Rover 25 - Inlet Manifold Gasket Failure: Part One

A friend's Rover 25 had developed a coolant leak. There was nothing visibly leaking but the level in the expansion tank would drop from time to time and the car would cut-out if running, or would be difficult or impossible to start. The temptation with these cars is to assume head gasket failure (HGF). However, aside from the coolant loss, there were none of the other symptoms usually associated with HGF. A quick browse of the internet got me to this site here.

So, today I removed the inlet manifold. This wasn't particularly difficult. The main problem was getting access to the four lower 13mm nuts. Even so, my small 1/4 inch ratchet set with a couple of short extension bars managed the job nicely. The photos below show, I believe, clear signs of water ingress into the ports for cylinders 1 and 4. The gasket itself was squashed and perished. We've ordered a new one and weather permitting, I'll be fitting it next weekend.

More soon, no doubt...

D