Damn and blast!

Head gasket has gone in a big way on the Matta

It's pressurising and coughing water and exhaust fumes(?) out of the radiator. Obviously I haven't found the secret of combustable water either.....

Hope I can fix it quickly, lots of events to go to

wrinx

....sorry to hear the news.

I can't imagine getting a suitable head gasket for a Matta could by easy, wrinx?

Originally Posted by wrinx

Head gasket has gone in a big way on the Matta



wrinx

Owch Wrinx!!

Hope you get it fixed soon! How exactly will you do that by the way
Good luck!

Oh Heck, thats a bugger. Hope you get it sorted, can you still get stuff likr head gaskets of the shelf, or do they get made to order?.

Thanks for your sypathies chaps.

There are a couple of sources online that may sell the right one, they are different to the later 1900/2000 gasket I have in the garage (typical!).

Emails have gone and if that fails I know the guy who runs the Matta register (yes there is such a thing!!).

Will be doing the work myself Understand these old chain driven Twincam engines are easy to work on....they need to be as I've never done a headgasket

wrinx

Wrinx the chap who runs the Matta register is that your alter ego
Good job you weren't half way up the Eiger giving it a workout when it expired. From the pictures in that mag there seems a bit of room to work around.

Yeah, plenty of room to work on them....that's part of the fun!

You're right about the timing, I was thinking the same earlier. Could easily have refused to start on the return journey last week when we took it out for a run in the hills

Least it's tucked up safe in the garage

wrinx

Oh no! Sorry to hear about your woes, Wrinx

The Matta is about the closest thing we have to a celebrity on this forum - hope you managed to get it all fixed up soon

Not sure about a celebrity....mad old woman..yes

Head is off tonight. Can see where it was leaking and definately got water in the piston The search continues for a gasket....first port of call don't appear to have one

wrinx

Sorry to hear the news too.

You might want to try contacting Peter Marshall there in the UK or Joost Gomples here in the States. They are, IMO, the two best 1900 people on the planet. If anyone knows where to get parts, they do. I'll see if I can dig out there addresses.....

Thanks Papa....I've got Peter's email address but not Joost's. Have also got Enrico Chechinatta's (Matta guru in Italy) address but not tried him yet.....will pop off and do that now I think

Amazing the variety of people you gain contact with when owning a slightly rare car

wrinx

Ooops...forgot to update...

Head gasket is done (the one I had fitted after all!!) but not had the beasty started as the starter motor has worn a brush out and won't work now (can't get it running on the starter handle either!?!?!).

Would you believe Halfrauds don't stock replacement brushes...shocking I call it

Have sent one away to see if a batch can be made for me....

wrinx

FINALLY....the Matta is working again!

Got the starter motor brushes today, not cheap but good quality by the looks of them.

Got a slight leak from the thermostat housing to sort but thats the only problem evident from the five minute warm up

....I'm all happy again

wrinx

That's fantastic, Wrinx! Congrats on a great job!

Go on, get out there and tow some stuff.

Originally Posted by bobdabilda

Go on, get out there and tow some stuff.

LOL...

wrinx