300TDI Cylinder Head Gasket Failure

Hello All,
I need your thoughts regarding a recent Parts quality complaint that I have lodged with Paddock Spares. Three months ago I purchased a new cylinder head, head gasket, head bolts, radiator hoses etc etc from Paddocks spares for my Ser1 300TDI Disco. I fitted the new parts and drove the disco for about 2000 trouble free kilometres. I then started to experience problems with the engine overheating. To make a long story short and after a frustrating list of diagnostic checks, I removed the cylinder head (again)to find that the head gasket flame rings on Cylinders #1 and 3 had delaminated (I will post photos later) and consequently forced the compression gasses into the water galleries and then overheated the engine by ejecting the coolant out of the expansion tank, which in turn ruined my new cylinder head. I have lodged a complaint with Paddock spares about the dubeous quality of the gasket in question and from their response I feel that I am getting the run around from them. I have tried on numerous occasions to email, fax and telephone them. I finally got through on the phone to their General manager who promised to get straight back to me!!!!! Still waiting. Now the problem for me is that I am in Australia and they are in the UK. Any thoughts fellows on what I can do? Or would it be better to cut my losses and run. I don't want this costly problem to happen to other 300TDI owners.
I really look forward to your thoughts and suggestions (especially from UK forum members).
Thanks in Advance
Regards
John W.
PS I can fill many pages in the Disco forum with problems I have had with my Discovery. Strange thing though, I still enjoy driving it when it is roadworthy

Rotten luck mate, wait until you get to speak with the manager, then if you still have no joy then mention trading standards and "not fit for purpous" etc, see how that goes, also drop hints that you are a member or many well known Landrover owners forums / clubs see if you can squeeze some pressure onto them if they wont play ball, I have had no dealings with this company but im pretty sure they would not still be in business if they were cowboys ? Many people seem to use them ?

Photos attached. A picture is worth a thousand words.
Regards
John W.

I bought a set of 5 tyres off them about June. They were delivered to my works address. I inspected them when I got in and found one of them had sidewall damage. (not deep but a few inches long). The tyre is still ok to use but it wasn't the point. I bought a new tyre I wanted a new tyre or a big discount. I rang them up and they said they would get back to me later that day. They actually got back to me the following day. They sent a replacement tyre next day AND left the damaged one with me.

There were some threads on here with conflicting views. Some, like myself, found their customer services to be spot on. Others found it to be crap. If you read through the threads it seems like all those that needed a straight swap got it. All those that had fitted parts that were difficult, or labourious had to argue. I have pasted the 2 threads below for your viewing pleasure.

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f16/paddocks-rip-off-artists-58628.html?highlight=paddocks+rip

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f16/paddocks-great-59519.html?highlight=paddocks+rip

What make was the gasket set ? Did you have the injectors tested ?

Fellows,
Thanks for the constructive advice. I will keep trying to contact the General Manager at Paddocks. The best way I have found is by Telephone. Fingers crossed.
For Eightinavee - The engine has 320K on it now but I did have the injectors checked at 260K (when the timing belt broke after 1 week of Landrover discovery ownership)
What I will do also is have the Injectors checked again and I will "double double" check the timing marks.
As for the brand of gasket. I really don't know. The gasket came in an unmarked package from Paddocks via their online shop. Could be Britpart!
I truly can't blame the car for this. A lot of the problems I have had with this Disco can be blamed fairly and squarely on the previous owner/s for lack of proper and regular maintenance.
Regards
John W.

I had the same problem with a head gasket set from Paddocks, only lasted 6 months and failed. Don't think you will get anything sorted out by Paddocks, they will just try to make it your fault and say it was down to bad fitting or something. Buy most of my parts from Inside out 4x4 now cheeper and no problems.

This is incredible - I could be reading my own story here ! I replaced the head and gasket on mine at about the same time (not the bolts or anything else) and mine has done exactly the same. I have taken photos of it all this weekend whilst I was dismantling it. I will be taking it up with Paddock this week, and, as I live about about five miles away, it might make it a lot easier to make headway. There could well be something in the faulty gasket theory - was yours the thickest (3 hole) one as well?
Is there anyone else out there who has had the same experience? It may be useful for me to have that card up my sleeve!

Yes mate, same type with the three hole markings.

looks like I know where not to get a head gasket from...

tbh I have found in the past that head gaskets are always best sourced from stealers as genuine parts.. let's face it, why try and save a few quid putting a shoddy gasket in when you should only ever have to take a head off a car once in its lifetime

Hi All

I have read this post with great interest, the head gasket failed on my Rangie 300 TDI.

I was going to fit it today until I had the sense to read this thread.

Like the rest of you I purchased mine from Paddock at £9.95, it looks ok with the cylinder rings look clean and shiney. It is a 3 hole gasket It is sealed on a blue card maked LR spare parts, and a lable with the equivalent Landy part nimber on it.

My questions are:

Is this the same product purchased by you all that failed?

Where did you end up purchasing a better quality one from?

I was considering Craddock, Allmakes or Famous Four.

Any help on this would be useful.

