CAR: High Milage Servicing?

[Chriss]

Hi, my car's just ticked over 100,000 miles, and the Mrs and I have decided there's no reason not to carry on with it, so we're looking to keep it, idealy for another 100k miles.

I think my biggest fear is the head gasket(s?) going, or maybe the piston rings. The car's just had fuel filter changed at 90k, along with a oil change, and I've changed the oil and filter every 10k miles. Is there any preventative maintainance that I can/should do? Is it easier to change the head gasket(s?) before they go, or just fix things as problems arise?

The car's a Ford Cougar V6, hence, think there'll be two head gaskets.

Thanks in advance! Any help suggestions greatful.
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Not really any preventative maintenance for the head gaskets, except for making sure the antifreeze is up to spec. You could just replace them (on the basis that they would be less likely to need a skim if done without blowing first), but realistically it would not really make a difference to how difficult the job was and also could possibly cause them to fail if the job isn't done perfectly.

For the piston rings they should be fine. Just don't thrash it from cold and keep changing the oil regularly.

In other words, just keep on doing what you are doing.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[0ddball]

I wouldn't worry much about the milage, i've stripped engines down with well over 100K of hard use on them and found the bores to be within tolerance and with no noticable wear.

By not thrashing it till warm (oil as well which usually takes anything from 5-10 mins after the water gets up to temp) and using a quality oil modern engines can do 150-200K without major work (i.e crank/rods/pistons out).

[iooi]

If the gaskets are going to go then they will and there is nothing you can do.
You could change them, but they could still go, even after doing that.

Best thing leave well alone, carry on with regular servicing or not as the case maybe.
Like the post above, be gentle on cold statups as thats when the most damage is done.

Engines now seem to be able to take much higher milages with ease. Maybe its because they spend so much of their lives under next to no stress.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Not engine related, but a change of clutch/brake fluid would be on my list

Pat
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[NiteMare]

my car has done 185k, the last 60k in my hands ...

all i've done in that time is change oil and filters, no idea if the headgasket has ever been changed...

it is a peugeot XUD diesel tho
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it ain't broke...

i ain't fixed it enough

[arry]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Nothing wrong with mineral oils of that age. Just change it regularly, far more often than modern oils. Main advantage of synthetics is that they need less additives to have a decent viscosity range, and it is these additives (rather than the oil intself) that break down with use.

All th best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[arry]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Trouble is that a couple of missed services then would have left it maybe 18k on the same oil, now could easily be 36k, and possibly far more on some cars (Mercedes have 15k intervals, so that would be 45k on the same oil with a couple of skipped services).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[hmmmnz]

i recomend using a oil stabilizer, moreys is pritty damn good,
i used to have an old 1.1l mk 2 escort that got 400000km out of it
before it went pop, never had a rebuild,
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[Darth]

[hmmmnz]

a stabilizer thickens the oil and allows to be kind of sticky.. not really the right word, but it holds the oil together.

not really like oil

the worse thing you can do to an old engine is run super thin oil,
well in my experience anyway
____________________
the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[timjim]

a good quality 5/30 engine oil,filter changes at regular intervals(10-12k??)flush the cooling system and replen the antifreeze,still an extended life antifreeze (your local Ford dealere should stock this!!)other than that its a case of keeping it running and keeping an eye on any change in engine temperature/overheating.

[stevo as b4]

It's usually other things failing or leaks that cause HGF with most engine's. The coolant should ideally be changed yearly and the pipework and rad flushed out with the hose. Most of the time HFG is related to other issue's, but a leak or an airlock along with lack of maintainence to the cooling system are the favourites.

The Rover K-series engine has a terrible rep for head gasket's failing, but in around 70% of instances, it's normally due to a cooling system fault or a slight leak, that on some light weight alloy engines, causes local overheating, and then HGF is not far behind.

[drew70]

As timjim says 5/30 semi synthetic, i change my v6 oil every 10k and anti freeze changes every 4 years 50/50 mix is what ford used to recomend. These engines are pretty much bullit proof, unless they get over heated. Have a look at your water pump belt as it might be the original, not the alternator belt. The w/p belt is on the nearside of the engine under the front head cover, its like a big hoover belt. I used to work for a large ford dealer and only twice in eight years we had a 2.5 v6 in bits and on both occasions it was due to driver abuse ,ie. not paying attention to the temp guage after the rad had burst lol.

[yen_powell]

Make sure the cambelt has been changed at the recommended intervals. My VW Golf is curently showing about 160,000 miles and doesn't use oil yet.
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[drew70]

No probs with the 2.5v6 its got a cam chain

[4Stroke]