300tdi auto non starter w/massive current drain

Yup its injectores right out next.The annoying thing is that the head was one I had bought new and built,fitted then took off my 96 300 after 3 weeks to strip the engine cos of bottom end knocking.Taken off with the bolts done in reverse order in stages.Its been sitting on the shelf,regularly oiled for getting on 2 years.I gave it a cursory ruler test after shining it up and it looked fine.The gasket was a three layer metal one that I had on the shelf for that same job,same timescale.The top of the block was mint and the headbolts new.Boltholes chased out with a special tool (headbolt with slanting hacksaw cuts up the shaft,trap all the ****) and blown out with air.Degreaed seconds before fitting.The only thing I stinted on was the loom behind the head as its not easy to do single handed and if you balance the headhalfway there to do up the bolts you run the risk of undoing your cleaning.

I really did not expect the head or the gasket to fail.In fact I refused to countenance it I was so sure.Plus theres hardly any water missing from the header...an inch if that....and I expect that sort of drop as gaskets etc bed in.But as has been said,it only takes a tiny amount at TDC.

The current drain seems to have disappeared for now (god willing!) and I think it could have been a combination of earths and diodes on the alternator(s) as was discussed on the "current draining onto my drive" thread.I live in hope.

Very busy with a welding thing this weekend but thats at the location of the said nightmare disco so I may get a chance to have a look,I will post any results.Thanks again to all for patience and interest.Mucho gracias,loco vatos!

Continuing the saga,......

....it appears that the fault that caused the engine to be unable to turn over is headgasket failure leaking water to pots.I fitted a metal multi-layer shim type gasket and it failed immediatly.Went to buy a new gasket and was offered another shim one.I declined and got an Elring.I was told that the shim gaskets were now being supplied as standard to suit the the new heads now in production.I replied that its not much good for an old head then,is it?The head in question was bought some three years ago but never really used.

Anyway,I managed to get my old dad to talk some sense (for once) and he told me that the multi layer shim gaskets were supplied for the V8 back in the late 70s and that he had never got one to work properly even with liberal use of red hermetite.His notion was that it was an american idea that was being forced upon us (everything is according to him!) and they didnt work with ally heads.

Well,Ive yet to find time to fit my elring gasket but Id be interested to hear what anyone else has to say about multi layer shim gaskets in general,if we are going to be lumbered with them,as I was told..Anyone????