zaphod

Some forum members may have been following the issues I have been having with my LS400 1992.

After doing a preliminary dismantle of the cooling system, see other thread, on sunday, I checked how things were going today, and found a leaking hose - cracked it I thought! Replaced, and correctly bled and replenished the system, taking around 15 minutes until the car reached normal temperature. No noises from the water pump/ pulley area, either.

Took her out for a 10 or so mile run, mixed traffic. Gauge retained to its Normal level and stayed there, throughout, and was going very well - I am not a heavy, right-footed driver.

Brilliant.

Got to the bottom of the close where I live...


...and....



.....without any warning, or smells.....


BANG!


Head gasket or cylinder blows - both banks had steam blowing from them, and 'that' smell eventually appeared.


Weighing up the possibilities for the future, but the economic one, I feel at the moment, is not to resusitate with surgery or another engine. Bear in mind that in the UK, parts are not so cheap or readily available as the US.

T'eed off, and gutted, but not overly so.

RIP?

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

damn...i think your the first documented BHG case...new engine is about 500-600. get a 91-92 to ensure everything plugs in for the harness.

Do.Man

dang that sucks bro.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

i'd check the oil and coolant before saying it was definitely a BHG.

sounds like one of the coolant lines running through the intake/under the intake got clogged with something and exploded.

SeriousLS

Another LS400 costs about that over here

Bad luck mate. Maybe time to upgrade to a newer model?

avalon42

iTrader: (1)

Ditto. Mine overheated on two occasions, and took it like a champ. I identified the problems right away and it has been very reliable.

zaphod

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I will be having a look at the weekend, but, TBH, at the moment it does not look too hopeful. Steam was coming from basically the whole top of both blocks - and, thinking about it - why did water vapour come from the exhaust, even when it was in the mid-80's in the days before the blow up, after start-up, spotted glaning in the rear view mirror? Wish I'd registered that, but I didn't - my fault! (Grr!!!!)

I have just secured a Saab 9000 anniversary as a runaround - could not justify putting all those awful miles on the Saab 96 (see signature) getting to and from work, and running around, from a very good friend of mine, an independent Saab dealer and mechanic - he didn't even want a deposit!

It will be an absolute wrench to see the Lexus go. I'll keep you posted.