Favorit - Removing cylinder head bolts

[RicardoM]

19 hours ago, Jxx said:

Most oven cleaners are strongly caustic. What's the matrix made of? will they damage it?

The fins are made of aluminium. Yes, it reacts with caustic solutions. So does all dirt embedded between fins. That is the whole point. You'll see that using only hot water under pressure won't help at all.

Quote

Anyway, on my Favorit, the cable from the top (temperature) slider in the car goes to a lever under a black plastic box connected internally to something my parts list refers to as a regulating valve. 2 plastic pipes out of that valve cover connect to the heater flow and return hoses.

Can you show me that illustration?

Edited 22 February, 2017 by RicardoM

[RicardoM]

Jxx

I've looked over the photos you've sent. You're right. The photo shows clearly a cable operated valve. Thank you for correcting me.

We have only 1993-1994 Favorits in here. The same goes for Felicias, we imported only 2000-2001 models. None of them have that valve. I don't know if it's something export specific or late models specific. Probably Skoda realized how easy the valve gets corroded/clogged. Despite being a cheap solution for manufacturers, the control valve solution has too many disadvantages. You mentioned some of them.

Anyways, it is a very good idea to check/replace it.

[Jxx]

Hi Ricardo -

 

The problem, as you said, is that the Favorit you know may not be the version here in the uk. Which, I get the impression from a Cz guy living with my neighbour, is not exactly what they had back home.

 

I remember you said that the Felicia imported to the Dominican Republic had a carburettor. Favorits only had a carb here until (according to vagcat - and that might not necessarily be UK) dec 1992, then some Bosch injection thingy, and at some stage a catalyst. I've not checked (don't have one) but I've always assumed Felicias here were all injection / catalyst. Would have to go online to find a partslist to check. Last time I looked 7zap was still alive. Problem is that most of the online sites now don't cover these older vehicles. Main dealer still has the details of the Favorit on his ETKA, but many / most parts are "no longer available".

 

For me the biggest problem with a control valve on the water supply to the heater is that the control is somewhat slow to respond, meaning that it needs some experience of the car and a little anticipation to get it to work smoothly.

 

At least with the Favorit the valve is isolated from the engine. On the early A series Austin engines things developed historically. 1950s Morris Minor - Water take off from the cylinder head via a manually operated tap. If you were cold you popped the bonnet (hood) and opened the tap to let water through the heater. With the Austin 1100 Luxury! The tap was replaced by a cable operated valve. On the head. Generally quite reliable (OEM ones anyway). Aftermarket parts sometimes worked in reverse, ie hot was cold. Problem was that with the control at its furtherest extent and the control wire taught a lot of tappet noise could be introduced into the cabin. Stuffing the valve inline in a heater hose solved that one on the Austin Maxi. The Metro went for the continuously fed heater and air flaps. But I suspect that after 30 years the foam seals on the flaps have all but disintegrated, bypassing the heater somewhat ... KISS.

 

When the Moggie Minor came out in the late 1940s it had no heater. That was a later addition. Export only at first. Go figure. Prewar Sidevalve engine capable of over 40 MPG. Never had the privilege of owning one (want want want) so no personal experience. Too young to appreciate Dad's. Moggie got the Austin A series when Morris merged (was taken over by) Austin.

 

I'm getting to sound obsessive. But there is such a rich vein of pioneering motoring history here in the uk which is in danger of being completely lost. I'm particularly interested in the "export" variations and local tweaks and redesigns done by overseas subsidiaries and manufacturing plants / companies.

 

Anyways, where you live I would have thought that a heater was an unnecessary luxury! [Jealous - desperately looking forward to summer.]

 

 

[RicardoM]

15 hours ago, Jxx said:

Anyways, where you live I would have thought that a heater was an unnecessary luxury! [Jealous - desperately looking forward to summer.]

Well, yeah... the lowest temperature is 15 C  by night. That is when we have to wear long sleeve shirts and put the heater switch to medium . The rest of the time we use the A/C.

[Jxx]

Very belated update. Sorry, things have been manic here, personal reasons.

 

Head gasket job seems ok. I tried flushing out the heater matrix out with a modified garden sprayer that i have modified to top up pressurised central heating systems with corrosion inhibitor. Several goes flow and backflow. An incredible amount of muck came out. Got me from cool to warm for the winter. I need to get the brute out and backflush it properly and clean out the matrix air side as recardo suggested. Ricardo - you were right - there is a hot air control flap - as well as the water valve assembly. I'll have to check that out as well.

It's just the pain of removing the wiper motor assy as well to get ot out. (Time and all that).

 

In the end I didn't change the valve seals - the cowboys sent me the wrong seals - in an open packet - and I had to get the head back on. The time they took to send me the right ones proved I made the right decision. Got away with it. Oil consumption zilch, no smoke.

 

Skimming the gasket seems to have upset the mixture settings a bit. Tends to jerk ocasionally at low revs under load, and the co figure was silly low at MOT last year. (that's if his equipment was ok.) I'll have to give it a bit of a tweak sometime.

 

Had to change the rad. There was a small weep at the tophose connection which suddenly turned to a plastic rad inlet pipe fracture, fortunately very near home, so nothing boiled. The fan stat was weeping a bit at the aluminium sealing washer, so changed that for an o ring.

 

Been loosing some water, seemd a bit intermittant, so worried about the new gasket. No mayo in the oil filler cap, oil ok, plugs looked ok, running fine. A little damp from the water pump vent hole, wet behind the pully. Aha. Water loss getting worse. Took it for a 10 mile or so run yesterday, came back a few hours later to find a streak of aqueous fluid coming from under the car, somewhere below the pump. All now dry inside. No sign where it had come from. Topped up and drove home. Popped the lid, and behold a nice trickle from around the pump. So hopefully head gasket innocent.

 

Will start a new thread re changing the pump.

 

 

Many thanks to all especially Ricardo for all your advice here.