Head gasket gone/overheating

If I had a shotgun I would be blowing my brains out right now!

I did the P gasket on my 300TDI this morning........no problems. Job done and off i went up the motorway............Then, no hot air from the blower, and an overheating motor.......bollocks. Got off m/way, let it cool down and topped up water........got a fountain straight out of the header tank.

One blown head gasket. I can only assume that I never bled it properly, and now I am paying for that right royal f**k up. I have now got the head off, ready to skim/re-fit/whatever.

What I would like to know is please:

• Is it likely it will need skimming?
• What are the best gaskets or oversize gaskets I should use?
• Do I need new head bolts?
• How do I bleed the system so I dont need to do the head gasket once a week?

Thanks in advance. Dale.

What I would like to know is please:
Is it likely it will need skimming?

Might as well as the heads off, just to make sure its AOK unless you want to do it gain
Not doing it could be a false economy

What are the best gaskets or oversize gaskets I should use?
OE laminated (layered) 4 hole, again false economy to buy any other

Do I need new head bolts?
Do you know for definite that its not been done before?
if there is any chance its been done change them do it once do it right

How do I bleed the system so I dont need to do the head gasket once a week?
Fill the radiator through the plug, then fill to top from the thermostat plug until over flowing, run engine with internal heater controls set at hottest, and keep an eye on the header tank to make sure level does not drop, keep topping up.
Thanks in advance. Dale.

hi chopper, not sure about the 300 tdi but i know they say you dont need to skim with the 200 tdi unless its warped ( check with a spirit level or strait edge) , if it is not warped then as long as the gasket mating surfaces are spotlessly clean and bone dry it should be fine !
As for filling the system you should take the bung out of the top of the rad as you fill to let air escape & ensure your heater is set to hot when filling. and poor slowly to let the air out !
Personally i normally put some water in, then start the engine and fill the rest with it running, rev the engine periodically to spin the pump up & get it moving around quicker and put yur heater on full & check you get heat ! If not your heater matrix is empty & theres probably a massive air lock in the small heater pipe !
Hope this helps mate & i feel for ya !
stu
Oh and as far as headbolts go i know on the 200 they can be reused a maximum of 5 times but im not sure if its the same with the 300, if your worried mate replace them

also been told only use elring head gaskets as its what land rover supply !

Thanks for the swift replys guys, much appreciated.

I will inspect & strip the head tomorrow, and take it to the engineers on monday.

I will check the old gasket thickness, and see if I need a 3 hole or whatever.

Is there anything else I may need to know..........any other little gremlins that could catch me out?

Cheers

Ok, I've stripped the head, and I can see its warped using a straight edge, so will need machining.

The old gasket is an Elring 3 hole (I think). Its got 3 holes punched along the edge in one corner and I mic'd it up at 1.5mm (although it was a fraction different in places).

So it looks like its been done before, so what are my options for a thicker gasket? I have seen 0 hole gaskets that are even thicker.....is that the way to go?

Cheers. Dale

why do you think there are different gasket thicknesses

jamesmartin said:

why do you think there are different gasket thicknesses

Click to expand...

I know why, sorry if that sounded obvious.........I was more concerned that I am on a 3 hole already and need skimming........I may be on the limit. What is the absolute thickest gasket out there?

your probably on 3 hole as most fit it as default instead of measuring piston protrusion ,skimming head if pocketing valves, or cutting as much of seats for valves dosent alter gasket thickness needed ,but there is a thicker gasket produced ,britpart do one

jamesmartin said:

your probably on 3 hole as most fit it as default instead of measuring piston protrusion ,skimming head if pocketing valves, or cutting as much of seats for valves dosent alter gasket thickness needed ,but there is a thicker gasket produced ,britpart do one

Click to expand...

Thanks JM. In your experience, are there ever any issues with the valves getting too close to the pistons after skimming?

