hi from sunny suffolk

[jimmy harleston]

First post!

Hi all. R5 first timer, always fancied one since the days when they were a common site on the roads. Just purchased a fairly standard black 89 phase 2. Reg no F3..MMJ. Does anyone know the car??.. its a little bit like a new partner with a history.., you hope not to hear awkward details from other people..lol.
unfortunately the Gearbox went within 12 hrs of owning it,although I did drive it home to lowestoft through the night on my own 145 miles with no probs and then it breaks 3 miles from home next morning, a little lucky I guess. However 1 recon cgb box later things seem better although I do have some heating issues to address,looking forward to picking some brains soon.
I have a few "back in the day" pics of r5 turbos to scan and put up if any ones interested,
jimmy

[Nottswoody]

Welcome to the club and your journey starts the same as mine I'm from Nottingham got mine in Liverpool drove all the way back in 4th and it let go on my drive.. Best way to learn is not be afraid and get stuck in gearboxes go for about £50-100 now someone will have one.. Enjoy If you need help just shout someone will always be around

[B18ftMOJO5]

welcome to the club jimmy glad you got it sorted great club lots of tip and advice available looking forward to some pics.

[Goobie]

Welcome to the club.

Does anyone know the car??.. its a little bit like a new partner with a history.., you hope not to hear awkward details from other people.

[Lowiepete]

Welcome - another R5GTT owner from your neck of the woods. I'm about
half way through a restoration...

Regards,
Steve

[Benjibrady]

Welcome mate. Get a few pictures up, we all love a good nosey

[TopCat]

Welcome chap. I've got a second hand gearbox if u want a cheap one? Can fit it too if required bud.

[JP Racing]

Welcome along another local is always good as you never know when you might break down.

[Mr Raider]

Welcome mate,-you're in the best place for tips/advice/spares hope you get it sorted soon, another member of the East Coast Massive,any pics?

[Matt Cole]

Welcome matey. Hope you enjoy the club. Anything you need just ask.

[jimmy harleston]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Thanks for the warm welcome,
here hopefully is a couple of pics of my new car.
jimmy

[Nad-5GTT]

Welcome, that is a tasty looking example and in my favourite colour

[Benjibrady]

Very nice looking mate

[jimmy harleston]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Car was bought as a spur of the moment decision, first nearly local one I found, bought off the net without looking at it,
first rules of secondhand car buying out of the window then..
on the whole its in fair to middling condition, not without its issues, mainly the engine temp which is ok whilst driving but seems to creep up too high for liking when at a standstill especially after a little speed.fan is on a seperate switch, when i flick this on it struggles to hold the temp and doesnt drive it back down as I expect??.removed old stat,running without to see if it made any difference, but have a new stat to fit. Also replaced w.pump to temp gauge sender.
From trolling old posts Im now thinking my headgasket maybe gone putting gasses into the water, im not losing any water on the floor but I always seem to have air to bleed and the expansion tank which is alloy aftermarket and has no visible level appears to make water? .this shouldnt fill to the top right?.. this would cause overheating? No mayo whatsoever.

[Goobie]

Don't fill the water tank to the top, usually the alloy tanks have two grooves round them, bottom one is min water level and the top one is max, BUT, this can be hard to tell where your level is really at when trying to look into the tank, so your need to shine a light in there to be sure.

When you bleed the system, are you un clipping the water tank and holding it up high whilst doing this with the screw cap off? Also, you might want to check it's not just pure water to.

Ps, car looks good in the pictures.

[jimmy harleston]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Don't fill the water tank to the top, usually the alloy tanks have two grooves round them, bottom one is min water level and the top one is max, BUT, this can be hard to tell where your level is really at when trying to look into the tank, so your need to shine a light in there to be sure.

When you bleed the system, are you un clipping the water tank and holding it up high whilst doing this with the screw cap off? Also, you might want to check it's not just pure water to.

Ps, car looks good in the pictures.

