200 tdi head gasket replace? pt 2

scotia900 said:

Have just cooked my engine, temp gauge not to accurate and I think it was the bloody brit part waterpump, (fitted before i was warned,) the rad sprung several leaks, have huge vacum and a bit of oil in rad, but no creamy guiness in the oil, if it is the head gasket, how many times can you just replace gasket, does the head need to be skimmed?

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emptied water out of exhaust! and I have just replaced radiator, hoses etc, bled the system, turned the engine over with the fuel pump disconnected, huge vacum again, connected fuel pump and fired it up, smoke coming out of header tank with oily smell? and vacum, still no water in oil, looks like engine pressure in the cooling system, is this what happens when the head gasket goes? not turbo pressure? the only time i had a head gasket go before, i just lost power and the temp went up?

sounds like head gasket,depends on where about gasket leaks ,usuall on tdi between cylinders and or to water way

thanks again, next weekend head off and investigate,

on passenger side of block in front of turbo about half way up is brass 13mm spanner size block drain plug undo before slackening head bolts

Have taken valve cover off etc, just about to do head bolts after lunch, will look for brass bolt, the engine is a conversion disco 1 200tdi I put in the 110 if that makes any difference, loads of water/guiness in rocker cover, I know the head gasket was replaced 10,000 miles ago,

yes undo bolt bung first,heads if been hot enough can loose there internal stress and can move easier after ,some straight away others longer even if fitted 100% with good parts

Head off, like you said no 2 and 3, have noticed on no 1pot some metal filings on top of piston, valve?, will clean off head etc tomor and see if head ok etc,

i think if you measure with straight edge that heads bent around 2-3 cylinders id think about another head /engine

do you think its worth a chance trying another head? if the ol one is warped!

if its warped dont use it again ,another engine might be cheaper ,heads unavailable new now i believe

Mr. Martin is correct. Some places do have them knocking about in their stock rooms because they appear on ebay every now and again from the likes of Craddocks and ex-mod. The other alternative would be to source a complete 300tdi head (with valves, rocker assembly, injectors etc.) and then fit that. It will run with the 200tdi pistons but they should really be swapped for 300tdi pistons to burn the fuel efficiently. The combustion chamber is in a different position on the 300tdi piston because the injectors sit in the head at a different angle. 300tdi injectors are also different to 200tdi injectors, and about half the price too just in case you were wondering. If you've got the head off, you're half way there and it'd do it good to have new rings and big end bearings (if you do it correctly of course).

-Tom

would be cheaper to get disco lump and swap parts over ,

jamesmartin said:

would be cheaper to get disco lump and swap parts over ,

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True

On a side note; although consider that it may also have a bearing on the HGF - cylinders 1 and 4 look awfully sooty, 2 and 3 look wet but were they sooty too? There could be an underlying issue here.

I was stuck in the middle of nowhere and kept pushing it to the limit then stopping, I know the head gasket had been replaced, the gasket is a 3 hole. i've still got the old 19j motor, tempted to put that back in and sell her on as i'm about to buy my mates 300tdi, the yards full of projects that dont quite go! need to scale down!

if the bottom end has gone and the piston, liners etc are ok, is it just a case of replacing the bearings or is some engineering needed? if i was to replace bearings, pistons etc and put a 300 head on would it be financially better than buying an older 200 tdi motor?