Help! Maybe Head Gasket Or Heat Exchanger?

Heya, has anyone come across this? the oil and water have mixed! when i took cap off this afternoon it overflowed out like a mini volcano! so panic stations! i have checked the oil tank and that is fine! it has cracked the top! so is it the head gasket or the heat exchanger?? or what?? anyone come across this? Chris[attachment=20465:2.JPG]

Looks like the water system is being pressurised, well it must be if the header tank has been put under that much pressure its cracked.

Looks like the water system is being pressurised, well it must be if the header tank has been put under that much pressure its cracked.

Tank cracking could just be the usual UV problem, and 'mayo' in the oil does not always mean HGF - could be just condensation not be burnt off due to the car only being used for short trips..........

Edit.....

Just seen the attached pic which looks very much like a header tank full of emulsified oil meaning HGF..

Edited by Garry.L, 25 November 2008 - 06:31 PM.

Looks like the water system is being pressurised, well it must be if the header tank has been put under that much pressure its cracked.

Tank cracking could just be the usual UV problem, and 'mayo' in the oil does not always mean HGF - could be just condensation not be burnt off due to the car only being used for short trips..........

Edit.....

Just seen the attached pic which looks very much like a header tank full of emulsified oil meaning HGF..

When he said "it has cracked the header tank" i took that as it was fine before all the muck in the header tank appeared, looks like head gasket to me.

Does it smell of exhaust fumes in the header tank?

Looks like the water system is being pressurised, well it must be if the header tank has been put under that much pressure its cracked.

Tank cracking could just be the usual UV problem, and 'mayo' in the oil does not always mean HGF - could be just condensation not be burnt off due to the car only being used for short trips..........

Edit.....

Just seen the attached pic which looks very much like a header tank full of emulsified oil meaning HGF..

When he said "it has cracked the header tank" i took that as it was fine before all the muck in the header tank appeared, looks like head gasket to me.

Does it smell of exhaust fumes in the header tank?

heya hmm no i dunno what time of smell it is to be honest. just a weird one! im leaning towards it is the head gasket. its just strange that it hasnt got to the oil. only the header tank!? i dunno - there goes the chrimbo pressies!

the most common reason on the 2.2 is a cracked head, but there has been an oil cooler failure recently on a speedster. head gasket failure is quite rare, but a possibility edit; as the oil has entered the water system I would check the oil cooler first

Edited by vocky, 25 November 2008 - 07:20 PM.

as the oil has entered the water system I would check the oil cooler first

a tool like this....

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...L...:1|240:1318

... will help indicate if you have exhaust gasses in your water.

Good luck

Obviously a Piston leakage test would be good aswell but asuming you dont have a air compressor etc to hand

Looks to me like a standard header tank uv failure, causing high pressure steam to escape thru the cracks . That steam is then mixing with the crap (oil?) on the header tank external surface. May be completely wrong of course.

Thanks alot guys - these ideas are very helpful!! im hoping to get it fixed tomoz.