G to go pop?

 

Welcome to my world!

Every time you uprate something you place more strain on something else. Expense after expense after expense.

 

Ah, missed the leaking coolant post.

 

The power output of the engine is higher than standard/ the size of the radiator is smaller than standard.

This may have something to do with it.

 

So I guess now it's happened, there's no way to prove what was actually the main cause?

 

Completeing ignoring the respective radiators efficiencies of course and just going picture size

 

I think it plays a big part in what happened aswell. Twin fans along with a Corrado VR rad would be a good way to go;

But saying that, Rich said it was a G60 rad, which would surely be up to the job. At the end of the day, if the coolant is leaking from another part i.e. expansion tank and it's taken on track, it doesn't really matter what size rad you have. - It was waiting to happen.
Edited by: Russ_JDUB

 

They've put in as bigger intercooler in there as possible (probably to get good BHP figures!!) which has left limited room for the rad.

Doesn't the standard set up use two intercoolers, one either side of the rad to allow maximum cool airflow through the rad?? Once the intercooler warms up on riches set up the airflow before the rad heats up as well!
Edited by: royalblue8vgti

 

Rich - what kind of oil and water temps have you been recording?

 

So, large intercooler in front on too small rad + water leak + caining it round a track= cooked engine??

 

On a single lamp front end, it's possible to fit bigger intercoolers:- Merc Sprinter for example:

 

I'd say that it looks as though a number of things were the cause yes. We'll never know for sure though.

Hope it's sorted soon Rich.

 

Which then allows a wider rad to be used??

 

The leaking header tank doen't necessarly mean it was cause, all we can know for definite is that it was a known weak point.

Edited by: Golden

 

How about, there was always a porblem with the gasket, it was causing leaking coolant from the start, and the trackday caused the gasket to fail at the weakpoint, killing the expansion tank aswell