The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Check your oil and coolant to see if they're mixing. A compression test will pinpoint where the gasket has failed (if it has). Were you experiencing any loss of power on the way home? Another big clue would be excessive amounts of steam coming out of your exhaust.

Toledo Man wrote:Were you experiencing any loss of power on the way home?

LOL, I don't have any power to begin with so it's hard to tell! I will do a bit more investigation when I get chance to poke about down at the unit. The exhaust is always white but I wouldn't say excessively so, and I don't recall it losing any water but I will have to double check to make sure. I have a spare rocker cover gasket so there will be no harm in whipping that off and cleaning it out to get a baseline.

There's an analyser which can diagnose HGF by detecting exhaust gasses in the coolant. If you can get hold of one you can find out.

Radiator is full to the filler cap and expansion tank is half full so it can't be losing much if indeed it's losing anything at all. I was on a slant and the engine is warm so couldn't check the oil properly but I pulled the dipstick and it looked normal, no mayo down there. Does the rocker cover just vent to the carb? I'm wondering where the condensation is supposed to go, perhaps something is blocked somewhere.

It might've been condensation under the rocker cover. Check the breather hose which goes to the carb.

Checked my service records, it's done 1000 miles since I changed the oil and filter so not excessive or anything. I will look into it further when I get some spannering time! In the meanwhile, changed the HT leads and dizzy cap because although the leads were silicone they seemed a bit dodgy to me last time I took them off so for the relatively low price I decided to get a new set of 8mm red silicone ones from SimonBBC, came with cap and rotor arm for 16 quid delivered so not too bad.

Didn't use the car in the snow yesterday as it was easier to walk to work rather than dig out the drive... this morning it wouldn't start, was turning over really slowly. It did this once before and I managed to bump start it in reverse down the drive, no luck this time. I got it rolling down the hill and tried bump starting it again but it just wouldn't go at all which was worrying. I had to abandon it when I ran out of gravity and get a lift to work, hopefully a jump start will get it going tonight. Odd though. Wonder if the battery is on the way out.

Jimmy, I can swing by on the way home from work. I've got jump leads in Becky II's boot.

S'ok, cheers - we've got some in the w123 so I'll get it going later, I've had to go out in the work van so not sure when I'll be back!

Hmmm, started first turn of the key, didn't even crank. Weirdness is afoot!