Recon head broken

[Bengley]

So I just had a recon'd head fitted as I had HG failure. Got it on, but I'm losing coolant.

Check all the rad pipes, they're fine. Took it to a garage who put it up on a ramp and said it's the head. The port for the coolant pipe on the back of the head has a hairline crack around it, and leaks substantial amounts of coolant under pressure.

I've paid £485 labour and parts (not including £255 for recon'd head) to have the HG replaced, now Wigan Engine Services LTD are suggesting I take the head off again and send it back to them to determine if it's faulty or not.

So that means I'm going to be without a car again for f. knows how long while I wait for them to do that, send a new head, plus I've got to pay another £485 labour to have the new head fitted.

WTF am I meant to do? Angry is an understatement...

[Ricky]

Did the place that fitted it also recon the head?

[Bengley]

Did the place that fitted it also recon the head?

Nah, I bought it from http://www.wiganengines.com/.

Got a local place to fit it.

[Ricky]

Hmm, I don't know where you would stand if they take it back and accept it was faulty, that should have shown up on a pressure test, surely?

I personally would have taken it to be tested at a local engine shop when you got the head to make sure, but it's too late for that.

[Bengley]

They say they do crack and pressure tests, so it should have shown up there...

[puglove]

Hmmm hard one is that. If they accept its faulty. Fight like f*ck for compension for all the extra money its cost you.

If they dont. Your up the creak without a paddle mate.





But the thing to remember in the future is DT lumps £100 down the scrapper and take half a day to swap out. That way youv only spent £100 and if a year and a half down the line do the same again . Still only costing you £200 total and you 5x better off. Its half the reason i own an xud/306 all the major parts are so cheap and easy. Never really need to buy new/recon parts at £ra*e.99 . The cost of those sort of parts far out way the benefits

[c.gerrard]

Instead of paying the labour, why can't you do it yourself?

[Bengley]

Instead of paying the labour, why can't you do it yourself?

Wouldn't know how to, it's a big job and I don't have the tools or space to do it tbh...

[londondan86]

Mate! What a shitter, I feel really bad now but honestly there were no signs of hg failure when you had it off me. Out of good will I can pick you up a head from the scrappy and get it skimmed and tested for you but it may mean you are without a car for even longer. Up to you though bud, I just feel terrible

[Dan!]

Worth pointing out that this isnt HG related failure, from the sounds of it water is just leaking out of the water port on the back, i.e just a water leak? Which means A. its should be fairly easy to weld the crack up and B. That the HG is fine.

Also, a pressure test at a machine shop usually only tests the pressure of the valves/cylinder area, not the water and oil ways, so this wouldnt have shown up.

Knowing how much that water port/pipe sticks out at the back of the head I would assume its been dropped or caught which has cracked it. You'd be downright unlucky to have that crack under normal conditions.

[Niall]

If you can see the crack, you could cover it in liquid metal as a temporary fix purely to see if that solves your issue. If it does, chip the liquid metal off and take it back to be welded!

[4WayDiablo]

485 for hg change!?!?!? :-0

[Bengley]

Mate! What a shitter, I feel really bad now but honestly there were no signs of hg failure when you had it off me. Out of good will I can pick you up a head from the scrappy and get it skimmed and tested for you but it may mean you are without a car for even longer. Up to you though bud, I just feel terrible

No, don't go doing that... I think radweld and overheating in the snow might have killed the HG, it was a MLS gasket, there was radweld stuck in between the layers.

Tempted to do what Niall said, but I can only see half of the port, I'd have to take the inlet manifold off to get to it properly.

[samass]

If you can see the crack, you could cover it in liquid metal as a temporary fix purely to see if that solves your issue. If it does, problem solved!

Fixedthatforyou

[Piggy]

thats a mega expensive bill for HG change...

garage used to work at wouldnt charge that inc a skim and cleaning head, changing valve seals etc...

why did you get a recon head chap??

head builders should foot the bill imo

[Bengley]

thats a mega expensive bill for HG change...

garage used to work at wouldnt charge that inc a skim and cleaning head, changing valve seals etc...

why did you get a recon head chap??

head builders should foot the bill imo

http://www.wiganengines.com/

They haven't said they won't foot the bill to be fair, I did ask. But the fact I have to sort it out pisses me off.

[Piggy]

I would push, get Trading Standards involved if needed, if they accept its a fault with the head, they have to sort it