I couldnt lift the expansion tank high enough to get anywhere when bleeding it because pipes get tangled.So whilst leaving in place I cobbled together an introvenus which I sealed to the lid of the expansion tank and filled this up which gave me the head to bleed the system.i managed to get agood flow from both bleeds.I then removed it and syphoned excess coolant from the expansion tank till half full.after use on next inspection its full up again .and if i check it needs bleeding again?? When I flushed the system originally as per haynes manual I couldnt find the drain on the block so this wasnt rinsed through? I have a copper cored rad which seems ok.no heat through the matrix into the car either

[Goobie]

To get the tank higher, or at least so the bottom pipes are above engine height, you can unclip a couple of the pipes from the holders.

If your filling the tank up to high, your be putting water back through the top tank pipe which comes from degassing pot.

Did you do the bleed nipples in order of radiator open till flow with no bubbles then shut, then the highest point bleed nipple hose coming off the top of the water pump till flow with no bubbles then shut? Idealy needs to be in that order for best result.

The drain plug can be hard to spot if you don't know what your looking for, it should be drivers side rear facing the suspension turret, just below/next to the engine lift eye where the brake servo area is but on the side of the block.

[Mr Raider]

Car looking very clean and fresh, - great purchase! Sounds like cooling system needs a good checkover and flush out. You may have air in the system that needs bleeding out, is the coolant clean looking? I would be really carefull with the coolant plug on the block near the waterpump, wouldnt try to undo it incase it snaps and then you have problems keeping the coolant.

If concerned with possible headgasket issue do a compression test, I would drop all coolant from bottom rad hose, check thermostat in top rad hose and probably replace whilst its all out. Flush whole system with a hose pipe, fill with clean water bleed and drop a dishwasher tablet in header tank, run it up to temp then clean water run it, drop it and finally new coolant, bleed it then it should be fine

[Pigsnake]

Welcome aboard buddy.

[jimmy harleston]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Coolant, although changed and flushed is looking a bit brown and murkey.not heard of the dishwasher tab trick before.will give it a whirl at the weekend. Ta

[Mr Raider]

No worries mate, must of been abit of old coolant somewhere in matrix/block/rad had the same with my 11 turbo that had been sitting around 5 years off the road. Changed that once and after a while went brown, dishwasher tablet trick last year sorted it and its still out of the bottle fresh.

[jimmy harleston]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Tried all of the above, flushed through, dishwasher tablet etc.. no real difference.
then I realised that the pipes on the water pump appeared to be the wrong way round? The pipe from the degass tank with the bleed valve was going over the pump to the front facing fitting,which I thought from looking at engine bay pics should be the fitting for the long pipe from the expansion tank? Am I wrong?
anyway I reversed these and now get heat from the car heaters and system seems to be more manageable.although temp will still get up to the 3rd line in traffic but doesnt keep creeping up when fan goes on. Also doesnt appear to be making water in the expansion tank anymore.Does this seem ok or should I be trying to get it to run cooler? Also could I have fitted the thermostat incorrectly, I know its facing the correct way round, but in the haynes manual it appears to have to go up a certain way?

[Mr Raider]

Have you got a picture of your engine bay to post on here? hoses going to the wrong locations will not help it, should get heat inside car and temperature should not go up rapidly. Right hose locations and a good flush and bleed of the system will be fine

[jimmy harleston]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Have you got a picture of your engine bay to post on here? hoses going to the wrong locations will not help it, should get heat inside car and temperature should not go up rapidly. Right hose locations and a good flush and bleed of the system will be fine

Heres a pic of how it is now.the 2 smaller w.pump pipes were on opposite before.
I can now maintain a better more consistant temp.and can also get heat inside the car where as I couldnt b4. So I think they are now correct?

[Mr Raider]

Yes, the hose nearest the alternator on the waterpump front goes to bottom of expansion tank to port closest the bumper, rear waterpump top hose with bleed nipple goes to swirl pot. So if stays at a more constant temperature now? is the coolant new and clean?

Also where do the black wires go from the front of the block area, over anti perc fan towards bulkhead? Does anti perc fan work? if it does and has a fuse good as can cause fires, if not can remove it from the bay as they always start ok when hot