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Head Gasket or not?


 
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Patience
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 22:02    Post subject: Head Gasket or not? Reply with quote

Hello all, I used to post on here when I got the 4x4 first (earthman2020) as the years went on I learned the basics of servicing it myself and it never gave any major trouble that a mechanic couldn't sort out for me. Anyway this problem has me possibly sending her to the scrap yard  Sad The mechanic working on it would be excellent and is always spot on with fixing her, hes left thinking its the head but with a big question mark still, just wondering if someone on here had the same problem and solution.

The problem first started with some bubbling in the coolant reservoir.

I though maybe the head is gone and saw a product in the Auto-factor called K-Seal head gasket repair money back if it doesn't work guarantee, I put that into the rad and the bubbling didn't stop never bothered looking for my money back just hoped it wasn't the head.

A few weeks later towing a trailer the needle started to rise up and when I opened the bonnet the coolant reservoir was overflowing, once it cooled down I opened the rad cap and it took about 3 liters of water, pulling the trailer home again later and it happened again, off to the mechanic with her the next day.

The mechanic is an hours drive and driving her normally everything was fine, no overheating just running as she should but a bubbling reservoir.

He has checked the thermostat, water pump and found the thermostat was possibly sticking so he drilled a hole through it so now there's none and instead the system is constantly open flowing.

The timing belt needed replacing so he did that as he was at it.

Everything behaved itself for him taking it for test drives etc so he topped up the coolant bottle and I took it away yesterday.

I drove it hard on the way home to see and the needle started to go up, I pulled in white steam surrounded it from the exhaust and the coolant reservoir was bubbling like mad, when I arrived home I left it idle and the needle kept going up and up, it would have went to the red if left idling, turned it off and went to bed.

Today taking it easy and driving it normally everything was fine on the temp gauge, the reservoir is still bubbling and when I pulled into the garage on the way home from work this evening the forecourt was covered in white steamy exhaust emissions when I left. (the white steam emissions are only there since the mechanic put a hole in the thermostat) or possibly just coincidence and the problem is now getting worse.

Is the head the only thing to check now?

thanks in advance...
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 22:02    Post subject: Google Ads keep this community free to join!


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BobMurphy
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 22:55    Post subject: Re: Head Gasket or not? Reply with quote

That sounds like a cracked head to me - the symptoms are the same as mine when it failed a few years ago - particularly the "cloud of white steam when re-starting at a Filling Station".

I replaced the head with a 'Roughtrax complete head' - i.e. it comes with valves, camshaft and all the shimming done.

Make sure you use a small amount of gasket sealant on the new head gasket - I didn't and the head leaked. After replacing the gasket again and putting a 76 degree thermostat in I have had no trouble since. You would be well advised to replace the radiator as well, if it hasn't been done for a while.

Bob.
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Patience
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 27, 2016 8:41    Post subject: Re: Head Gasket or not? Reply with quote

BobMurphy wrote:
That sounds like a cracked head to me - the symptoms are the same as mine when it failed a few years ago - particularly the "cloud of white steam when re-starting at a Filling Station".

I replaced the head with a 'Roughtrax complete head' - i.e. it comes with valves, camshaft and all the shimming done.

Make sure you use a small amount of gasket sealant on the new head gasket - I didn't and the head leaked. After replacing the gasket again and putting a 76 degree thermostat in I have had no trouble since. You would be well advised to replace the radiator as well, if it hasn't been done for a while.

Bob.


Thanks Bob, Im afraid it seals her fate and off to the scrap yard unfortunately. Doing the cracked head would mean nearly 3K euro spent on it in the last few months and thats all its worth if she was sold in working order.
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BobMurphy
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 27, 2016 10:09    Post subject: Re: Head Gasket or not? Reply with quote

You could probably fix it yourself for around £600. It would cost a lot more than that if it was going to a Garage!

I would offer it for sale here and 'elsewhere' before scrapping it. People I'm not allowed to mention on this site deal in 'broken' Landcruisers.

Gearboxes, Transfer Boxes and axles are always in demand.

Is it a Manual or Automatic ??

Where are you by the way ??

Bob.
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Patience
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2016 14:29    Post subject: Re: Head Gasket or not? Reply with quote

BobMurphy wrote:
You could probably fix it yourself for around £600. It would cost a lot more than that if it was going to a Garage!

I would offer it for sale here and 'elsewhere' before scrapping it. People I'm not allowed to mention on this site deal in 'broken' Landcruisers.

Gearboxes, Transfer Boxes and axles are always in demand.

Is it a Manual or Automatic ??

Where are you by the way ??

Bob.


Hi Bob, I'm here in the Republic of Ireland I took it to the scrapyard but he said it was too clean a 4 x 4 to scrap, he had a look around the engine and I showed him the coolant in the rad was yellow and was red in the reservoir where the mechanic had topped it up, he put his hand on the rad and found it was mostly cold, he said if it the head he could supply a new head for 550 euro but would change the rad first as it looked like a rad problem not circulating. The first mechanic had checked the water pump etc so was pretty sure that wasn't the reason for the poor circulation.

