Head Gasket Gone
Turbo Mini Forums

It took the 998 turbo round Castle Combe and it got a bit warm out on the track. Then on the long drive back to uni the head gasket went. I think the heat from Combe caused it to leak a little and then it blew out due to the long drive.

It's gone bang between 3 & 4, and has been blowing between 1 & 2.

Hopefully all will be good once it's back together. Just need to sort out the overheating problem (although it is only getting too hot when really pushed).

Also, should i be concerned about the wear on the follower seen in the last pic? Pretty sure it wasn't there when I changed the cam at Christmas. Perhaps I need some better oil, been using castrol magnatec.

1275 N/A Sprite, 998 T2 Turbo Mayfair
1275 EFi Turbo

Double check the block is nice and flat before you reassemble.

Follower looks to have picked up in a couple of places. What were your oil temps like? You may need a cooler for circuit work.

I've never been a great fan of Castrol Magnatec.

The follower isn't worn, it's more...damaged... bit worrying that one.

Unfortunately I have no oil temp gauge. It's on my to buy list.

I was looking at getting...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

...To make adding the cooler easy and so I don't have to drill a hole for temp sensor in the sump. Anyone used one like that before?

Yeah I need to get some fine emery cloth and a block to flat the two surfaces.

What oil you using Tom?

1275 N/A Sprite, 998 T2 Turbo Mayfair
1275 EFi Turbo

Many people on here and my self use Millers 20w50 CTV, it really helps with wear in my engine.

Best 1/4 mile 13.2 seconds @116 mph
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I had an oil cooler similar to that a few years ago on my old 1300 mini, the engine came out of the MG metro so it was standard. Had to remove it tho because the oil filter hit the subframe with it on, the one you posted looks like it might fit tho, bit thinner than the one i remember

BHP sells engines, but Torque wins races!

Thanks mini williams, where do you buy yours?


I have this analogue smiths gauge.

Does anyone know what type of sensor will and wont work with it? Is it a case of any will do, run it in series with the gauge and use some know temps to match gauge position.

Preferably a sensor with 1/8 npt thread

Edited by dan187 on 19th May, 2011.

1275 N/A Sprite, 998 T2 Turbo Mayfair
1275 EFi Turbo

1275 N/A Sprite, 998 T2 Turbo Mayfair
1275 EFi Turbo

Does this sandwich plate reduce flow in any bad way? Anyone knows? :)

the engine oil i use is miller 20w/50w
the themostat i use this one http://minispares.com/Product.aspx?ty=pb&pid=34614
if you fit a oil cooler make sure you fit a themostat on the oil cooler http://minispares.com/Product.aspx?ty=pb&pid=35270

Edited by jimmy on 19th May, 2011.

1293 Turbo mini

The only time I have found the oil temps to get high (90 deg c) is at a constant high rpm like on the motorway. Anything where the revs are varied it seems fine.
This is measured at the oil filter on my car.
I run ctv, which they have confirmed is ok at these temps. They say change if is hit 110.

I run a supercharger and I don't care the TB is on the wrong side.
VEMS + 12 PSI + Liquid Intercooler = Small Bore FUN!

Any track use if you are trying will equal constantly high revs, and also constant high throttle opening and hence heat output. Certainly I would get a gauge on there first off but really for any track use other than pootling round like your granny, you need an oil cooler.

So I got it all back together and warmed it up gently. Came back and checked the head torque, it was now less than 68 Nm so torqued it back up.

Took it out again and slowly gave it some boost. When I stopped and came back to it 5 mins later there was water coming out between the head and block by the water pump. I've tightened the head nuts down just over 68 Nm now in the hope that'll seal it.

Anyone else had this problem? Is it likely to fail soon? Or has anyone had this and it been ok?

1275 N/A Sprite, 998 T2 Turbo Mayfair
1275 EFi Turbo

Interestingly, all my 998 head gasket failures have been in the same spot. It is most likely caused by no.4 cylinder running slightly hotter than the others.

A combination of heat, it being a bit lean and too much advance I guess.

I have had leaking head gaskets before, but not the copper ones, only the black ones.

They generally seal up after a heat cycle.

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

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Yeah i've just been back out to check and no puddle of water on the floor this time. SO hopefully all sealed.

I run the water from the no. 4 end out and split it so that the normal in-car heater runs off of it and the other feed goes through the turbo cooling system. I'd hoped this would help remove some heat from that end of the head.

I think my gasket problems may have started when I put megasquirt on. Somehow I managed to change the settings in the first few weeks of using megasquirt and so was running TPS for a while, the advance was fixed near 30 deg. I assumed it was running the map i'd put in. It wasn't until I was on the rollers a about a week later and noticed that chaning the map did bugger all to the power that I sorted it. That might have started the gaket blowing a little because the off boost performance was rubbish. Seems loads better now with this new gasket.

1275 N/A Sprite, 998 T2 Turbo Mayfair
1275 EFi Turbo

30 deg would do it. My vac pipe broke and it ran 33 deg fixed. Once the damage is done it'sonly a matter of time.

They definately build boost slower and run less peek boost when there is a head gasket leak.

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

www.twin-turbo.co.uk