Daughters Fabia 1.4MPI of 2000 vintage died on motorway yesterday. White smoke and misfire. AA found water in the sump/block etc and none in the header tank.  Oil is way over the full mark and typical mayo colour. Turning it over this morning water squirted from both 2 & 3 plug holes.

 

Now this should be head gasket  but its a wet liner block I think.

 

Do these 1.4 MPI engines have trouble with the liner seals or is it usually the head gasket?

 

Nigel

 

Changing the head gasket, checking block and head are true or getting the head skimmed are no problem but I don't fancy fiddling with liners.

Head gasket is far more likely, sounds like it's been going for a while.

Head gasket. They are wet liners but as long as your careful and don't turn the crank with the head off they are usually fine.

It worth checking they are roughly the same height if you have a good straight edge and good feeler gauges

Thanks for that reassurance. So head off as soon as the weather permits.

 

Nigel

Head off today but as the strip progressed to remove the rocker shaft I noted one of the core plugs that sits under it was out and loose. Continued the strip and when I got the head off the gasket is damaged between 2 & 3 cylinders and a water passage. Straight edge across the head face shows about 60 thou gap in the middle.

So it's off for a skim in the morning before building it up again.

Can't help feeling a bit worried that it was driven for about a miles on 50/50 water/oil mix in the sump untill it got very hot. Hot enough to melt the face of the thermostat housing, oil filler cap and bits of the engine cover.

Still turns over so maybe not destroyed the bearings.

 

Nigel

If it's popped the core plug out its been pretty hot but I have seen them run fine afterwards once heads skimmed. I would check the liner protrusion tho they are prone to dropping once overheated.