Could it be this simple? Coolant issues

owas said:

Recoverd back, all the parts i Could feel were warm.

Driver has a disco too, said its running way too good to be a headgasket issue ..
Going to flush the system, properly check everything and bleed it and see what happens.

The fuel pump leak wasnt a leak .. more a bloody waterfall! So going to have to change that pipe too.

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at the start of an head gasket issue it doesnt alter the engines performance it just pressurises the cooling system , if the gasket actually fails coolant will be expelled at a great rate , it could be another issue you need to check

Best way to check if it is the head gasket?

you could try a compression test but if its slight you probably wont be able to tell , it will be more noticeable when at running temp, usually i diagnose by ruling out the other likely causes , ie thermostat ,rad ,leaks ,water pump etc feeling the entire system so you know its all hot gives you idea if rads cooling across the full core or only part and if all hoses are hot it shows thermostats opening and coolants flowing

Will have a look after getting this diesel leak sorted first, no starting the car now as ive removed and snapped the leaking banjo fitting. having a hard time finding the correct fitting online! One with two lines on the injector pump

Does the bottom radiator hose drain the block too? I dont get how im supposed to get to the bolt with anything.

owas said:

Does the bottom radiator hose drain the block too? I dont get how im supposed to get to the bolt with anything.

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Not all of it ...

there's a brass 13mm plug on the block below the exhaust manifold near the front ... that is the block drain ...

I know where it is but cant seem to get anything down there to get it off? Unless its from below .. cant jack the car up driveways a hill

owas said:

I know where it is but cant seem to get anything down there to get it off? Unless its from below .. cant jack the car up driveways a hill

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I did ours from underneath, except for the last few turns, a bit fiddly, but then I'm a short arse ...

Ok so i couldnt get that out and im running out of daylight soon so put back in plain water and left the fan off.

Run it up to temp now and rad is cold all over and the engine quite cool .. wouldnt it be quite hot at running temp?

None of the pipes feel overly pressureised and the only time ive ever had white smoke is on start up but changed the leak off rail and that's sorted ... nor is it running bad (actualy a little better since changing the leak off stuff)

Sounds like a dodgey rad then?

No heaters now so ive got an air lock somewhere now too.

The thermostat housing was coverd in some red sealent thing .. why would anyone do that if the thermostat seals it?

The sealant may just be to replace the gasket that would normally be used to seal the housing that opens up to hold the thermostat. Or maybe to seal between the hose and the housing nipple. Both areas which have been known to corrode where sealant could be used to stop leakage if faces or surfaces are pitted and are not suitable to give a good seal.

Sounds like the head gasket starting to go. Try these fault finding steps:

1- Run the engine with the header tank cap removed, the level should remain still, any bubbling and the gasket has split between the exhaust chambers (hence the pressurisation of your header tank)

2- Smell the coolant, does it smell like exhaust fumes? even just a hint?

3- Smell the exhaust pipe, if the Disco had the correct coolant in and the head gasket is leaking it will smell sweet as its burning coolant

4- From a cold start up does the exhaust blow any white smoke or dripping water from the tail pipe?

5- At full operating temperature are the heaters HOT? any sign of warm/cold air points to head gasket failure

These are all tests to see if the gasket has started to fail very early on in the process. The more the vehicle is driven with a head gasket issue the more signs will appear.

At this point the oil will show no signs of mixture as it has potentially split between the exhaust and coolant.

Keep an eye on the temperature gauge as this is the best indication to what you're engine is going through.

If you're located in Kent I'd be more than happy to take a look for you

If you have completed the above tests and you believe the gasket is starting to fail and you'd rather not spend the money right this second on the fix then I suggest you run down to Halfrauds or Euro car parts and grab a bottle of Steel Seal. Catching a failing gasket this early on you have a decent chance that the product will delay the onset by a year or two.

Contrary to the belief that these products don't work or block heater matrix pipes they do in fact work, albeit for a limited time; having stripped many engines that have had a multitude of these products in myself they'll only block pipes if you misuse the product and start pouring bottle after bottle in or use too much.

I've seen old crappy cars/trucks that have had headgasket sealer put in at the first signs of of HGF and they've made it to the scrap yard some 4 years later with no sign of failure

All the best

Sam

Level stays still with the header cap off but rises with it on to the point it leaks out of the cap and bubbles.

Heaters were hot and unbareable at full heat before i drained the crap that was in the system.
No heat at all now .. but that might just be me not properly filling the system with water again.


I think its the rad that caused it to initially overheat .. than the gasket must of failed.

Sooooo can a gasket be done in a day by a fairly competent d.i.y'er?

Off to search out the how to's and see what i need .. along with trying to get a day off work .. working 6 days = very little daylight hours for the disco:thumbdown:

Changing out the rad and a few suspect looking hoses and the bleed hose tomorow.

Sounds like an air lock in the coolant system if it bubbles over when the caps on. Park it so the nose of the car is facing uphill and leave the coolant cap off, run the engine and use the bleed bolt on top of the thermo housing to remove any excess air.

It's a very easy gasket to change as the timing is lower down, just make sure you have a piece of cardboard to put all the push rods on and put them back in the exact order.

The hardest part is reaching the head bolts nearest the bulk head and removing the dreaded exhaust manifold nuts.

Make sure you use an elring gasket as they are the best quality and make sure you get the same one as you take off, usually 3 hole.

Thats the other thing actualy .. a lot of bubbling and water rising out of the thermostat bleed plug if i take it off and run the engine ... normal or not?

Normal until its bled, if its been bled and you still find there is bubbling then its probably the gasket letting exhaust fumes into the cooling circuit.

changed the rad, was disgusting.
def the gasket .. white smoke blowing out the theromostat housing with the water.

Looks like im doing the gasket Sunday then, no i.d holes on the one thats in there so i get the same no hole one right.
Seems straightforward.

I had a few issues with mine when it was air locked. Water would be cool in one part of the system and boil in the other. Its a bit of a faff to get rid off a bad air lock as the header tank is lower than the top of the engine. The below procedure works really well although it does take some time.

Works best if the car is pointing slightly uphill and cool
-Make sure the cap on the header tank is on tight
-Undo the plug on the top of the thermostat housing and the plug on the top of the radiator.
-Pour your coolant solution into the thermostat housing until it starts to overflow from the radiator then refit the radiator plug
-Keep filling the thermostat housing, the water level will slowly drop just keep topping it up till it stops taking any more then refit the plug
-Take off the header tank cap and fill to the correct level
-Take it for a 1mile drive (causes agitation not just circulation of the engine running)
-Leave it to cool fully then recheck the level in the header tank and top up if necessary.

After this you know the water level is spot on without any air locks. At least it will help you diagnose it better if nothing else.

I hope this helps before you resort to head gasket change.

Fras

Edit-
Ah, you posted as I was typing. At least you can use this when you refill it after the gasket change.

If the head gasket is failed and engine has been overheated somewhat, you may need more than just the gasket, quite common for the head to warp under such circumstances and depending on how much it is distorted it could need re-surfacing machining to be done but I think the maximum distortion the head will stand is .004" before it is not practical to try to recover, something about the special surface hardening of original heads.
Then if the above is the case you may need to buy a new, (costly), or good second hand head.
The "Elring" gasket has been recommended but I have found that the "Victor Reinz" MLM gasket was best to reseal the good second hand head I used on our '97 Tdi, also recommended to use a new head bolt set.

I think black country 4x4 by me does testing/skimming, ill give them a call