1.6 head, skimmed

[whitetop]

Hi

would anyone need a 1.6 head, only skimmed top/bottom, brought it for my 1.4 but was told it would take up more petrol if i fitted it.

Would swap for a 1.4 head skimmed as i'm getting too much coolant loss so need to get it done.

[JOHNDQ]

Who said that the 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 heads are the same as long as now the really early low port version which is very unlikely

[whitetop]

Not sure what you said there mate!

I was told by a ex rover worker that the 1.6 head is more open or something and that when doing my head gasket i should just leaving the gasket and flush that engine gasket fixer in.

He said he put it in his zs and is only getting coolant loss but power is still there. also that due to that open comment that the petrol would go a lot quicker as its more open, so that is why i should not use a 1.6 head on a 1.4 engine.

[JOHNDQ]

Sounds to me (at a guess) the gasket hasn't sealed for some reason and he's blamed the head for some reason. If you look on Rimmer Brothers site you'll see the same part number for all non vvc head castings and the same head gasket is used from 1.4-1.8vvc engines. If there was any difference's then the gaskets would have to be different

[JOHNDQ]

Easiest way to confirm why not check the casting number from your cylinder head to the number on the 1.6 one

[Evil C]

The bloke's an idiot. All the later heads as used on the 25/45/ZR/ZS and Streetwise are identical apart from the VVC head.

If he advised you to use K-Seal or something similar, he's a double idiot. No coolant system sealant is going to be reliably successful with the original SLS/elastomer head gasket - they fail due to degradation of the elastomer beading (usually due to excessive heat, often localised within the engine) - the beading becomes unbonded from the stainless shim and can then move and allow coolant past it into the oil galleries (or oil from the high pressure galleries at the cam belt end to get into the coolant). The sealant is only likely to provide a seal until the elastomer bead decides to move again.

If oil has got into the coolant, not only will the sealant not seal very well (it is designed to be carried into the leak with escaping coolant to seal it, but oil being pushed into the coolant passageways will constantly push the sealant back out again before it can seal the gap), but the sealant will mix with the emulsified oil in the coolant system and form an almost irremovable sludge which can end up covering the internal pipes and passageways, possibly blocking them, or blocking the radiator. I am currently battling with just such a deposit on a 1.4 ZR which has had one of these 'miracle' sealants used in it - the sludge was several millimetres thich all over the inside of all the pipes and parts that I have had apart, and even after several flushes with a strong mix of dishwasher detergent, there is still a fair bit in there still to get out. I strongly suspect that at least part of the radiator core is still clogged up.

If it was me, I would change the gasket

[whitetop]

Sounds to me (at a guess) the gasket hasn't sealed for some reason and he's blamed the head for some reason. If you look on Rimmer Brothers site you'll see the same part number for all non vvc head castings and the same head gasket is used from 1.4-1.8vvc engines. If there was any difference's then the gaskets would have to be different

i read up before buying the head that a 1.6 would fit and are just the same really, so i got it as i need to get my head done real soon.

I think he is to be honest but he goes to that Summit Garage all the time has his mates with that dave and mike.

I never read about the use of more petrol thing and it rang alarm bells of worry as this is the last thing i really need is to spend more money on the car.