Has my cylinderhead gone????

[gammy126]

Hi all , I drove home with a leaking rad last week and my temp gauge said it was running above normal but not right up to high.
I put it in the garage as it was dark when i got home. fearing the worst the following day i checked the rad and it was bone dry ( this could be because of any remaining water had dripped out through gravity , or at worst case boiled dry on the way home)?
I checked the dipstick and the oil looks fine no milkiness of water on it, on inspecting the oil filler cap there was a small amount of whiteish grey goo in it , i also ran my finger around the rim of the rocker cover and there was a little goo there as well.
does this mean my head has gone????
Prior to last weekend it had stood still in my garage 4 or 5 weeks.

Im hoping some one will tell me that the goo could be down through normal condensation and all i have to do is add radweld to my radiator to fix the problem.

How do i test if it has gone? , can i fix it myself as a complete novice?, if not will it cost a fortune?.

As always All help advice and comments welcome.

Regards
Alan

[M_Temple]

I doubt your head gasket has gone, but if it has it is not the end of the world. Replacing it is a few hours work with the manual to hand. If you are not confident to do it yourself then any small local garage should be willing and able for a reasonable sum.

Also if you are losing water that quickly then I doubt Radweld is going to fix it - you need a new or another rad.

Mick

[bmcecosse]

As in the other thread nearby - don't mess about with Rad weld - it's fine as a get-you-home, but now you need a new rad - or have yours re-cored. Then fill it up with ant-freeze - and run the engine. It's likely you will be ok - but the major clue when water level is low is that the heater stops working. When that happens - STOP!! You can't rely on water temp gauge - because the sensor becomes uncovered - and doesn't read correctly. If the engine runs ok and at correct temperature - and no bubbles coming up through the water (after the initial filling and topping up) then you have 'got away with it' as far as the gasket is concerned. Of course - the piston rings/pistons may be melted...........

[gammy126]

Thanks for the advice gents.

Much appreciated.

Regards
Alan

[MarkyB]

VERY unlikely the head is damaged, being cast iron it will survive where an aluminium one would be a mess now.
As above with the gasket, if it hasn't gone, buy yourself a lottery ticket as you are on a lucky streak

[simmitc]

Just in case the worst has happened, a new head gasket is about £4.50 to buy. You're unlikely to need any other parts, so it's "just" labour; but quite feasible to do it yourself with a manual and a few tools. Hopefully you won't need to. I would check and possibly replace ALL hoses (top, bottom, bypass, heater).

[gammy126]

Many thanks.