Head Gasket or Electrical (or both)

Ok - my MGF has been losing some water for a few months now (around a header tank full every three days). I know I have a small leak either in the radiator or one of the hoses as I can see drips when I've stopped the car but haven't done anything up the now as the car was running without a problem and I've just topped up when necessary.



However, It's now developed a problem where it starts 'juddering' after around 10 miles of running and sounds like it's firing on just three cylinders. After it's cooled down it's fine until it warms up again. At no time does it overheat and although there's a bit of mayo on the dip stick, it looks like that's due to condensation rather than anything more sinister. The oil itself looks fine. Although I don't have any service history, the previous owner said that when he purchased the car, it overheated on the motorway and cost him a lot of money to put right (which sounds to me like a good description of a blown head gasket!!). When Kayleigh's mechanic fitted a new water pump recently, he said there was evidence of oil in the water. The car has done 53000 miles.



My question is basically whether the 'juddering' is a symptom of a blown head gasket or not. If not, presumably it's an electrical issue. Could a failing alternator cause this as mine has been making a whining noise lately?



Thanks for your help.

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