Important! : Please Help! Has my head gasket gone

1. Old_Bean L-plater Joined: Nov 2008 Aylesbury Posts: 66 2002 Impreza STi Prodrive Misses Clean Black VTR

   #1 8th November 2010, 22:42

   I recently had a blowing coming from the flange where the downpipe meets the manifold so i replaced the gasket. The problem I had was when I accelerated you could hear the blow and feel a lack of performance.
   
   The car felt like it was trying to to give it some and sounded like it but the speed seemed limited in every gear. This seems to be the same issue with the new gasket and no blowing
   
   I read on here someone had a poor fitting downpipe and somehow resulted in something warping and the head gasket going.
   
   Can anyone please help as I'm well and truely stuck I thought the gasket would solve my problems but seems not
2. user_36974 Frequent Poster Joined: Aug 2009 Manchester Posts: 570 Mercury Grey VT?

   #2 8th November 2010, 22:45

   check for the usual Head Gasket symptoms like mayo under the oil filler cap, white smoke or gunky coolant. should give you an idea.
3. Old_Bean L-plater Joined: Nov 2008 Aylesbury Posts: 66 2002 Impreza STi Prodrive Misses Clean Black VTR

   #3 8th November 2010, 22:51

   Thanks Dazza.
   
   Here's what got me thinking about it
   
   http://www.saxperience.com/forum/sho...light=downpipe
   
   The bogging seems similar so does the noise to a certain degree
4. Old_Bean L-plater Joined: Nov 2008 Aylesbury Posts: 66 2002 Impreza STi Prodrive Misses Clean Black VTR

   #4 8th November 2010, 22:51

   oh and no overheating light
5. user_36974 Frequent Poster Joined: Aug 2009 Manchester Posts: 570 Mercury Grey VT?

   #5 8th November 2010, 23:00

   Quote:

   Originally Posted by Old_Bean Thanks Dazza. Here's what got me thinking about it http://www.saxperience.com/forum/sho...light=downpipe The bogging seems similar so does the noise to a certain degree

   it could be the HG. you should spot one of them symptoms though if it is. loss of coolant is another.
6. JAMason Infrequent Poster Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 132

   #6 8th November 2010, 23:13

   Could be a couple of things really. Check the usual head gasket stuff, Mayo like gunk under the oil cap and Loss of coolant like all mentioned, but have you thought about checking for an air leak around the inlet manifold. I had one on my Rallye, loss of power between 3000-4000 rpm, felt like it wanted to pull hard but it just couldn't! It needed a new gasket on the throttle body! Give it a look.
   Jack
7. Old_Bean L-plater Joined: Nov 2008 Aylesbury Posts: 66 2002 Impreza STi Prodrive Misses Clean Black VTR

   #7 8th November 2010, 23:17

   Good shout Jack. It does just that to avoid putting the strain on it I have to accelerate slowly and normally in a higher gear to keep revs down. Anything but that HG is what I'm hoping for.
   
   I'll check all this out tomorrow
8. Old_Bean L-plater Joined: Nov 2008 Aylesbury Posts: 66 2002 Impreza STi Prodrive Misses Clean Black VTR

   #8 9th November 2010, 07:10

   Quote:

   Originally Posted by JAMason checking for an air leak around the inlet manifold. It needed a new gasket on the throttle body

   Will it be an obvious blowing around the throttle body housing?
9. Old_Bean L-plater Joined: Nov 2008 Aylesbury Posts: 66 2002 Impreza STi Prodrive Misses Clean Black VTR

   #9 10th November 2010, 19:03

   No Mayo substance under the filler cap and no gunky coolant although I couldn't see exactly how much coolant was in there as you can hardly see through the reseveior so I topped it up and it slightly overflowed so I gather there was something in there to start. I did Drain the excess coolant off
10. marc24 Infrequent Poster Joined: Nov 2010 sunderland Posts: 161 Citoren Saxo 1.4 Furio Chipped

    #10 10th November 2010, 19:16

    Does your blowers bloww hot air when engine idling or only when revs on??
11. Old_Bean L-plater Joined: Nov 2008 Aylesbury Posts: 66 2002 Impreza STi Prodrive Misses Clean Black VTR

    #11 10th November 2010, 21:30

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by marc24 Does your blowers bloww hot air when engine idling or only when revs on??

    I haven't tried tbh but don't think there's problems with it getting hot
12. marc24 Infrequent Poster Joined: Nov 2010 sunderland Posts: 161 Citoren Saxo 1.4 Furio Chipped

    #12 10th November 2010, 21:35

    if it blows cold but blows hot when revs on i think it be water pump.
    Also does the expansion bottle fill to the brim?
13. Old_Bean L-plater Joined: Nov 2008 Aylesbury Posts: 66 2002 Impreza STi Prodrive Misses Clean Black VTR

    #13 10th November 2010, 21:56

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by marc24 if it blows cold but blows hot when revs on i think it be water pump. Also does the expansion bottle fill to the brim?

    It's near impossible to see the water level in it but had the car warmed up and from what i could make out it was full couldn't see if it was to the brim