Head Gasket change

James · Apr 2, 2006

This afternoon I spent dodging the showers taking the head off to get to the Gasket, to find that it had 2 breaks in it.

The head and crank case both look good so on tuesay I will be purchasing the correct gasket and endevoring to put everything back together!

8{|> · Apr 2, 2006

James - have a look at the old gasket, there should be 1,2 or 3 small holes near the rearmost double pushrod chanel - this signifies the thickness of gasket you will need

James · Apr 2, 2006

Yes its a 2 hole one and we also measured the protrusion of the pistons and this is the the correct one.

8{|> · Apr 2, 2006

I'll shut up now

James · Apr 2, 2006

Its good to check though.

What do you think of the break in it?

8{|> · Apr 2, 2006

Probably been tracking for a while then failed. Plus the compression from the cylinder will give it some hammer and so it just fractured when lifting the head off.
Bores look v good - nice and clean you can still see the honing.

James · Apr 2, 2006

whats honing?

sorry to sound dumb...

8{|> · Apr 2, 2006

The criss cross pattern in the bore, made by a cylindrical grinder known as a hone. The marks left are called honing -

mind you so is the act of grinding

If you have piston ring problems, the bores can become glazed a finish like a varnish - through combustion passing by the rings and burning the lubrication oil.
If you have end float problems on the piston assembly then the bores can become worn.
Tell tale signs of those issues are partial or complete obliteration of the honing

James · Apr 2, 2006

Thought it all looked good, the only two things were that cylinder 4 is a little oily probably because of the break and the otheres are black form soot, is this the normal way things should look?

8{|> · Apr 2, 2006

Thats just from the split gasket - its burn't some of the engine oil, but it wouldn't burn very cleanly, so leaves the oily residue.
The soot on the others is quite normal
Most of it will just wipe away with a rag & some diesel.

James · Apr 2, 2006

Is diesel the best thing to clean it all up with then before I put it all back together.

The other 3 cylinders are sooty to is this just the norm as they are unn affected by the gasket blow?

8{|> · Apr 2, 2006

The soot is normal - if you want to clean it use some diesel or cooking oil on a rag, but do wear gloves or barrier cream - there's some horrid crap in the soot that can cause skin cancers. 99.9% certain that you won't be harmed - but someone has to be the statistic!
Using diesel or vegetable oil means that it will burn off quick when you restart the engine - saves the uncertainty of prolonged blue exhaust smoke & you then thinking something is wrong - as we all would

James · Apr 2, 2006

cheers

OutbackJack · Apr 3, 2006

James said:
cylinder 4 is a little oily probably because of the break and the otheres are black form soot, is this the normal way things should look?

The sooty ones are normal...the oily one is normal considering the break in the gasket. Diesel ignites at about 360 psi and with the reduction in compression, the diesel oil would be left unburnt in that cylinder.

Quite surprising that the gasket failed into a pushrod hole rather than into the water jacket or oil course as is usual for head gaskets in general, I dont know about LR diesels in particular.

l3on · Apr 3, 2006

It's hard to tell from the picture, but I can't discern any any honing marks in bore #4, whereas it looks 'fresh' in in #3, are they all showing the same degree of crosshatching down the bores?

Lenny1969 · Apr 3, 2006

I have no idea about honing or crossmatching, unless its what yella does on his weekend nights like he told me.
However, i think a fookin big thank you is in order here to you guys.

Some have been slated on here for not helping out, and yet from the initial post from James this has all come about and his motor will be up and running again shortly.

Well done chaps, it has been emotional...................

yella · Apr 3, 2006

i only wish i had been here top witness it

eightinavee · Apr 3, 2006

While you have got the head off,take the oppertunity to change the valve stem seals - it will help keep the oil consumption down and lessen any blue smoke on overun.
Havent done this job for ages - I used to keep an example of a blown gasket to show owners what was wrong with their car.Good thing is,if you make a good job of this your engine will go on till it wears out and needs a full rebuild.

James · Apr 3, 2006

Lenney, I agree very much with you indeed, thanks guys.

L3on, I will look at bore 4, I thik it is fine, all the rest are the same.

YD, what did you want to witness?

8, at the monent it has not been using any oil or blue soke. Very clean and runs well, I do get a little piff of soke on start up, but that it.

Lenny1969 · Apr 3, 2006

James said:
Lenney, I agree very much with you indeed, thanks guys.

L3on, I will look at bore 4, I thik it is fine, all the rest are the same.

YD, what did you want to witness?

8, at the monent it has not been using any oil or blue soke. Very clean and runs well, I do get a little piff of soke on start up, but that it.

Id like to witness slobs mechanic and Angelina Jolie have a fight with Duckhams, a cucumber and a pot of strawberry jam

Head Gasket change

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