rallycar engine froze over winter

[spanner]

i dont know if i mentioned it here but the engine in the rally car froze over the winter, BEFORE you all say had you no antifreeze/coolant in it, i know i should have checked it:(

But we filled it at the beginning of season with coolant but the car tends to run hot and we top it up every so often therfore coolant must have been over diluted.

Here is my problem and question and i hope you are off the same opinion as me as it will be the least expensive to sort out.

 

Car was in a cavity wall shed approx 8foot from nearest wall or door, engine and pipes froze solid, thawed it out over a number of days witha a space heater then removed the water when thawed, mixed new coolant and water filled it up and started it. it ran well but after a while it started pressurizing header tank, so i emptied water down to minimum level as i thought it might have been over filled but still the same.

 

the engine is a top spec swindon lump with all the goodies and producing over 250 on mbe and carbs so you can imagine the value of a new replacement,

 

Would i be lucky and it be only the head gasket?????? i have taken engine out and i am sending it to Ivan Orr a serious lad on a vauxhall lump but he is not cheap. if block gone it might not cost to much but if head gone i frucked

 

Whats ur opinions?????????????????

[Stu]

My opinion is wait for the engine builder to tell you actually what's happened!

[rs2k2008]

i didt put anti freeze in an old car and iwas lucky enough for it only to be the head gasket

[spanner]

My opinion is wait for the engine builder to tell you actually what's happened!

i know that one stu LOL but i just wanted somebody to be nice to me and say "dont worry it will be the head gastket"

[sidrick]

I'd say you've cracked the head, but obviously you'll need it properly diagnosed.

[KNITERIDER]

would the (crude explanation here) metal circular things that pop out as a safety measure on the block not cause this? if they have popped ut wont that let air in? i was told the water expanding in the engine can cause this if it freezes?

[Danzetec]

They're called core plugs but I wouldn't of thought they would cause the pressurisation?

[spanner]

no core plugs or frost plugs are intacked, they are ment to pop out to protect the engine in such a instance but when there for a few years i would imagine that it would take big pressure to pop them. the externals of the block and head are visablly ok.

so i think head gasket, head frucked (hope not) or a internal crack in block. the block or head gasket i could live with but to go back to swindon or any other comparible engine builder for that spec of a head would be silly money, well more that i can afford and enough money to buy a nice road car.

To give you a example when built the engine i think cost somewhere in the mid 20k's to build......... scary rubbish

[escort4x4]

like stu said wait till the engine builder has had a look but id say as you had no coolant in the engine, the water has frozen, expanded and done the head gasket, so yeh id say head gasket but hard to say, let the pro work his magic and he should be able to tell ya