It's a bit repetetive isn't it?. Head off / head on, thermostat in / thermostat out, running nicely / oh dear!!! It would be nice to break that cycle. But on that note, to try every possibility to avoid "head off" again...
Additional thoughts, I will NOT be putting a thermostat back in. Perhaps coolant flow around the block is not what it could be. With no thermostat there is a gaping hole from the head to the rad through which water can flow. With the thermostat in place (and even fully open) the water flow is quite restricted. Maybe that is why I bought the car with NO thermostat in it in the first place, because perhaps the previous owner had been through all of that already.
So thermostat staying out for good.
Probably will use her even more so as a fair weather car for shows etc.. rather than a daily driver. Still need to try to keep her going regularly, but more as a cherished classic car is normally used. (Shows and weekends etc..)
With wry smile I am sure an early comment on this blog was something like I may have changed my mind after a winter! From August when I had just got the car and started this blog I stated:
"Today is another nice sunny day, have driven my daughter to her
activities, she's still totally excited about the car and loves the fact
that she can just lay across the back seat! The enjoyment and
excitement of the kids has been enough for me to know I made the right
choice, whether it lasts 10 years or 10 weeks there have already been
enough positives to confirm that. (I'm interested myself to see what a
post in the middle of a freezing winter might say... wait and see....)"
Well the original intention has changed for sure, some of the posts over winter were just depressing at times. But not overly unhappy about the outcome nearly 6 months in, after all I have ended up with a Classic Car, which is what I wanted. Just not quite as planned, but perhaps far more realistic. (as long as Becky keeps going OK, especially as has 108,000 miles on the clock)!!!
I think I'll make it past 10 MONTHs with her.. 10 years?.. We'll see.!!
Using the Austin as a fair weather car is the best idea, let a 'disposable' modern car do the winters. A few sunny days enjoyment in the Somerset will have all memory of the head gasket woes erased, or if not erased then at least nicely faded.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember the name of it but there is something you can put in the cooling system in place of water which claims to super cool the engine. I think Frost sell it.