Owned it for one week and headgasket has gone

i would have it skimmed anyway just in case, even a little warp can cause problems and its not worth risking it, when the heads off take to a head master (somewhere that skims em) and get it checked

chris

Just found a place very local to me that will skim it for £35 or reconditioned/rebuild the whole head new valves etc etc for £150……….

Flashstanlee said

Just found a place very local to me that will skim it for £35 or reconditioned/rebuild the whole head new valves etc etc for £150……….

doesnt sound bad to me that, lets hope you just need it skimming

good luck with it


chris  

I did my head gasket a couple of months ago, it was leaking water into No1. I took the head off complete with inlet and exhaust manifolds, cleaned everything up and put it back with new bolts and gasket and its fine. Cost about £30. Are you anywhere near Falmouth?

yes mate praze nr helston................... did you skim the head

No, just cleaned it up very thoroughly and put it back with new gasket and bolts from Europarts, the postage was free. The head with the manifolds attached is quite heavy and awkward but doing it that way is a lot easier than taking them off, no risk of broken studs, you shouldn't need to take the carb off either. The decision as to whether to have it skimmed or not probably depends on how badly it went, if it was like mine and just leaks a bit of water and there is no serious corrosion on the face I wouldn't bother. I think there's a workshop in Praze near Cornwall Farmers that does engine work and there's definitely one at Nancegollan.

Theres only  a genral garage now in praze Ill look into the one in Nancegollan any Idea what there called

I can't remember but if you get into Nancegollan from your direction and turn left at the crossroads they're then on the right in a small industrial estate. The one in Praze that I was given was called Chapel Engineering, phone number 850867.

AHHH I think chapel enginnering is in leedstown just up the road i pop over tomorrow and see.... fantastic if it is as its very close

Quick question Im hoping someone can answer in the Haynes manual it talks about torquing the headbolts stage 1 40nm stage 2 60 nm then x1 half turn this half turn buisness concerns me I dont want to shear the bolts

When i do mine or others i combine the settings to this so i get an even all round pressure instead of just doing the one setting
Head bolts i do in order:-
Stage 1 - 29
Stage 2 - 44
Stage 3 - 47
Then i do quarter of turn last
Pete  :wink:

Sounds good pete   well still waiting for parts and a headbolt tool didi manget to getthe C clips off the downpipe using the exhaust clamop method top tip that  they came off a treat

Okey dokey head bolt tool turned up yesterday got the head off the gasket was in a pretty shoddy state with the corner of the gasket near cylinder one looking preety tired with a spilt in it so hopefully that wil be tha cause of my problem….. :?   piston No 1 was very clean looking compared to the other three very little carbon deposits……


so waiting for gasket kit from eurocarparts stating to clean block (any good tips for this)  also taking exhaust and inlet manifolds off to renew the gaskets on these as they are obviously past their best…………..

will get the head to the machine shop this week for a pressure test and skim…… fingers crossed it will be ok……. do you have to remove the exhaust valves to get the head skimmed???

as both mine and my mates block were only oil leaks from gasket i knew no damage.
simply removed heads, being careful taking time to remove gasket stuck to head, took few hours.
in order to get smooth surface on bottom end and botom of head i simply used the finest wet and dry and gently rub everywhere to surface smooth, job a good un.
If you have patience and want to make sure it done right, spend a good few hours cleaning up.
Here's mine after cleaning down




Pete

your doing a good job there buddy, like you say take your time, theres no rush, it looks like you really have put the time and effort into it, you should be proud of what youve achieved so far, hope your enjoying it

best regards

chris n helen      

Chris & helen they are my pics lmao from back when i did my head gasket, just showing as example without need for skimming etc to give him/her confidence in doing work themselves and after results
Pete :wink:

        Thats funny      Pete if I can get mine looking that good Ill be well chuffed

P.S Im a Him      

cheers for your Help by the way

Matt

Matt,
This is only my opinion but if your head cleans up and looks as good as Pedders I wouldn't bother to have it skimmed. When I did mine a couple of months ago the piston in No1 looked cleaner than the others and that was the one with the water leak, the gasket had deteriorated badly but the head was fine, it runs perfectly now.  As far as I know you only have to remove the cam and the water flanges if you do have it skimmed.

<sub>Nice one ceder I live only a few miles from west cornwall engine services so will bite the bullet and go for the pressure test and skim I am tempted just to clean and reassemble but need the ressurance that the head is as good as it can be……

Have been rubbish with my pics         will try and get some up………. anyone know where i can get some exhaust manifold studs????</sub>

ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH                      

was all going so well      

head cleaned all new gaskets exhaust inlet etc all torqued up head back on block new bolts all torqued up happy dayz any way i go to put back on cambelt was only changed a few months ago so all i did was undo the tensioner and slip the belt of the camshaft pulley……. anyway for some reason the whilst putting cover back on etc cambelt gets damaged no bother i think ill change it so i try and get the lower cover off then relise that i need to remove the pulleys below……..How on earth do they come off the water pump one has a strange looking bolt in the middle and thr33 allen head bolts around the crankshaft pulley also has allen head bolts which are all on the verge of rounding off anyway in my attempts to remopve pulley ive throwm the engine off timing god knows what is happening where………… help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need to get the cover off and then set the engine correctly timing wise….. ive got a haynes but all this TDC buisness is chinese to me :redfaced:  :redfaced: