Overheating the engine

[sirlezz]

Mitch suffered heat stroke on the Freeway last Thursday 28 Aug outbound near Griffith university billowing vast amounts of white smoke similiar to a Bond movie
called RACQ they towed me to a parking lot then another towed me to get fixed at Diesel Australia
after the initial diagnosis was determined they towed me up the engine reconditioners UMR for repair

Long story short version - we think it is this way
run out of water, with no real rise in the temp gauges
blew head gasket, remaining water got in everywhere including turbo (smoke)
motor is ok, well has been so far since the repair
cost 3K all up with no major parts just new peripheral gear,all belts bolts, filters. plugs etc. and heaps of labour
Looking back there may have been a water consumption issue for some time, but nothing major just topping up of the radiator and water bottle

really couldn't afford the repairs, but then again if it was a more significant cost I would have thought about another replacement car, and that would have messed up the finances wonderfully

so what next, as don't want that to happen again
so just bought a bolt on engine warning temp gauge, all electric to make sure that there is some notice before I cook it completely

what do you do for such a situation

[daggy]

I had the same happen in a ford falcon. Repaired and went ok for a short time but became a money pit after. There was more damage done than the eye could see.

[stockhorse]

Did it look a little like this ?

http://s723.photobucket.com/user/stockho...4.html?o=2

Mine was a total headgasket failure and the sump filled up with water. I drained 32 litres of oil/water mix from the sump. The turbo air intake was literally full of the same oil water mix 3" deep. Fortunately the battery was down on cca and wouldn't turn the motor over when it was hydro locked so caused no damage to rods etc.

2 bags of rags and 4 bottles of kerosene through the engine, new head gasket ($55.00 from ebay) and because I am old and frail (and a tad lazy) a couple of weeks to take apart and rebuild.

New fuel filter some new glow plugs ($33 from ebay) and all the old odds and sods of oil I had in the shed to fill her up.

New oil filter and new oil a week later, will retension the head this weekend and do another oil change and all is good for about $200 all up so I am Happy.
I do have a bolt on temp gauge and It is very sensitive and I do think it saved my motor.
My thermostate opens at 83 degrees and I can watch the temp climb to that and then fall to 73-74 degrees and the motor sits on that with increases and decreases depending on up hill/downhill and boost on the turbo etc.