garyrigden

garyrigden

Active Member
My friend was driving her 300tdi disco auto down the motorway today when it started loosing power then cut out. Has blown a load of water out the expansion tank!. I let it cool then refilled it, turned it over and it won't fire and blows water out the expansion tank so im thinking the head gasket has gone internally? There are no visible external leaks i can see. Also if it is the gasket what are the chances the head has warped?
Are they ally or cast iron heads?
Gary.
 
I know very little about cars in general and I answer just because I have gone through a head gasket change.

It does sound like head gasket.

The head is aluminum not cast iron and quite soft at that.
It may have warped or not. You will only know when it's off and checked. No reason to assume the worst and skimming the head is a matter of dropping it off at the machine shop.
 
Cheers for the info . Also reading the haynes manual it mentions 3 different thickness of gasket depending on how much piston protrude from block? Never heard that one before?!?!?
 
nearly all head gaskets have notches in them.To show diff thickness usually you replace order head gasket by the notches on the one you have taken off.
 
When head is off get it checked for warping and skimmed if necessary .
And be sure to get it pressure tested also as many 300 Tdi's suffered from cracks in the head - could be what caused problem in the first place .
 
i've gone through 3 heads in a month first one had been skimmed a huge amount. Second one was warpped to begin with, and the thrid is a good one. They tend to crack in between the injector ports and the glow plug ports. They also crack around the valves. As for the head gaskets.
1 notch=1.3mm
2 notch=1.4mm
3 notch=1.5mm
no notch=1.6mm
The thickest one tends to be fitted after a skim. Mine had a 3 notch, but because the new head had never been skimed i fitted a 2 notch. If you buy a second hand head it might be worth putting a true straight edge on it. You are looking for gaps between the straight edge and the flat machined surface of the head. They tend to warp inbetween the valves for cylinders 2 and 3.
 
Useful advice. Thankyou. Can't start the stripdown till Monday due to work. Hope it doesn't turn out to be to bad. :(
 
Also when i remove the head can i leave injectors and glow plugs in situe or is it advisable to remove them first?
Gary.
 
Fit a steel gasket same as on the Freelander which costs about £60.

From my experience that is definate head gasket blown.

Always get the head skimmed and pressure tested. Look for a local engine recon firm who should charge about £60 for this.

Also clean out the radiator and flush cooling system to prevent it happening again.
 
Last edited:
Funkykipper said:
Fit a steel gasket same as on the Freelander which costs about £60.

From my experience that is definate head gasket blown.

Always get the head skimmed and pressure tested. Look for a local engine recon firm who should charge about £60 for this.

Also clean out the radiator and flush cooling system to prevent it happening again.
Click to expand...

:):):):) cheers !
 
300ti desnt need steel £60 gasket £10 composite gasket is more than adequate ,freelander design with wet liners requires steel gasket ,only skim head if warped ,skimming requires thicker gaskety as valves are nearer piston (unless cut the same as was skimmed of head face ,once back together run till upto temp top hose getting hot indicates thermostats open and feel rad allover if not hot all over core surface replace as it will blow another gasket
 
jamesmartin said:
300ti desnt need steel £60 gasket £10 composite gasket is more than adequate ,freelander design with wet liners requires steel gasket ,only skim head if warped ,skimming requires thicker gaskety as valves are nearer piston (unless cut the same as was skimmed of head face ,once back together run till upto temp top hose getting hot indicates thermostats open and feel rad allover if not hot all over core surface replace as it will blow another gasket
Click to expand...


Why is there a steel gasket available for a 300tdi if there is no need for them?

I understand the concept of a 300tdi not necessarily needing one but I think as they are available then I like the option of fitting one.

There must be a need for one as the standard 300tdi gaskets are a ticking pain in the arse.
 
dont know can tell you that after building a large number that its not necessary ,300tdi isnt prone to head gasket failure unless its overheated by some other fault ,you would be better using that cash toward new rad ,or hoses ,viscous hub etc,200tdi rarely went and same gasket ,only the cooling system was more robust ,steel gasket just isnt necessary ,a warped head when skimmed and refitted stands a higher chance of going again as ali heads can become unstable once overheated and warp easily
 
jamesmartin said:
steel wont stop that any more than composite, head moves ,freelander is totally different altogether
Click to expand...

But surely by simply the difference between steel against the mixture of materials of a standard head gasket it's going to make a difference.
 
300 tdi is just a solid faced block with holes for cylinders ,water ways and pushrods etc ,fire ring is steel ,wet linered engines like freelander,gasket and head keep liners tight and they can move through heat cycles ,i know 20 yearold 200s with original gasket ,and as tendency for head to warp increases if already overheated different gaskets wont stop that
 
jamesmartin said:
300 tdi is just a solid faced block with holes for cylinders ,water ways and pushrods etc ,fire ring is steel ,wet linered engines like freelander,gasket and head keep liners tight and they can move through heat cycles ,i know 20 yearold 200s with original gasket ,and as tendency for head to warp increases if already overheated different gaskets wont stop that
Click to expand...

So is it the head warping due to overheating that causes the gasket to blow or a weakness in the gasket?
 
you rarely see blown gasket just stains on top and bottom,gaskets can go but generally overheating and head movement
 
Right That's handy to know. So it's a good clean cooling system for good health mainly then?
 
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