Anyone had problems with specific head gaskets?

I've just changed my head gasket, now the problem is even worse. Huge amounts of water in No.1 cylinder.

Thinking it may be a cracked head, so have found a second hand one.

Before I swap the head over though, has anyone had any problems with Britparts head gaskets? Should I even bother, and go for a Land Rover one instead?

I know for my Saab the scantech HG's are very cheap, but quality is nowhere near as good as the Saab OE ones. Thought maybe there might be a similar issue here.

ianrobbo said:

I've just changed my head gasket, now the problem is even worse. Huge amounts of water in No.1 cylinder.

Thinking it may be a cracked head, so have found a second hand one.

Before I swap the head over though, has anyone had any problems with Britparts head gaskets? Should I even bother, and go for a Land Rover one instead?

I know for my Saab the scantech HG's are very cheap, but quality is nowhere near as good as the Saab OE ones. Thought maybe there might be a similar issue here.

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Britpart aren't known as ****part for nothing.

ratty said:

Britpart aren't known as ****part for nothing.

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Fair enough, one thing learnt - but head gaskets in particular?

ianrobbo said:

I've just changed my head gasket, now the problem is even worse. Huge amounts of water in No.1 cylinder.

Thinking it may be a cracked head, so have found a second hand one.

Before I swap the head over though, has anyone had any problems with Britparts head gaskets? Should I even bother, and go for a Land Rover one instead?

I know for my Saab the scantech HG's are very cheap, but quality is nowhere near as good as the Saab OE ones. Thought maybe there might be a similar issue here.

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Use an OEM gasket and do the job once. Or keep on buying spit and carboard gaskets and keep on replacing them every five minutes.
Of course the above assumes that your block and head are flat otherwise you will never get a decent seal.

Bear in mind that there are different thicknesses (four I think from memory). Did you use the correct one?
And remember to use metal dowels. Cracked heads are common on this engine, so you may be right about the head. Next step is to have your head pressure tested by a specialist. If you do change it remember to keep the injectors in the correct order. If you have the head skimmed (LR say you can't, but others say you can) you will need to use a different thickness of gasket. You must also use new bolts. Plenty of info on here if you search hard enough.

PASTMASTER said:

Bear in mind that there are different thicknesses (four I think from memory). Did you use the correct one?

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Yes

PASTMASTER said:

And remember to use metal dowels.

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Did that too

Did you not get the head pressure tested and skimmed?

I got a head fitting kit from Turner Engineering. Remember you will need far more than just the head gasket itself

T

Hedgehog70 said:

Did you not get the head pressure tested and skimmed?

I got a head fitting kit from Turner Engineering. Remember you will need far more than just the head gasket itself

T

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It was Turner Engineering themselves who told me they no longer bother pressure testing Td5 heads - They reckon that if there's any doubt, they're knackered.

Anyhow, one second hand head later, and all is now good. Running better than it ever has (since we've owned it anyway).

Difficult to see a specific issue on the old head, but the corrosion on the head in the #1 cylinder area tells you that it's had water going into that cylinder for quite some time. I filled the inlet port up with diesel, and it actually seems to seep through the metal - so I'm pretty sure it's a porous casting. Also, however hard I try, I can't clean up the corrosion on that face - another indication that its porous.

Haven't heard of a porous one before, but they tend to crack around the exhaust valves. Unfortunately Turners are about right!

When they crack on #1 it is usually visible to the naked eye. Mine all looked good, but there was no way I was going to do all that work without getting a 2nd opinion in the form of a 24 hour pressure test.

Glad you are sorted

T

PASTMASTER said:

Bear in mind that there are different thicknesses (four I think from memory). Did you use the correct one?
And remember to use metal dowels. Cracked heads are common on this engine, so you may be right about the head. Next step is to have your head pressure tested by a specialist. If you do change it remember to keep the injectors in the correct order. If you have the head skimmed (LR say you can't, but others say you can) you will need to use a different thickness of gasket. You must also use new bolts. Plenty of info on here if you search hard enough.

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you use the same thickness gasket regardless of having the head skimmed

Correctomundo! The TD5 head is flat. Skimming it should leave it still flat (unless you did it yourself with a deck and blacker wood plane and sander) hence the same thickness of gasket as before you started.

johnlad said:

you use the same thickness gasket regardless of having the head skimmed

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Indeed. Head Gasket thickness is relative to piston height hence why you should always replace it like for like

T

Hedgehog70 said:

Indeed. Head Gasket thickness is relative to piston height hence why you should always replace it like for like

T

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I thought you measured the piston protrubance and sized the gasket from that?? not just replaced with the same one.

redhand said:

I thought you measured the piston protrubance and sized the gasket from that?? not just replaced with the same one.

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That is not my understanding having just done my own HG replacement

T

If you are only skimming the head then the piston protrusion wont have changed so use the same thickness gasket. You can always use the thickest available if you didn't note what the old one was.

redhand said:

I thought you measured the piston protrubance and sized the gasket from that?? not just replaced with the same one.

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johnlad said:

you use the same thickness gasket regardless of having the head skimmed

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I stand corrected.:doh: