Bruce '89 s2

Because of the space limitations in the S2 when I took my daughter, Fiona, husband & family to Inverness airport I took my wife's Merc 280CE (they've been staying for THREE weeks and using this Merc all the time they were here) to catch a flight to Gatwick.
Fully loaded as you'd expect - kicked
down to overtake a mimser tourist and ran it up to 95 in third (as usual)and at Inverness airport some 15 miles later it was WAY up on the temp gauge and took about 3 pints of water to bring the rad to normal. Stopped at Halfords to pick up and fit a new rad cap (and order a K&N filter for the S2 for onward posting) before continueing the 80 mile drive back to the motel.
Remembered half way home (at Glascarnoch dam) to remove the radiator winter 'muff' and things cooled off a lot - stupid of me to leave it on - but there you go = @ssh'le
Thereafter a normally fast drive home - but back at the 'ALT' it needed more water - 5 pints - white exhaust smoke - bubbles in the rad . Diagnosis - head gasket = sh!!t. sh!!t. SH!!T plus many more expletives.
Possibly a warped head as well.
Commiserations please. NO NONE. My fault!!!
Last week I about to swap the Merc for an early 944 Auto (for her of course - I fancied a matched pair) - this week it's worth crap.
What's a head gasket cost to replace??? Time and inclination I haven't got.
Do these things happen to Porsches?? Course they do if you leave a bloody great piece of carpet over two thirds of the radiator on a very hot day.
Be warned - don't forget to put the same care and attention into ALL the family cars that you put into your pride & joy Porsche.

Kelly Chiu

man that SUCKS... my dad blew a timing chain on an 1986 500, that was a nice $3000 job.

Sorry about the car, mercedes are very nice cars, but you story reminds me of a question that I have. I used to go to school in Chicago, where it was bitterly cold, trucks and cars had those carpet things covering the radiator. Does it help maintain efficiency when its cold? I never ran into a problem where it was too cold to run a car (or starting for that matter). I can understand diesels may need the extra heat so the engines don't contract and loose compression, but once its running, isn't there enough heat so they don't need the winter radiator sweater?

Bruce '89 s2

All that extra cold air through the rad at speed brings the wind-chill factor down SO low that a piece of carpet over the rad reduces the chances of radiator freeze-up.
Add extra anti-freeze is the answer - but we Scots are a penny-pinching old lot and never go above 50% a/f to water.
Really should rememeber to take the bit of carpet out in the Spring though. Saves a fortune in head gasket rebuilds.

Tom Carson

you're stuffed mate !

Bruce '89 s2

Thanks, mate.
Very constructive - and apposite - and truthful -straightforward.
nothing else from the thesaurus

Kelly Chiu

hmm I always thought the wind chill was only an item of perception for humans. Does an increase in the velocity of wind actually make it colder?

I do believe you though, it does seem to make sense. I don't want to hijack the thread, just curious, haven't taken a science class in a long time... spent all my time studying buildings and art, so this stuff is actually a nice change of pace.

Jay W

I dont think the wind chill itself applies here, but pumping a constant flow of -5 degree F air through a radiator only allows the thermostat to open a short time before a shot of extra cold water shuts it off. So the heater doesnt do much for the occupants and the main point is that since the water stays in the radiator instead of flowing, the engine never warms that water up and it can freeze over while driving unless the antifreeze is mixed really strong. Well Bruce you are not alone, I did this on my girlfriends toyota tercel a few years ago. She was complaining in the winter that her heater wasnt working very well, so I put a piece of cardboard in front of 2/3 of it. Well summer came around and sitting in a drive through in Taco Bell I noticed the engine was overheating BAD. I then asked her if it had been running bad lately at stoplights and she said it did sometimes. Well I thought it needed a thermostat and opened the hood to fix and found the cardboard. Well a few months later the motor lost compression in a couple cylinders, probably due to overheating so many times. OOps... Kinda left it out that it was probably related to the cardboard..... So at least you are not alone buddy...

Bruce '89 s2

Nice to get input from an "arty" type.
Yes - blow on your hand in the summer - is it cooler?? 'course it is. That's why someone invented the fan. Is a duvet warmer than a cotton sheet? Does a piece of carpet cost you a head job??

944smitty

Hope you don't need this:
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33617&item=2417501131" target="_blank">MB 280 M110 Cylinder Head on ebay</a>

P.S. - That last line sheds a whole new light on the floorcovering industry! <img border="0" alt="[hiha]" title="" src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" />

Jay W

Only if your wife doesnt like the color!!! Sorry I couldnt help but to say that!

Bruce '89 s2

Thanks smitty, that was quick. If only it was in the UK I'd buy that. I'm sure my head is warped and the valves'll need doing. The carpet manufacturers are safe enough though.

Jay - our carpet colours dont affect her performance - oh joy - and your previous post underlines the problem.

Sorry Kelly - no offemce - just a play on words.

It's 4.15 am here in the UK so I'm off to bed now. Will follow this thread later today. This forum does keep you up at night - I wonder if she wakes as I climb in - "Have you been on that computer again till this hour of the morning and what colour is the carpet??".

Tom Carson

cold is the absence of heat...heat wants to go to where it is lacking...and can get to

(kindda like 'nature abhors a vacuum')

if the air has less heat...it will go there and be drawn off from the engine...to warm the air

if there is less air...less heat will be drawn away from the engine

I think..

goodnight

944smitty

Oops Bruce, didn't notice your location, sorry...
Think UPS on that head (about 50lbs.??) would be around $300 USD, slightly more than the seller wants for it. Hope you can find one locally at a good price.
944smitty

Bruce '89 s2

Thanks Guys
My local(80 miles) Merc dealer hasn't come back with a price. Don't think they want that sort of work. Much happier ripping off new Merc's with inflated prices for oil and plug changes.
As a warning to all - don't forget to take out the cardboard or bits of carpet from in front of the rad once the cold weather is behind us. I'm positive I wouldn't have made this mistake with the S2 - it gets pampered too much

triscadek

Kelly, wind chill only counts with exposed flesh, with anything else all it does is bring the temp. down to ambient faster.