hi guys,

i'm new to cars (this is my first). already having problems, there is white smoke, the car is overheating & iddling rough, a friend suggested that it may be a cracked head. does anyone know of something else that it may be & how to diagnose it, i would appreciate any advice i can get my hands on as my pocket is pretty empty after buying it. i've already had to change the starter motor (& am begining to think that i got a lemon) oh well!

I know someone who has the exact same problem.. and it needs a new head! If you are in QLD.. PM KKT81 and ask him if he is able to help you! He has helped many people on the forums! Champion of a guy.. Just bare with him as he may be busy..

On a side not.. How much did the starter motor cost you? Coz, I got a mate who needs a new one on his TR/TS 4 cyl!

Cheers mate!

SuFz :rant:

thanks for replying mate, i really appreciate it.

we paid $200 for the starter motor but that was including a call out fee for an auto electrician/mechanic as we bought the car unregistered & got him to look it over before rwc, he also said that there were 2 types for our wagon & the other was a little cheaper.

I Took The Car To The Mechanic & The News Was Not Good, The Head Gasket Is Gone & He Quoted Upwards Of $1600 Plus A New Radiator If It Needs It.


Can Anyone Tell Me How I Could Go About Doing This Myself (if Possible) & Around How Much I'd Be Out Of Pocket Please?

Sorry about the repost but I was signed in under TRMagna92's username as it is my friends computer.

first question b4 u try to remove and replace the head, do u have access to a torque wrench and all the other tools you are going to need? Also how do u retain the timing chain and tensioner with the top cog removed? if you can get around these points then get a workshop manual for your car, follow the steps in the workshop manual on head removal and replacement. once you have the head off take it to an engine reconditioner/machine shop and have them crack test the head and if it's ok machine it flat for refitting, this costs about $100 for both test and decking. (if the headgasket has blown from overheating the head will likely be bent) Also inspect the top surface of the block for cracks while your cleaning it up, you can get spray on crack finder which will show cracks you wouldn't normally see. you will also need a vrs gasket kit for your engine, should be well under $100 for a 2.6L. so allow about $250 for do it yourself.(EDIT: and more if the head needs repair or you have to get another one) I got a second hand TS 4cyl motor fitted by a wrecker in sydney to a TR about 6 months ago for less than $900.

This is an update for my friend First TR, I have a mate that is a mechanic and is going to fix the head gasket problem for her for a bottle of bourbon! He is a great mechanic and knows the magna inside out and backward.

He said that there is water in the number 1 cyl, and it is common with this make of car due to the set up of the head.

What I was wondering if the head is gone can we replace it with a TS head and what is the difference in gasket kits, do I need to get a TS kit or what.... Sorry Im not sure about this and I have not asked my mate for her yet as he is flat out until Saturady when he is going over to her house to fix it for her.

TRMagna92

the TS 4cyl had a different combustion chamber in the head which flowed better,
I had a ts motor fitted to a tr and used the original tr computer. it ran fine but was no where near as powerful as the 94 ts i owned or the stock tr i have now. all were manual.

sorry to bring up an old thread, but my car does sound like this also, it's blowing white smoke, but only at start up, and on idle, I know that would be the valves playing up causing oil to go into the cylinders. My car also does overheat from time to time, and the idle is rough and erratic, meaning that it is so low, that sometimes it stalls, and going into reverse, stalls most of the time. Is this because my head is cracked?

ex-zero it could be many things, a cracked head or blown head gasket amongst them, does your motor use coolant or blow bubbles in the radiator? is the oil milky under the rocker cover? remove the spark plugs is there any sign of water on any of them or is one a lot cleaner or rustier than the others. all are signs of coolant getting into the cylinders or oil.