Is there a minimum clearance between the face of the head and the underside of the valve?

yes there is but cant remember what it is but could look it up tomorrow,is best practice to recut valve seats as much as material skimmed off ,valves run really close to piston

jamesmartin said:

yes there is but cant remember what it is but could look it up tomorrow,is best practice to recut valve seats as much as material skimmed off ,valves run really close to piston

Click to expand...

Ok cheers. I should get it into the engineers tomorrow, so will see what the score is. Thanks again (to all)

Ok, just thought I'd give an update. The head seemed to be warped in the centre, and the engineers skimmed it, recut the valves, built it up and pressure tested it - all good.

I cleaned everything up and refitted it today, did valve clearances etc, all turned over nice. Filled up the rad through the rad plug and into the thermostat housing. Heater matrix on full heat.

When I filled the water system, the guy at West 4x4 in Swanmore (Hants), where I bought the parts from, said that to bleed the system, the easiest way is as follows:

• Take off the small 1/4" hose from the top of the thermostat housing, and put on a long piece of hose, and run it down to the ground.
• Start the engine and wait until water runs from the hose.
• With the cap off the expansion tank, stick the end of the hose in the top, and let circulate.
• Keep engine on a fast idle (about 1000rpm), and check flow from end of hose.
• If flow stopped, just point down to ground and air bleeds out, and coolant flows from hose again (by now, hot air should be coming out of vents, which mine did).

After taking it for a quick run, I still had an airlock, as the blower went cold. I just repeated the process. All good.

I have never had that much trouble bleeding a water system. Not complicated, just time consuming........plus after cooking the head last week, I was being extra careful.

For anyone in the Southampton/Pompey area, I would highly recommend West 4x4 in Swanmore, near Bishops Waltham......very good service and good prices. Also Woodmill Engine Services who did the head......Skimmed, recut valves, rebuilt head and tested, SAME DAY SERVICE......£75. Unbelievable value and service.

Thanks to everyone for their help on the thread..........No more problems hopefully.

Well I'm not out of the woods yet with my F**king cursed Disco.

I have ran it down the road no problem, hot air blasting from heater, all bled out. Got onto the motorway, watching the temp gauge, needle in the middle. I thought I would knock the hot air off, just to check, then after about half a mile, the temp started to shoot..........pulled off, let it cool. Bled it all out again (but I dont think it needed it), topped it up etc and it did the same again when knocking off the hot air blower......

I just crept home at a slow pace with the blowers on full heat and fan, and the temp needle stayed in the middle.

Does this sound like a thermostat problem? (especially after I cooked the top end last week).......any ideas anyone

have you felt rad is hot all over to prove its cooling all over ,they fill and empty on same side and often coolant drops straight through

i take it you didnt replace the thermostat with a new one i was always told best to replace there only a few quid and dont be tempted to leave it out and run the engine either will cause you bigger problem

easy way to check thermostat is to feel top hose ,it wont get hot till thermostat opens

jamesmartin said:

easy way to check thermostat is to feel top hose ,it wont get hot till thermostat opens

Click to expand...

With the engine upto temp on a fast idle on the driveway, the top hose is only luke-warm to touch and squeezes easily. The rad feels warm on the nearside but cool on the offside........temp gauge is roughly hal-way.

Cheers guys (saying that a lot lately)

run it up the road to ensure is up to temp ,try again if top hose still cool remove thermostat and try again until water flowing through top hose you cant really test rad which needs to be hot all over

jamesmartin said:

run it up the road to ensure is up to temp ,try again if top hose still cool remove thermostat and try again until water flowing through top hose you cant really test rad which needs to be hot all over

Click to expand...

Gave it a run, got it upto temp......top hose is warm, but not hot. Took out thermostat. I've dunked it into some boiling water, and there is no movement. It moves by forcing it by hand, but the bi-metallic opener might be no good from when it got red hot last week. I've put it from boiling water to cold and vice-versa, and it aint opening, just stays shut.

I will run it up now, just to check rad with no t/stat. New t/stat tomorrow