My Head Gasket is leaking oil?!?!?

I would be eternally grateful if someone could help me with this one.

I have tracked my oil leak down to the head gasket under the stat housing.

I have never known a head gasket leak oil. Is it common on the 200Tdi?

I know it aint a massive job but is the head likely to need skimming or is it probably just a bad gasket?

Should the head bolts be replaced? Maybe a silly question but im a skin flint!

Thanks.

Has the gasket been replaced recently? It's more than likely blown in that area, or had a slight leak since it was fitted. If the head isn't tightened back down properly it will cause this kind of a leak. Best thing is to take the head off. Clean up both surfaces, fit a new gasket DRY (ie. no gasket goo etc.) and then torque it back down bit by bit in a spiral shape working from the central head bolts out towards the edge. Don't forget that 4 of the rocker shaft bolts are also headbolts. These must be torqued down at the same time as the main headbolts. I learned that the hard way!

ALSO! Are you certain it's the head, not the rocker cover at the very top of the engine?

-Pos

Sure its the head gasket.

I cleaned it all down and left it running, Saw the oil slowly coming out from the head gasket.

Only had the thing a week so unsure of the history.

Whats would you advise regarding the bolts?


Thanks

Now that the gasket is wet, it wont seal properly if you re-torque the head back down. The best thing that you can do is remove the head completely. Clean up the surface of the head and the surface of the block with emory cloth and then fit a new gasket totally dry (ie. without any gasket goo etc.) Torque it back down properly and then allow it to tick over up to temperature

-Pos

Do you need a special tool for the funny rocker shaft bolts?

Can it be done with leaving manifolds in place and just disconnecting the pipes?

thanks for the help

The rocker shaft bolts just need a usual spanner, 13MM I do believe (could be wrong) and then they'll pull straight out through the rubber gasket with a bit of wiggling. To get the head off, you will need to remove the injectors, the glow plugs and glow plug wires as well as the breather system. The air intake and exhaust manifolds will also need to be removed so that you can lift the head up and off. Push rods and rocker shaft will also need removing. It's not a hard task, just requires a bit of patience. The head is light so it's easy to handle. Don't forget the oil return pipe at the back of the head. Just generally check that everything is out of the way so that there's nothing holding down the head when you try to remove it.

-Pos

So to simplify:

1) Drain coolant from engine block (otherwise it'll run into your cylinders)
2) Disconnect heater pipes
3) Remove rocker cover
4) Remove rocker shaft (mind the ends don't slide off)
5) Remove push rods and keep in order
6) Remove glow plug wires
7) Remove glow plugs
8) Remove Injectors
9) Remove air intake & exhaust manifold
10) remove oil return pipe
11) remove head bolts
12) tug the head up and off the block

Then clean both surfaces thoroughly, refit a new gasket and then tighten all back up. This is the most important bit. YOU MUST fit the rocker shaft and tighten down the larger bolts that hold the rocker shaft in place at the same time that you tighten the other head bolts. Start from the middle and work out in a spiral shape, tightening each bolt bit by bit. The head will warp easily if you don't do it right.

-Pos

Thanks for that.

The Rocker shaft funny bolts, How do you torque them? I assume i will be using the 13mm spanner all the way?? if these go through to he head am i not going to introduce the warp if i dont get them torqued right?

Cheers

Noooo! You've got confused. The rocker cover is held down by three 13MM bolts. The actual rocker shaft is held down with four headbolts to one side, (the larger sized ones) which will need torquing down along with the rest of the head bolts as well as four smaller 13MM bolts which can just be tightened right up by hand once everything else is torqued down.

So:

3 x 13MM Bolts on rocker cover
4 x Head Bolts on rocker shaft
4 x 13MM Bolts on rocker shaft

-Pos