Ive the new rad in and its behaving much better, the temp needle is staying well down below half on the gauge because of the hole in the thermostat. The reservoir is still bubbling so not sure if the head is still cracked or gasket failure. Will see how it goes now for a bit before I go at the head, the rad was a very easy thing to change that scrap man said he'd do a rad change on a 4x4 every time he does a timing belt or any heavy duty machine that was doing lots of hard work change it every few years, its a cheap fix to be fair.

Another good tip the scrap man gave me was if you see the needle going way up turn on the heating in the cab up full and that will drop it back down, which it did when it happened on the way back from the scrapyard.

thanks again for your help.
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Patience
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2016 14:34    Post subject: Reply with quote

I meant to add to that if the temperature needle on the gauge in the cab stays below half and there is no change in the coolant reservoir level over the next week or so would it be safe to assume its not the head gasket or a cracked head?
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BobMurphy
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2016 22:27    Post subject: Reply with quote

It all depends on the load.

I ran mine for many months with a cracked head and it was fine until I was towing horses, then it overheated and blew its coolant all over the engine bay.

I recommend fitting a 76 degree thermostat in place of the standard 84 degree one. It is at the bottom of the engine and doesn't get hot quickly enough to open and allow the very hot coolant at the top flow through the radiator. I have had no trouble since fitting mine.

If you are getting bubbles in the reservoir it would indicate combustion gasses getting into the cooling system - either a leaking gasket of a cracked head.

If you don't use the car for towing it will probably soldier on for a long time.

Bob.
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Patience
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 9:54    Post subject: Reply with quote

BobMurphy wrote:
It all depends on the load.

I ran mine for many months with a cracked head and it was fine until I was towing horses, then it overheated and blew its coolant all over the engine bay.

I recommend fitting a 76 degree thermostat in place of the standard 84 degree one. It is at the bottom of the engine and doesn't get hot quickly enough to open and allow the very hot coolant at the top flow through the radiator. I have had no trouble since fitting mine.

If you are getting bubbles in the reservoir it would indicate combustion gasses getting into the cooling system - either a leaking gasket of a cracked head.

If you don't use the car for towing it will probably soldier on for a long time.

Bob.


Thanks for the thermostat tip I'll get that done,  I was towing a bit of a load yesterday and now the white smoke is pretty bad while idling, guess I better get the head looked at soon before I get stuck with it on the road one of these days.

I presume doing a head isn't something you recommend a novice undertaking? I've read you have some detailed posts about it on here?
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 19:57    Post subject: Reply with quote

Patience wrote:
BobMurphy wrote:
It all depends on the load.

I ran mine for many months with a cracked head and it was fine until I was towing horses, then it overheated and blew its coolant all over the engine bay.

I recommend fitting a 76 degree thermostat in place of the standard 84 degree one. It is at the bottom of the engine and doesn't get hot quickly enough to open and allow the very hot coolant at the top flow through the radiator. I have had no trouble since fitting mine.

If you are getting bubbles in the reservoir it would indicate combustion gasses getting into the cooling system - either a leaking gasket of a cracked head.

If you don't use the car for towing it will probably soldier on for a long time.

Bob.


Thanks for the thermostat tip I'll get that done,  I was towing a bit of a load yesterday and now the white smoke is pretty bad while idling, guess I better get the head looked at soon before I get stuck with it on the road one of these days.

I presume doing a head isn't something you recommend a novice undertaking? I've read you have some detailed posts about it on here?


Its not a very difficult job - if you have the right tools.

Getting the exhaust down pipe off the manifold can be a pain but the nuts are stainless and come undone with heat, oil and patience. The head is heavy so watch your back.

Remove the radiator or you will damage it.

The new head has to be torqued-up in sequence - its all in the Max Ellery manual but it involves torqueing the new bolts to 27 ft lbs (memory??) then turning each in sequence a further 90 degrees, then doing them all again a second 90 degrees. You will need a long-reach, six point 14mm socket and a 24" Power Bar for that!

I have done this three times and it is written-up on here somewhere. I'll have a search.

Bob.
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2016 0:06    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmmmmm, I don't think I have documented the whole 'Head Swap' process, but I have put pictures into other peoples' threads as problems arose.

This thread may be of interest:

Web Page Namehttp://www.tlocuk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8714&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=cylinder+head+swap&start=0

Bob.
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Patience
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 23:13    Post subject: Reply with quote

BobMurphy wrote:
Hmmmmm, I don't think I have documented the whole 'Head Swap' process, but I have put pictures into other peoples' threads as problems arose.

This thread may be of interest:

Web Page Namehttp://www.tlocuk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8714&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=cylinder+head+swap&start=0

Bob.


Sound for that, Ive been reading some of your posts on another forum aswel dam you have some serious thought and effort put into the sorting out of the cracking head in these yokes, fair play man its much appreciated. Ill keep researching before I decided to go at it or not, whats the worse that could happen just end up scrapping it which is what I had resigned myself to doing in the first place, id be down a few quid aswel but id like to try might never get the chance again.
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