(Home) Overheating, headgaskets

why does 2ct motor give trouble to so many people?
head gaskets in particular.1. alloy head /iron block
ie different expansion rates rule out cooling no air locks etc no leaks fan ok i gave this some thought
stretch studs do they work? after tourking mine to
the book ie tourk +90 +90 i left tourk wrench (britool)
at this setting and run for 600 miles i then checked
head studs again they varied i re tourqed without
altering settings we shall see how it goes
i have fitted many gaskets over many years and never
encountered like the lite ace is infamous for
what are the views of other fitters i welcome your
comments
david - (#2320) david, 22 Feb 02

A couple of factors help to explain the problem. Firstly, the townie runs HOT, very little airflow around the engine bay,(althought the 2C is hard on h/gaskets in any fitment)And it's a diesel- most diesels give trouble, ford, toyota vw, peugeot. High cylinder pressures mean a lot off stress on the gaket. - (#2321) david miller, 23 Feb 02

David,
It would appear that there is a common problem with the Townie on the head gaskets on the Diesel engines, probably the only real recurring problem these vehicles suffer. Unfortunately, due to the reliability of vehicles in general these days, we have come to expect thousands of trouble free miles of motoring from our cars, and in general the Townies achieve this. However with a little tender loving care, good maintainance etc, we should be able to prevent these troubles. I would suggest a change of coolant/antifreeze every 2 years, check both rad cap & thermostat are working regularly, and that the viscous fan is working correctly, this appears to be a common problem, either it goes slow, or doesn't engage at all. (Many people seem to have switched to electric fans). Changing the oils regularly & using good quality oil will also help in the heat dispersal stakes. But most important of all, keep an eye on the temp gauge. What you need to remember is that you need to be a MOTORIST not a car driver to own a Townie. Remember the Triumph Stag, exactly the same problems if you didn't look after them. HTH, Regards Rob. - (#2327) Rob Drinkwater, 23 Feb 02

I have driven the fore runner of these vehicles in South Africa in 1978. At that time we had petrol. They had the same problem of overheating, this was said to be the radiator undersized. If we took care of them they ran for 300,000 miles the only problem that I saw was having to change the wheel bearings due to the weight they carried.
The next model came out with a new body shape and a larger radiator.
I lived in USA in 1985 and had 5 "Hi-Aces" petrol, All ran with no problem but overheating was a possibilty not an enivitability like a hard drive on a computer. So long as they were maintained ie; cooling system, then no problem. Rob Drinkwater has given the answer well in maintaining your vehicle.
The Diesel is new for me, I notice Toyota has a chunky headgasket available and seems to have gone that way because of headgasket failures. I am not sure ultimately if that is the case?
On my floor mats at the front reads 20 years of the lite ace or some such blurb. this is an 88 so that means they have been cranking them out and upgrading for the last 34 years.
Harry Chrishna - (#2330) Harry, 24 Feb 02

I agree with the sentiments expressed. These are reliable vehicles but, do have a (preventable)Achillies heel in their cooling systems. I am in the process of fitting an audible warning device if the coolant temperature goes beyond a certain figure because, invariably, it's too late when you notice that the temperature gauge is showing a "head cooking temperature". Yes, change the coolant and add antifreeze and inhibitor on a regular basis, also, very frequent oil changes.
It might all be a bit of a chore but it will pay in the end. - (#2332) John Davis, 24 Feb 02

thanks for input boys will debate at jam meeting
much appreciated david - (#2339) david, 24 Feb 02