Hi all,

I have a A12 engine sitting at home, came out of a 1200 coupe. Seems as though it was slightly worked when it was running, went hard as.

Problem is, i transferred it into my 120y, and ruined it...

When tou crank the engine, nothing happens, and if the radiator cap is off, water blasts out of the radiator like a fountain.

What i want to know, is how do i determine wether

1) Its just the head gasket blown
2) The head is cracked or warped
3) The block / cylinders are up the ####

There is no water in the sump so im assuming the bottom end is ok.


Thanks, in advance.

Hi - you have blown a head gasket or (very unlikely) cracked a head. The reason your engine won't crank is because the cylinders are full of water. Pull the head and examine the gasket for signs of separation. Did it overheat and stop or did you catch it? If you caught it quick enough then you may only be up for a 20 buck head gasket, oil and filter. Lettuce know.

Was driving at the time... Going up a hill, it seems the person who helped me put the engine in, didnt tightne up the radiator hoses like i told him to, and she ran out of water, was driving along fine, then lost all power on the accellerator...

Have already removed the head about 12 months ago, the gasket looked a tat old, however no signs of breakage etc, was all in tact.

I might just get a gasket, and see how i go.

Only thing the distributor was removed by a mate to use on another engine. If i get another how do i install it correctly?

You didn't replace the gasket 12 months ago when you pulled the head off?

No, just pulled the head off to have a look at it...
Havnt tried replacing the gasket as i had a spare engine sittin there ready to go !

There you go! you should've changed the head gasket when you took the head off it.
Now you have to check for crack, and other parts that needs replacing.
Good luck!

if you've left it laying around for that long, chances are the bores have rusted aswell...

Sounds more like a head gasket problem.
To be 100% sure do a leak down test.
That means find what cylinder has water in it & drain it by turning the motor over with the plugs out. Turn the motor so the piston in that cylinder is up top. Then put compressed air in that cylinder. If air bubbles through the radiator you have blown a head gasket.
If there are no bubbles the head gasket is probably ok. To find out if the bore is ok turn the motor so that the piston is at the bottom of the cylinder. Then put compresed air into it. If you hear bubbles through the radiator you have a split bore.
But remember to make sure you do head gasket check first Have Fun.

OK i think ive been a little unclear in my previous posts.

Engine was running and then radiator ran dry...
Engine stopped running.

Fill radiator leave cap off, water fountains out of radiator, obvious problem here.

Remove head to look for cracks, none can be seen, gasket seemed to be ok (I think)

Have NOT put the head back on yet, or tried to repair as i had a spare engine.

Now thinking of getting the engine going. How do i test bottom end, or head to see if they were the problem? Or do i just get a new gasket, put the head on and try the engine...

don't worry too much about the bottom end - you would need to run it seriously hot for some time to do any damage there.

You need to check the head mounting surface for 'straightness'. If you don't know how, a machine shop will probably check it out for nothing. If it is warped, it will need to be milled by the machine shop before re-assembly, with the new gasket.