Alan

Hello Fellows,
Back again. First off the faulty head gasket in question from Paddocks was indeed a 3 hole gasket and like other forum members I did indeed purchased the gasket online for 9.95UK pounds. As to who manufactured it, I have no idea. How wrong I was in assuming that by selecting a "reputable" company to purchase spare parts from I would receive quality parts. From the feedback I am getting on this post it does appear that Paddocks have a real quality control problem to sort out or it will cost them big time to leave this issue unresolved.
Since I was last online, I have finally received a replacement NEW cylinder head from Paddocks (2 months) but surprise surprise,after promising to replace the Head gasket with a genuine LR part , I open my parts shipment up to find that a head gasket gasket was omitted from the order??????
I wish I could reassure other forum members (who have had this problem) that Paddocks were co operative but in reality after being totally non responsive to lots and lots of my emails, phone calls and Faxes I sent them one last message stating that if they had problems answering my enquires, I would have my solicitor of law ask them the same questions.
Bingo, there was a total change of attitude.
Now here is my next question to the experienced 300TDI owners out there; What brand of Head gasket do I fit to my disco.
As a footnote I have removed the front timing cover once again to check the timing marks and everything was OK
This saga has left the discovery off the road for 3 months and I am finally getting around to putting it back on the road. To be honest I am suffering from a lack of motivation to put it back together. My discovery spends more time in the garage lately being repaired than on road.
Thats another story.
CU
John Wilson

I would definitely recommend getting a genuine HG and getting it from LR if that is possible where you are.. I am sure if not that one of us can get you one and post it out to you

Thanks for your advice Mjltigger

Will be in touch with LR dealers tomorrow, and get them to send me one. Didn't want to find it blowing again when towing the caravan after carrying out all that work.

Alan

Hi all

After looking at the Paddock hg and the one that I removed they look like one of the same. My one had blown between cylinders 2 & 3 and eventually into the water jacket. Not sure how old this gasket was, I have had the vehicle over 4 years and tow a 1900kg caravan.

Have now got OEM gasket from Land Rover, the labelling states it was made in Brazil and was shipped to the dealer via Coventry. It is metal, made from 3 layers and riveted at each corner, will fit it this weekend.

Alan

i have always stayed away from paddock on my dads word!
as they have messed him about alot he has a sierie 2a bought outriggers and water pump from them water pump was cracked they said he must of damaged it getting it out of the box!!!
+ the outriggers he bought had the wrong size bolt holes in!didnt realise untill welded on an putting back together!
he has sent lots off letters telling them about this problem as they soposidly didnt know and is trying to get some money back! still no joy thow
there costomer care is very poor!

ozm29c said:

Hello All,
I need your thoughts regarding a recent Parts quality complaint that I have lodged with Paddock Spares. Three months ago I purchased a new cylinder head, head gasket, head bolts, radiator hoses etc etc from Paddocks spares for my Ser1 300TDI Disco. I fitted the new parts and drove the disco for about 2000 trouble free kilometres. I then started to experience problems with the engine overheating. To make a long story short and after a frustrating list of diagnostic checks, I removed the cylinder head (again)to find that the head gasket flame rings on Cylinders #1 and 3 had delaminated (I will post photos later) and consequently forced the compression gasses into the water galleries and then overheated the engine by ejecting the coolant out of the expansion tank, which in turn ruined my new cylinder head. I have lodged a complaint with Paddock spares about the dubeous quality of the gasket in question and from their response I feel that I am getting the run around from them. I have tried on numerous occasions to email, fax and telephone them. I finally got through on the phone to their General manager who promised to get straight back to me!!!!! Still waiting. Now the problem for me is that I am in Australia and they are in the UK. Any thoughts fellows on what I can do? Or would it be better to cut my losses and run. I don't want this costly problem to happen to other 300TDI owners.
I really look forward to your thoughts and suggestions (especially from UK forum members).
Thanks in Advance
Regards
John W.
PS I can fill many pages in the Disco forum with problems I have had with my Discovery. Strange thing though, I still enjoy driving it when it is roadworthy

Click to expand...

Hy,
The problem you have is not due to a faulty head gasket.I have had this problem with many cars vith 300tdi engines,and common mistake is to think that change of the gasket and cilinder head will solve the problem,but it wont.The problem is in the cilinder block surface.It has most likely warped and it is not straith,so it needs to be machined,that means much more work to be done-engine needs to be striped.I can send you some pictures if you like so you can identifie the problem easier.You can check it easy,just put something straight over the block and you will see what i'm talking abaut.

Regards
Damir

the best head gaskets ive used are elring, not available from craddocks, or paddock, got mine from jl services willenhall, fitted the cheaper gaskets in the past, total crap, usually last 6 months tops. ive fitted a few steel head gaskets and everyone as leaked oil, since fitting the elring gaskets to my defender and disco a couple of years ago they have never used water, leaked oil nothing they are not cheap but definatly worth the extra

I replaced a head gasket with one bought from Paddocks and that also only lasted about 6 months. I know of 3 other people that had replaced head gaskets with ones from paddocks and had the same trouble. I was told that paddocks had refunded some people the money and it seemed there had been a bad batch of gaskets. thought this had all been sorted as i hadn't heard of any problems for a while now. Got my replacement from my parts guy that stocks a lot of original Landy parts and no more problems.

sometimes you have to find cause which can be just age of hgf but commonly rad is not cooling efficiently so recurrence is likely ,also when ali head has been overheated it internal stresses are relieved and will move allowing hgf when hot,