Firstline or Vemo stat housing, Ford KA?

Joined
17 Apr 2007
Messages
2,487
Reaction score
127
Country
United Kingdom
2007 1.3i KA

Been loosing a lot of coolant and when I called in tonight to fault find, its leaking along the top of the stat housing, the stat housing being an weak point on these cars. The current housing was fitted a year ago, sourced at a local factors.

When it gets light, I'll give the bolts a nip and if that doesn't solve it, time for a new housing.

Both Firstline (Borg and Beck) and Vemo are around £40 which includes stat and sensor so its deciding which is best, Vemo allegedly being a German brand. Any preferences on this one?

I got a quote from the local Ford last year - £160 for the housing.
 
Sponsored Links
Firstline are parts distributors rather than manufacturers who rebox components, sourcing from all over the world.
I've had wheel bearings (fine)
CV Boots (fine)
Drop links (hopeless and didn't last 12 months).
From Vemo I've only bought crankshaft position sensors and lambda sensors which have been excellent.....One sensor from Intermotor didn't cure the issue but a Vemo one did.
Therefore if I had a choice it would be Vemo if possible.
John :)
 
Much obliged John. I thought the Vemo one as well to be honest!

Got a B&B ball joint from Firstline and it wasn't made properly. The insert shoulder hadn't been splined.

Will look at the car today to see if the bolts will nip up but I suspect the plastic body has cracked.

Ford should have made it with aluminium!
 
I'm sure it will be cracked, they always are!
Just the slightest nip up on the bolts is the way to go.
John :)
 
Sponsored Links
Sadly, too late!

The engine has run for too long too hot and after giving the bolts a nip and adding 2L water this morning and running the engine warm, the header tank frothed and dipping my finger, there's oil in the water.

Since last night, its has a gallon poured in to the tank.

Head gasket job I believe?

Its the A9A/A9B Duratec engine.
 
Sadly it would seem that the engine has been fried :( For sure that will be the head gasket.
If you are going to get stuck in, just check that the cylinder head is suitable for skimming - not all are, unfortunately.
John :)
 
I'd rather the dosh went into a change of car and the KA scrapped but that's in the hands of the owner's dear Papa if she can persuade him.
 
What's the best flushing product to get the oil cleaned out of the coolant system?
 
Believe it or not, one of the best methods is to use bio washing liquid - quite a strong solution - and plenty of rinses afterwards, allowing the engine to run for a good while.
Naturally enough, the oil leak needs to be cured first!
John :)
 
Thanks John!

I'm going to look at the stat housing leak. Then attempt a system flush just to get it drivable.

If the engines god is kind, there may be no oil leak if the engine temp is normal.
 
Well, fingers crossed! Often enough, all will seem to be well initially but after a fair run, along comes the oil :(
Lets know what you find!
I have absolutely no experience with the likes of K Seal or similar but some claim that it works.
John :)
 
Its in the hands of dear Papa. He's going to take the car to the garage we use for the big stuff that I don't have the facilities for.

There's talk of putting a new engine in but its not my call.

Thanks for posting John!
 
Out of interest, since I have never heard of Vemo, I had a look at their web-site. This is one brand of a company called Vierol based in Oldenburg and since their site does not mention manufacturing/show any factory pictures, but does talk extensively about sourcing-specialists, I would bet that it is purely a trading-company - like Firstline - sourcing parts wherever it can.

They claim the parts are made to o.e. standards but anybody can say that. The company itself is only rated to ISO 9001 which is the lowest basic standard and requires no more than having a procedures manual in the drawer: it used to be the case that you didn't even have to use it, just know where it was if you needed to look something up, or were challenged by your certifying body on an inspection-visit, to show where it was.
 
@DIYspanner We have the same problem with our works runabout 2004 Focus. I'm fed up with keep topping ours up - I must have spent more on antifreeze than a housing would cost over the last two years. Just laziness on my part so I've just this minute ordered a new thermostat housing complete with thermostat from Amazon. £14.77 and it's being delivered for free tomorrow. My local factor wanted just over £35 for those parts separately (main housing, thermostat housing, thermostat). I don't know what make and I don't care - if it works it works, if it doesn't it goes back but I really cant see much being wrong with it.
 
Last edited:
Sponsored Links
Back
Top