[Flowers]

It's quite a while since I started this thread, so I thought I'd update folks about what happened subsequently. It took me a while to collect all the parts for this repair, one issue is it's a very early 214 GSi (Feb 1990) and the engine uses some specific parts such as a 23mm timing belt, later 26mm. I got the parts mainly from DMGRS and they had some useful discounted bundles. Some specific parts I got from Rimmers. I ordered the DMGRS elastomer head gasket kit including the set of new BGA head bolts.

From the tests we did earlier, there was clearly some combustion gases pressurising the coolant system - I detected something with the Dr Headgasket kit, and the garage confirmed it with a sniff test using the exhaust analyzer. It was early stage HGF as there was no cross-contamination between oil and coolant. I did suspect cylinder No. 4 as the spark plug had a brown tinge whereas the others were pale grey. It's compression test was very slightly down too.

The head gasket had been replaced in 2005 with Rover kit LVQ701210EVA. In that case it was classic HGF with brown mayonnaise in the coolant. This time it was more minor. The local garage in Dunfermline was happy to do the job having worked on K-Series engines many times, so I was happy to go with them.

When the engine was dismantled, the problem was on No.4 cylinder. A leak had developed from the cylinder liner and there was some slight visible corrosion on the top of the block, a track from the cylinder to the coolant channel and a similar mark on the underside of the old gasket. The head seemed not to have been affected and was good. The valves on that cylinder also had a brownish tinge, presumably coolant had leaked across when the car was standing. The mechanic doing the job was a bit doubtful that the new elastomer gasket was going to seal this as it looked similar to the one we took off. He seemed happier with one having an overall elastomer coating which he thought would seal the leak area. The one we used was BGA kit HK6554UM from a local motor factor which uses gasket CH9353M (the one Crepello recommended earlier). Over the years he’s done numerous head gaskets on Rover and Lotus K-Series engines, so I decided to go with his preference. Time will tell if it was the right decision. As I understand it, all these gaskets have a crushable ring over the top of the cylinder liner and an elastomer seal round the coolant channels, so the space in between should be inactive when the gasket is working properly and wouldn’t require gasket material.

I was impressed how quickly they did the job. The first day they got the head off and took it to a machine shop in a nearby town had it skimmed and tested and brought it back. The following morning, I went round to discuss the head gasket. I was surprised the local motor factor (Dingbro) had the BGA gasket set in stock and delivered it to the garage in about 20 minutes, but I guess it would be also used on much later cars. It was a lot more expensive than the discounted set I'd got from DMGRS, but they were happy to take the unused set back for credit. We did use the BGA head bolts. The valves looked OK so we decided not to take them out. It would have added to the cost, and the engine did seem to be performing well. Something I would have done if I'd been doing the job myself. The mechanic did show me the tiny collets that hold the 16 valves in place.

So far the car has performed well and the pressurisation of the coolant system has completely disappeared. Fingers crossed I won't have to revisit this for a while. As others have noted, it's harder to find garages and mechanics who know about this engine. Our mechanic previously worked for Rover garages and is now near retirement. The machine shop I've used myself for many years to get bits machined for my other cars, the guy is near retirement and only operates part-time. Anyway, I'm 75 so the 214 will probably outlive me!

My only issue was that the garage refilled the engine with OAT coolant which I've since removed, the subject of another thread. https://www.rover200.org.uk/forums/topic/15408

Great writeup, what garage did you use?

[g259fsg]

Ian Brown's Garage, 174 Golfdrum Street, Dunfermline https://www.yell.com/biz/ian-brown-dunfermline-532543/. Streetview https://www.instantstreetview.com/@56.0 ... I0qQr8spuAThe machining company we used was William Anderson Engineering Ltd. Kirkcaldy http://www.wandersonengltd.co.uk/index.html and https://www.facebook.com/WmAndersonEngLtd/ .