How safe (or not) is it to do this

[Bouncer]

Driving daily (sedately no boost) with a blown h/g and topping water up every 2nd day, I friend said don't as I'm still doing damage, is this right, the temp sits normal...just wondered

[Jay762]

if the head has been warped in the process you are just making things worse as the fitting is not true which means it could move causing even more damage as metal meets metal  - the temperature is from the coolant in the radiator that will not give you much of an indication as to what is happening to the rest of your engine

 

my advice would be not to drive it - sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear

[Bouncer]

That's true, thing is, I wouldn't know how bad it was till it's off

[stants]

I would catch the bus.

My brother's h/g went on his punto drove it for a week before he knew any different (he's. Rebuilt it for him inc head skim all new bolts etc, lasted about a week before it blew the bottom end apart, a load of rubbish had made its way into the bottom during the week he used it

[Bouncer]

I asked someone that works with these engines and said there's no overheating, no mayo ect, they said it in that case it would be fine, but if it's been overhearing (it hasn't, well started creeping a few weeks ago but not right in the red)

[Miggs]

If your gasket goes and you know as soon as it's gone I'd say drive it home and fix it with just a new gasket and bolts, if you don't know when it went I would get the head skimmed as the more you drive it the hotter it will get regardless of water temp or level, the heat will then warp the head or even worse cracking the head, if you've been driving it since it went I'd get it cracking tested and skimmed when it's off

[Gambit]

I agree with the other comment's and have nothing to add :)

[Bouncer]

I know, I'm only saying what I was told from someone that works with them

[Jay762]

I know, I'm only saying what I was told from someone that works with them

 

will he buy it off you?

[Miggs]

Yeh, has he offered to do the work? I'd be thinking he might be trying to get it more damaged to be able to charge you more for the work

[Bouncer]

Why, when it goes bang after a rebuild you mean

[Jay762]

its very easy to say yes do something when you don't have to live with the consequences - if you drive it and end up causing more damage is he going to take accept any responsibility for it? - I would wager not.

[Miggs]

No if he's telling you its fine to drive it now, would he buy it off you knowing you've been driving it with a knackered head gasket

Or as he works with them, at the moment it's about 2-300 to fix it, when the heads warped or cracked you may as well double that, and the labour is going to double too, if he's going to be fixing it then he will be able to make more money from you the more damage that's done

[Bouncer]

Sorry, I see what you mean, I would like to think he wasn't like that by don't know, see what happens I don't know

[Miggs]

It might just be me, I've been burned by garages before so I'm very dubious

[Jay762]

It might just be me, I've been burned by garages before so I'm very dubious

 

me to

[Gambit]

Burnt once myself water pump ended up costing me £1,200 never used him since. :(

[Bouncer]

me to

And me...hence using the 2 I stick to, one's mobile, used the first four 14 yrs and 2nd about 3

[savage bulldogs]

Id only drive it If you're gonna eventually scrap the engine (fit another one)and can afford the breakdown recovery (aa member ) as it sounds to me like the head gasket has blown between water and cylinders , which could lead to heat cracking /pitting the head or blowing from water to oil as well .which would fubar the bottom end due to water and oil mixing without you knowing untill you go to top it up.

[Bouncer]

If that's the case though why is there no mayo anywhere, or is that not always the case

[savage bulldogs]

You'd only get mayo when it blows between water and oil (which I don't think it has yet) but if it does while you're on a journey by the time you check it the mayo might have fubar'd the bottom end