Coolant End Tank/Stat Housing Removal?

[Toms306]

Hi

Trying to remove the stat housing, but the whole lump, this ones ally but it'll replace a plastic one. Apart from a fuel pipe being run through the older ally one, I don't think there's any differences.

This came off fairly easily.....except the rear metal pipe that runs under the turbo. Does it even come out!? Sure I read on here its just push fit, but wont budge at all. Is it better to remove the rubber pipe from the plastic connector on the other end of the engine and leave it all attached? Not sure if theres room to manoeuvre the whole thing though.

Also, can I get a replacement gasket from factors or will it be a dealer only thing?

Cheers
Tom

[Toms306]

Come on, loads of you must've snapped the plastic sensor housing by now?

[Slam Wagon]

Whats the question? How to get the read pipe off? Try rotating the unit towards the back of the engine, thats sort of what i did and it just popped off. I dont really remember as it came apart so easily.

As for the gasket just give them a call, they will tell you. I got mine in with a full head set so i assume its not a dealer only thing.

[Toms306]

Got a gasket now any way (well, ordered).

Will have another go at the rear pipe shortly, the car is at my Nans so not had chance to give it another go yet lol. I had a massive crowbar in there and it still didn't pop off last night though!

[Toms306]

Right, got this off eventually with brute force. So much force that I pulled the whole thing out of the rubber pipe without even removing the pipe clip!

I'm not sure they do separate tbh?





Doesn't matter for removal as that was a scrap engine (belt snapped) but the replacement I'm doing on a good engine and really not sure how to go about it with the least hassle!

[Slam Wagon]

Oh ok, different to my plastic one.

[Toms306]

Its replacing a plastic one though....so hope its not too different!

The plastic temp sensor housing has broken off the one on the estate.

[Slam Wagon]

Try it and see.

[Toms306]

Turns out its a complete unit, the metal pipe doesn't come out. So will be interesting refitting it where the plastic one was...

Might have to take the turbo bracket for access.

[Toms306]

Well that's that f*cked then.

There's literally no access to the clip that needs removing here -



Don't know what to do now tbh, broke the old housing whilst removing as it was so old and brittle. So the cars now stuck on Mums drive, pretty much undriveable, though I guess a couple of minutes running with no water cant do any more damage just to get it off her drive. I give up.

[Slam Wagon]

Yeah thats tucked up right behind the turbo and is also bolted to the back of the block i think.

[Poodle]

Why do you want to replace it exactly..?

[mcglynn]

'Come on, loads of you must've snapped the plastic sensor housing by now? '

Guessing this is it? Lol

[Toms306]

Yup, bought the estate cheap as a garage had snapped the plastic sensor housing! Why they changed from ally to plastic I don't know lol.

Turns out its a bigger job than I thought, and would cost £370 to replace at the dealers.

[Poodle]

Ah i see, bugger. Drop the subframe and have the exhaust mani off, that'll get you all the access you could possibly want.

[Toms306]

Lots of effort though, and not worth it on a car that cost me £150 lol. If it was a car I was keeping it'd be different (maybe haha).

[Poodle]

So back to my previous question....

[Toms306]

Well I was gonna fix and sell it for a profit! Now just gonna break it and probably only break even, ah well you lose some, you lose some!

[Ruan]

So breaking it is easier and less work than dropping the subframe to replace a plastic part...

ROIIIGHT.

[Toms306]

The subframe isn't in the way. The turbo is! So to get that off the subframe needs to come off first. As well as the cat pipe nuts which will either round or snap. And the EGR stuff, its Y plate so has EGR cooler as well. Then the driveshaft also needs to come out which will ruin a pinch bolt and require gear oil. For the time/effort its just not worth it imo. There are other faults with the car as well.

[Poodle]

You just need to have the mani free, it wouldn't need to come all the way out. Sounds like you're making it harder work than it needs to be, all you're trying to do is get a bit of access, even just removing the subframe would make a big difference to that..

[Toms306]

The subframe still isn't in the way lol... Can't get hand/tool between driveshaft, oil return, turbo bracket. So at the very least they need to come off, even then I'm not sure if there's space to get a pipe tool in without removing other stuff. If its so easy come and buy it off me.

[Poodle]

You've obviously made your mind up, so I won't keep on at you. I will just say for the sake of any newbies wondering: dropping the subframe makes access to the rear of the engine a hell of a lot easier.

[Ruan]

I need to try it as I've not...

You sure if you drop the engine off it's left hand mount you can't get to it...

Seriously, I can get a 2052V on manifold out of an XUD with it off the mounts and the HDi unit is much smaller than that...

[powerandtorque]

The subframe still isn't in the way lol... Can't get hand/tool between driveshaft, oil return, turbo bracket. So at the very least they need to come off, even then I'm not sure if there's space to get a pipe tool in without removing other stuff. If its so easy come and buy it off me.

That's an hours work tops to drain the 'box oil, remove the driveshaft, turbo bracket and oil line.

I reckon with those off you should be able to get to that clip easily enough. It's still tight for space back there, but it's MUCH easier with the driveshaft and bracket out of the way. I don't see that either the subframe or turbo needs to come off, although clearly either would again dramatically improve access.

Replace the clip with a regular jubilee when refitting to make life easier.

Seriously, the amount of time you've spent arguing on here you could have had the job done. There's going to be no 306's left in a few years if people like you carry on breaking them for parts because of a job that's ever so slightly more involved than first thought

I mean hell, compare what you're moaning about with that estate that DeeTurbo is bringing back from countless years of neglect...

[Toms306]

There's a reason I'm lacking the time/driveway space to do this one though. I'm saving another HDi in much better condition with a failed crank pulley that snapped the aux and cam belts currently.

I do know what you mean, and I see the points you're all getting at (except the subframe ) but I just don't know if it'll sell whole after the time and effort, and then I'd end up breaking anyway. Its still got a dented wing and door, no history and half the drivers bolter missing. I keep watching 306s on ebay and they're becoming increasingly harder to sell even in good condition.

I 'may' attempt to fix it (don't even have to drain the box oil, the seals have already leaked most of that out haha), just got the feeling it'll be time wasted.

As for Dee's estate, look at how much time and money he's put into it, without increasing it's value at all... But in his case it doesn't matter as he's keeping it. I bought mine just to make a quick buck out of...