Rover 200 (Another HGF Thread)

Simian

Simian

Simian

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Having bought a 214Si (1996 P Reg Bubble) and now seen all the HGF threads arround here for the K16 Engines...

I was wondering (and worrying) How much does something like this cost to replace???... Mine is Fine (I think - Touch wood!!) but I'm a bit of a Mechanical Numpty (Changing the Oil and Sparkplugs is about it!!)... So I'd get a garage to do it for me!...

I just wanna know how much to put to one side for the eventual and (judging by all the threads on here and the MR-Rover forums) Enevitable Failure of the Head Gasket!...

Plus what are the early signs of failure so I can catch it without killing the engine and thus needing a transplant or skimming etc...

Cheers
Sim :)
 
Early signs are temp guage going mental, mayo in the oil filler cap, coolant disappearing from the tank etc.

Don't thrash it from cold.
 
Yup, I need some idea of how much a HGF is gonna cost me too.

I got a Rover Metro on the cheap (£150) in October last year, and it seems that the head gasket has gone (car overheating, etc.)
 
Not really sure how much they cost other than at Rover where I had mine done, which was around £500 :(

Although I had a partially blocked radiator which was replaced and also a coolant pipe replaced as that had corroded.

If you take it to a garage and they do a "proper" job it won't be cheap as the head and the block need to be examined, pressure tested and possibly skimmed if it had warped due to heat. Most of the cost thought on a job like this will be labour as it is time consuming.

Thats why I sold my 214SEi, great cars and a powerful little engine and goes like stick but HGF are just a big let down.

Stu
 
It all depends on how much needs doing, but here is a typical breakdown:

Gasket set = £50
Head Bolts = £25
Oil = £20
Filter = £12
Cambelt + Tensioner = £35
Waterpump = £75
Coolant = £10

So for parts we come to around £225

Now we have the extras:

Head Skim = £30

In most cases unless you catch it early the engine will overheat and the head will warp so that will need doing, so we are looking at £255.

Then you have labour. The Rover book time for this job is 5.5 hours, where I live average labour rate is £50p/h so its a charge of £275.

So total so far is £530.

However, head gasket failures usually have a cause, if you are lucky then its going to be something simple like a leaking coolant tank cap, or one of the things you would replace as a matter of course when taking the head off. But obviously its going to cost you more if something like the radiator goes causing the problem. The radiator for the 200 is around £40 from a factors but obviously its the labour that is the big cost.

If the gasket goes then you should probably budget for around £600 to fix it.

Edit: Early sign of HGF = http://img130.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc001252oe.jpg
 
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If the engine seriously overheats the alloy goes very soft and the head is basicaly scrap as it will never hold another gasket. The inlet manifolds tend to melt as well if they get this hot!

A failing head gasket caught early so the head need no machining can be fixed for the price of the gasket set (£50ish) + labour. The head bolts do not always need replacing, and dealers have been advising independants not to change them at all unless stretched beyond specification.
 
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