K-Series Head gasket Survey

[Roadsport06]

Hello all, I joined this week before I start an Easter build. As part of this I have visited blatchat and read about possible Head gasket failure in some k-series engines. As only people with the problem will mention it I would like to get feedback on it. Could anyone who reads this and has a Caterham 7 with a K-series fill in the answers to the questions below.

1. Have you had head gasket failure?

2. If so at what mileage did it happen

3. If not what mileage have you covered?

4. What size engine? What bhp?

 

Thanks you all

[Dannyboy]

As a starter..welcome!!

 

And in response..

 

1. Yes

2. 90K miles

3. New engine (installed April) has covered 30K this year including a season of sprinting/ commuting and 5 trackdays....no problems!

4. Blown H/G on Std 1.4k series. 1.4k S/S lasted 50K without any problems, 1.8k 140BHP still going strong! 😬 😬

 

Dannyboy

 

153bhp and 184lb/ft ??????????????????? My arse

[Jason Plato]

1. Have you had head gasket failure?

No

2. If so at what mileage did it happen

N/A

3. If not what mileage have you covered?

32,000 total mielage

4. What size engine? What bhp?

Owned 1600(140bhp) , 1600(210bhp) , 1900(245bhp)

 

[paulyb]

No

 

n/a

 

circa 10k miles - mostly trackdays

 

1800 / 220BHP......going for 1.9 / 245 over the Winter 😬

[Myles]

No,

N/a

22k in a 1.6 and 5kish in a 180bhp 1.8

 

There's loads and loads about HGF in techtalk - it does still happen, but is less frequent and much better understood (IMHO) than it was in the era that generated the legend that all k's will pop the moment you look at them...

 

Project Scope-Creep is live...

 

Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™

 

Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com

---

[John Howe]

Welcome to the world of the insane... you are amongst friends

 

1. Have you had head gasket failure?

No.

 

2. If so at what mileage did it happen

N/A

 

3. If not what mileage have you covered?

16,000

 

4. What size engine? What bhp?

1,800cc and 230 bhp

 

Footnote, if you are building the engine, get you bits from DVA, especially the head gasket!

 

 

JH

Deliveries by Saffron, the yellow 230bhp Sausage delivery machine

[caterhamnut]

We had one go when we first had the car -HOWEVER - don't know the history of the car before we had it, and I know the cause was a broken thermostat, which caused a steam-emitting overheating a few weeks previous to the failure - since then, which is more representative of our ownership, the engine has been very very reliable:

 

1. No

2. n/a

3. 88,000 miles, including many tracks and hooning.

4. 1.6 - 135bhp Supersport

[Mike Bees]

1. No.

.

3. ~18000

4. 1700cc, ~230bhp. Used mostly for sprints/hillclimbs/trackdays, rev limit set at 8500-9250 depending on the venue.

 

Mike

 

Edited by - Mike Bees on 4 Nov 2005 13:26:38

[Stelios]

1. No

2. N/A

3. Car has done around 14,500 miles (around 8,000 during my ownership)

4a. From first registration (Oct 2001) to April 2005 1600cc 115bhp (Roadsport).

4b. April 2005 to present day 1800cc 152bhp (Supersport R upgrade).

 

Stelios the Bubble

 

Click here for my Caterham 7 page or here for some photos

[GTD]

No

 

N/A

 

7k

 

1.6 138bhp - racing and track days 3 years

 

 

G for Geoff

[frankyknuckles]

No

n/a

10K

1.8K, 160bhp

 

www.R300.net

[Casbar]

No

 

24,000

 

R300 engine 160 bhp

 

Used on road and thrashed on the track

[Bob Corb]

1. No

2. NA

3. 8500

4. 1.8, 200BHP

[h_____]

1) No

2) n/a

3) 10,000 miles - racecar, so race and track use

4) Academy 1.6, 115bhp totally standard.

[ian ellison]

1. No

2.N/A

3.8500

4.1.8K 160 bhp

[Adrian Williams]

1. Have you had head gasket failure?

No.

 

2. If so at what mileage did it happen

N/A

 

3. If not what mileage have you covered?

16,000 (Over half on track)

 

4. What size engine? What bhp?

1,600cc and 135 bhp

 

Adrian

[old captain slow]

1 No - So far 38k and still going strong - kiss of death?

2 N/A

3 N/A

4 1600 K 140 hp approx.

 

C7 CDW

[TomB]

Not directly, but I had one of my original plastic dowels (1.4k 1996) distort which caused similar symptoms to a h/g failure, so the head came off & I fitted new steel dowels. So not technially a gasket fault, just a design fault wrt plastic dowels.

 

prob about 20k miles, 28k total now, 1.4SS, 128bhp

 

 

[rynicolson]

1. Have you had head gasket failure?

yes

 

2. If so at what mileage did it happen

1500 !!!!!

 

3. If not what mileage have you covered?

n/a

 

4. What size engine? What bhp?

1,600cc SS and about 140 bhp

 

Due to air being drawn in through header tank....

 

 

 

Richard,

aka... Tricks...

aka darstardly

Y57 CDS

Known as Mutley

Q205 NNB

Sylva Phoenix... name TBC

 

 

 

 

[PAUL MARRIOTT]

For the Caterham

 

1. NO

3. 24000 - Trackdays, Blats, European tours and some (I hang my head in shame) Long hard motorway blasts.

4. 1800CC & 189BHP

 

For a k-series Freelander

 

1. yes..4 in the same car (Good old LR gave me 4 new engines)

2. c. 17000mls - general family motoring and towing a Trailer and pony

4. 1800cc in standard form ~ 115bhp

 

Paul m

 

 

[henry21p]

Yes (though cause of/caused by cracked liner(s) in last 2 occasions)

50,000k, 59,500k 59,650k 60,000k(exactly) - since then - crank shaft oil seal x2

1.6ss (original Caterham engine), 1.8ss(DVA engine), 1.8ss equivalent QED engine, 1.8ss euivalent QED Engine

 

This is over 3 separate and different engines (not the same one repaired lots). Last 2 failures were in same engine.

[robmar]

1. Have you had head gasket failure?

 

nope

 

2. If so at what mileage did it happen

 

n/a

 

3. If not what mileage have you covered?

 

16,000 mainly track miles

 

4. What size engine? What bhp?

 

1600 - 135

[Myles]

It should be pointed out that my failures should be weighted so as to be worth only 15% as much as anyone elses. The statistics would be heavily skewed otherwise...

 

Not again...

[David Lynch]

1. Have you had head gasket failure?

No, but killed an Alternator. Think heat is an issue off primaries

2. If so at what mileage did it happen

N/A

3. If not what mileage have you covered?

Arrived with 6,500 miles on clock after 10 Years 🤔, then I've done 6,300 in 6 months 😬

4. What size engine? What bhp?

1.4SS (128bhp) Ex Racer, Still on Seals, 10½ years old

 

 

1.4K SS 😬 The Geek will inherit the earth

[Dartmoor7]

1. Have you had head gasket failure?

NO.

2. If so at what mileage did it happen

N/A

3. If not what mileage have you covered?

40,000

4. What size engine?

1400

What bhp?

130

 

 

Jerry Parker

L7 SVN

1400 Supersport