Help! - Head Gasket 200Tdi

Hey

Is there anyone in the North East of England able to change a 200Tdi head gasket for me? I cant afford the time or cash right now to get a garage to do it, but can pay time and beer if anyone fancies doing it... I basically need it sorted by Tuesday night, and dont have the time/equipment to have a first time go...

The engine is chuffing, and exhaust fumes are coming through the oil filler cap. There's no oil or water loss at all.

Many thanks!

MM

Look it up on YouTube, there's a very good instructional video on how to do it step by step and it looks pretty easy. So long as the bolts come out ok, you keep them in the correct order and the get the relevant thickness of gasket. I'll try and find the video if you fancy giving it a go yourself?

I'll certainly have a look...

My main issues are :

Time
Money
Lack of tools
Lack of experience
No driveway/garage - meaning it has to be done at the side of the road!

Like I say, I'll have a quick look on my phone at the youtube video - see how difficult it might be!

Many thanks!

MM

What did the garage say last time you posted on here about exhaust coming out of filler cap? (http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f48/smoking-oil-cap-191541-4.html)

About 15 months ago? They eventually told me it was the head gasket back then, and charged me over 600 quid to replace it over the course of 10 days! I've now got exactly the same symptoms I had back then.

I cant afford to be without the landy for that long, or shell out that sort of money again...

Monkeymick said:

About 15 months ago? They eventually told me it was the head gasket back then, and charged me over 600 quid to replace it over the course of 10 days! I've now got exactly the same symptoms I had back then.

I cant afford to be without the landy for that long, or shell out that sort of money again...

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A head gasket should last longer than 15 months, surely?

I know me saying that doesn't help you much if you're on a tight schedule, but i'd be looking at what was causing the head gasket to go (if that is what's happening). At the moment, changing the head gasket is fixing the resultant problem, not the cause.

Have you got a head gasket?

You're pushing it a bit to get it done out on the street this weekend!

Unfortunately, I have a marine engine which is taking priority at the moment, otherwise I could have had a look at it for you.

gse1986 said:

A head gasket should last longer than 15 months, surely?

I know me saying that doesn't help you much if you're on a tight schedule, but i'd be looking at what was causing the head gasket to go (if that is what's happening). At the moment, changing the head gasket is fixing the resultant problem, not the cause.

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Youd think it would last longer than 15 months, but the same garage gave me the car back without oil in the engine! Just one of many reasons I'll not be going back there....

Oldseadog said:

Have you got a head gasket?

You're pushing it a bit to get it done out on the street this weekend!

Unfortunately, I have a marine engine which is taking priority at the moment, otherwise I could have had a look at it for you.

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There's definately a gasket of some sort on there.... And I'm not happy at possibly doing it out at the side of a busy street!

I appreciate that there would even have been a possibility you could have had a look!

Monkeymick said:

There's definately a gasket of some sort on there.... And I'm not happy at possibly doing it out at the side of a busy street!

I appreciate that there would even have been a possibility you could have had a look!

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I think he was meaning have you bought a new gasket yet....

With regards to whats causing it, I cant see anything obvious. The engine hasnt been overheating, isnt losing oil or water, and just started chugging/white smoking/smoke through oil filler throught the week, after running out of fuel.

My first thought was sludge/muck from the fuel tank being dragged through the fuel system, until I noticed the smoke coming from the oil filler.

gse1986 said:

I think he was meaning have you bought a new gasket yet....

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Doh.

No, but I do have a land rover dealer and parts desk within a 15 minute walk....

Monkeymick said:

With regards to whats causing it, I cant see anything obvious. The engine hasnt been overheating, isnt losing oil or water, and just started chugging/white smoking/smoke through oil filler throught the week, after running out of fuel.

My first thought was sludge/muck from the fuel tank being dragged through the fuel system, until I noticed the smoke coming from the oil filler.

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Isn't white smoke usually coolant burning? I think you need to get this looked at and work out what's causing it, otherwise you may find yourself becoming an expert at replacing head gaskets every 15 months....

Makes sense, althoughI thought the white smoke was unburnt fuel.......

Monkeymick said:

Makes sense, althoughI thought the white smoke was unburnt fuel.......

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Give it a smell i guess, it should be easy to spot whether its diesel or coolant

Does the white smoke smell of paraffin?

If so, and in keeping with the juddering, it could simply be a timing issue, and relatively easy to sort out.

Oldseadog said:

Does the white smoke smell of paraffin?

If so, and in keeping with the juddering, it could simply be a timing issue, and relatively easy to sort out.

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Am I right in thinking timing could cause the smoke from the oil filler, if the valves were open at the wrong time?

If it is a head gasket and it was also done 15 months ago perhaps the head is warped and they didn't skim it first time around. If that is the case and you don't skim it this time then it will fail again. Unfortunately you cant tell until the head is off and by then you won't have much chance of getting it done in time you have available.

Kwakerman said:

If it is a head gasket and it was also done 15 months ago perhaps the head is warped and they didn't skim it first time around. If that is the case and you don't skim it this time then it will fail again. Unfortunately you cant tell until the head is off and by then you won't have much chance of getting it done in time you have available.

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Very true....

I'll have a look at the possible timing issue first, as the smoke is very 'parafin-ish'...

Sorry mate, I can't remember where you are.

Do you live somewhere near Washington, or have I got the wrong person?

If the smoke smells of paraffin and you don't have a lot of power, it is possible that the injector timing of too far retarded and needs advancing a bit.

If you are not burning oil or losing water, then it generally indicates that it must be something else.

It is normal for there to be a certain amount of smoke coming from the oil filler with the cap off and when the engine is warm, so let's discount one thing at a time.

If you want to start by taking the head off 'just in case', then go ahead, but remember that. potentially you might find nothing wrong!

I am just bone idle, and look at all the simple stuff first. My philosophy is that if it don't really need doing, why waste the time, energy and money on something that might not be the cause.

When I got mine, everyone said that the head gasket needed replacing ... it didn't!

All she needed was the timing and injector pump adjusting, which I did over the course of a few weeks, and she still runs as sweet as a nut and returns good mpg and speed!