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mitsu L200 (03) blowing bubbles in overflow tank


Conygree
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My dear old (03) L200 has started to blow bubbles soon after starting up into the overflow rad tank, I suspect the head has gone as they have a bit of a reputation. I changed the rad cap just to be sure but symptoms are the same.

 

Any suggestions welcome as it's a bit of a job pulling that lot apart.

 

Thanks in advance.

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When she is warm see if she is passing water out of the exhaust by putting your hand over the end of the exhaust and see if it is wet with steam. This would indicate that the gasket has failed between the water jacket and the cylinder.

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Is it an Ally block?

 

My 3.9 RR came up fine on a compression test but was leaking water into the pots. When we got it all apart there was a tiny blim in one of the bores where water had been travelling through a porous imperfection in the block its self.

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IS the oil creamy under the cap?

 

just had a look and there is no sign of emulsifying on the rocker box or the sump oil. The exhaust is dry, I put a tissue over the pipe and it's unmarked.

 

Just lots of bubbles and a level rise in the overflow tank. I went out Saturday morning for 7 miles when I stopped I could hear the bubbles and about 2 pints had blown out, gave it a few hours before driving home with the heater full on and it stayed at the normal 1/2 temp but had blown another 2 pints out. I just changed the rad cap (only 1 yr old) and the symptoms are the same.

 

its the old 4D56 engine

Edited by Conygree
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just had a look and there is no sign of emulsifying on the rocker box or the sump oil. The exhaust is dry, I put a tissue over the pipe and it's unmarked.

 

Just lots of bubbles and a level rise in the overflow tank. I went out Saturday morning for 7 miles when I stopped I could hear the bubbles and about 2 pints had blown out, gave it a few hours before driving home with the heater full on and it stayed at the normal 1/2 temp but had blown another 2 pints out. I just changed the rad cap (only 1 yr old) and the symptoms are the same.

 

its the old 4D56 engine

 

 

Thats exactly what my old Rangey used to do. Driven steady and keeping the temp needle mid point it was using negligible ammounts, as soon as it started working it would dump out at least a pint over 50 miles. There were no hoses gone, there were no wet spots underneath, there was no emulsified gunk in the oil or oil in the water but it was definately passing through the system as it would steam out the exhaust. There was no evidence of hydrocarbons in the water when the AA tested it either, I called them out one day as whilst it was still driveable I was stumped as to what was causing it. The head gasket was perfectly serviceable when the head came off.

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Did it run hot? Have you got the correct amount of coolant-antifreez in ? This is what i would do

1) drain and discard all old coolent.

2) Flush systen with rad flush then drain.take the pipes off the expantion bottle connect a garden hose and flrsh till water runs clear.

3) replace the thermastat.

4) Make sure the releif valve is clear on the expantion bottle top or replace it.

5) pressure wash radiater fins out

The only thing you will have to buy is antifreez thermostat rad flush i would say no more than £30 tops good luck.

ps failing that mate it sounds like a porous liner presurising the water system.

Edited by Justintime
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yup head has gone, had it on my last one, lived with it like that for a while till it went in style. You don't see emulsification unless you really run it for a long time like it but the pressurisation of the tank is the key issue. 2003 was the year that was particularly bad for it fixing isn't as bad as you might think. If you are handy you can transfer your camshaft valves etc etc onto a bare head from Milners that are £230 plus vat if not then they sell fully made up heads for £430 plus vat add new belts and gaskets etc and the cost isn't huge.

Personally with those symptoms and that year I wouldn't even bother having the head off and pressure testing it as its a waste of money. With that said obviously once its off check the head gasket hasn't failed but thats less usual.

 

The plus points are for the cost of the head and bits you have a vehicle with a new head gasket and cam belt etc so the major jobs have been done.

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yup head has gone, had it on my last one, lived with it like that for a while till it went in style. You don't see emulsification unless you really run it for a long time like it but the pressurisation of the tank is the key issue. 2003 was the year that was particularly bad for it fixing isn't as bad as you might think. If you are handy you can transfer your camshaft valves etc etc onto a bare head from Milners that are £230 plus vat if not then they sell fully made up heads for £430 plus vat add new belts and gaskets etc and the cost isn't huge.

Personally with those symptoms and that year I wouldn't even bother having the head off and pressure testing it as its a waste of money. With that said obviously once its off check the head gasket hasn't failed but thats less usual.

 

The plus points are for the cost of the head and bits you have a vehicle with a new head gasket and cam belt etc so the major jobs have been done.

 

Thanks a14x I was waiting for your reply to confirm it's the head. I'm ok at fixing it but don't look forward to it but saying that once I start I end up enjoying working on motors. I replaced the cam belts and water pump 2 yrs ago only about 15k miles, it hardly uses any oil but I must admit I was waiting for the head to go on reputation. Still any break-down near home is really good luck, when I can fix it myself

 

Do you have the head & camshaft torque settings for a 4D56?

 

Thanks again

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Thanks a14x I was waiting for your reply to confirm it's the head. I'm ok at fixing it but don't look forward to it but saying that once I start I end up enjoying working on motors. I replaced the cam belts and water pump 2 yrs ago only about 15k miles, it hardly uses any oil but I must admit I was waiting for the head to go on reputation. Still any break-down near home is really good luck, when I can fix it myself

 

Do you have the head & camshaft torque settings for a 4D56?

 

Thanks again

 

2003 was the year thats famous for it, have to say I don't have the torque settings as I did a sly one with mine and put the repair through the company. It may last a fair while as it is I know mine did but far better to do it sooner rather than later. I'd say getting the belts right is the hardest bit of it, the L200 forum thats posted should have the required info otherwise I'm not sure if haynes etc do a manual for the engine its fitted to shoguns etc as well so its possible.

Bearing in mind the oil use I'd do it now as it sounds like the rest of the engine is in good condition

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Took the head off today (bit more complex than the last motor I stripped an old Cortina in 1984) job went well no real problems.

 

I examined the head and found all the injector inserts were cracked in the cylinder side - looking at the alloy head there is an alloy insert say 30mm dia in each cylinder that must have a water jacket around it, the injector fires through the centre and half of this insert is covered by the head gasket, so it could be any or all that failed by leaking gas into the cylinder water causing the pressure. I can see why just changing the head gasket will give a 'quick fix' but won't last. :oops:

 

Will examine the head in the morning, may go for the basic head and use my old valves etc, I don't want to cut corners and have to strip this lot down again, but grinding in x8 valves shoudn't be a problem - just got to find my old valve grinding stick last used on bikes in the sixties.

 

Thanks for all the tips - really helped. :good:

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the nice thing is if you order from Milners it will be with you next day, I have to say mine leaked gas in a small way for a couple of thousand miles then it went in style you could hardly see behind it for steam from the exhaust. Still ran just but not eco friendly :oops:

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