Headgasket help/ Engine rebuilding Q's/Bad to f*cking worse.

[Tom]

Made a start on my headgasket this afternoon after work, havent really researched how to do it, so was going on, take everything off the head then take it off. Im now upto the point where i was attempting to find the hole under/behind the starter, but my lift home was ready so had to call it a day, any tips for that? Also once i get the cambelt off i was planning on removing anything else that visibly in the way, leak offs, injector lines etc. Then head bolts and yank, is there anything i specifically have to do to get it off? Of course any hints tips etc will be awarded with rep thanks

[darrenjlobb]

Dont worry about locking it before you take it apart, just get it stripped, and then lock everything when you put it back together, as crank will turn easily then

You will need to remove both manifolds, and also extract the dowell from the engine mount bracket, or if you find that hard, remove the entire engine mount bracket.

[Tom]

Dont suppose you have a photo of said dowel? I think i have seen it but not definite.

Got manifolds off and all off. Fuel filter housing on the block of the head? How far do i have to go with the fuel stuff? Just lines and leak offs and pull it off?

[Coc-ker]

The dowel is inside the top engine mount ( the one the cambelt runs over). You can thread a bolt into it and withdraw it from the head, I had trouble doing that, so I unbolted the whole mount from the engine and wiggled it off the dowel. Mine had seized in the head.

After the mount is off though, there is loads (read: a little bit more) to wobble the engine round and access all the other crap.

Tim.

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Oh and I find a small radiator paint roller handle is just about the perfect tool to slide up under the starter and into the flywheel.

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Also if you're like me and couldn't be bothered to take the manifolds off. Just undo everything else then lift the head, inlet and turbo out as one. Make sure you have 5 weetabix beforehand!

To refit leave exhaust and turbo on with the bottom inlet studs wound in. I modified my inlet so I could slide it on from above, then I only had to restud the top.

Tim.

[Tom]

Manifolds are all off already, Theres no way mine would of come out haha i can barely get the td04 in and out from behind the block as it is!

Thanks for the dowel tip, does it have like a hex bit sticking out with a thread in the middle?

[Coc-ker]

To be honest I can't remember. That does sound right, but if you look carefully where the head intersects the mount you should be able to work out which one it is.

Cue the Lobbmeister to come and reveal all!

[Tom]

To be honest I can't remember. That does sound right, but if you look carefully where the head intersects the mount you should be able to work out which one it is.

Cue the Lobbmeister to come and reveal all!

Hes only down the road so if it all goes horribly wrong i'll have to phone him up and cry

[Coc-ker]

I cried while while doing it! Then I cried again when I blew the turbo 500 miles later. Lost the will to do it now!

[Tom]

See i cant be f*cked to do this, but sadly i need it working and once this is done front mount is next on my wishlist, then poweerrrr!

[Coc-ker]

I suppose I should crack on with mine. Just need a replacement turbo!

[Tom]

Thats easy, i've done all that now :p Couple hours work crack on mate

[Tom]

Skimming pistons good or bad idea? Trying to make life easier on the rods/headbolts

Also honing bores? Must or not so much? Surely if the same rings go back its not that major?

[Frosty]

Skimming pistons good or bad idea? Trying to make life easier on the rods/headbolts

Also honing bores? Must or not so much? Surely if the same rings go back its not that major?

I'm not sure about skimming the pistons but I would say you should hone the bores. I would say fit new rings as well TBH but it depends how much money you want to chuck at it

[Piggy]

if you hone the bores you need rings to suit.

skimming head for sure.

But I wouldnt suggest skimmed pistons, not for this level of tuning. be easier to sort a thickness of HG if you want to alter C/Rs

[Tom]

See thats what i thought if im not changing the rings theres no need to hone the bores, just have to rub down the lip at the top of the bores. Still tempted to get like 0.3-0.5mm skimmed off the pistons... Wheres Dave when we need him!

[darrenjlobb]

Don't skim the pistons, leave it stock.

In terms of rings, in an ideal world you would hone the bores and replace the rings, but in your situation, probs not worth it really, just try and pull the pistons out / dont let rings spin / loose orientation, and put them back in the same bores.

Dont replace the rings and not hone, as they wont bed in, a light hone and the old rings wouldnt be a bad idea just so they have small chance of bedding again, but tbh probs be fine.

[Dave]

Rebuilt a few xuds with the same rings and didn't hone, was fine to be honest I didn't notice any difference from before it was rebuilt.

[Tom]

Understood guys, the head will be checked and skimmed today if it needs it. Then parts show up tomorrow and i start rebuilding going to be fun!

[Tom]

Just hit myself in the face with a crow bar then this happened:



f*cking raging at the minute!

[Tom]

f*ck you car i give up.

[darrenjlobb]

Standard issyue, bets on you not supporting it well enough when you were swinging off the end of it

[Tom]

I wasnt supporting it at all lol, Its taking all 16stone of me leaning and im pulling like f*ck aswell and that one just wont budge. Im stuck for what to do really, this is taking alot longer than i wanted it to. Some are still stuck, a few cracked off and stopped ann then theres 2 that are finger loose but thats it. I f*cking hate shit like this.

[Tom]

Third one bent. Snapped shortly after. Took it back to halfords, they have no more left. Properly f*cked now.

[ginge191]

dang

i would have thought to bolt down those either side of that bolt to take of some sort of pressure..

[Tom]

Dont know what to do now.

[pugjohn306]

I find for tough nuts to give it a bit of wd40 and give it a sharp hard tap on the head and it kind of breaks any bonding that may of occured...well it works for me not everytime but 90% of the time it works...

[Tom]

Tried hitting, tried impact hammer thing, tried 5ft of scaffold pole over the breaker bar and im snapping tools before these are moving. Been stuck in this position last 2 days now, so f*cked off. I was supporting the bit keeping it straight whilst a mate applied force to the bar and the last torx bit just shattered.

[pugjohn306]

Theres no wires or pipes arround it or near it you could probbly try heating it up....

[Jimbo]

Buy some impact torx bits there generally take more abuse than these steel insert bits

[Tom]

After a long chat with Darren last night about what to do next, im going to put the car back to a state where i can move it and tow/trailer it out to him, hes going to get his meaty impact gun on them and see if they will move, if not, we are going to have to cut/drill the heads off then extract them somehow after or just buy a new block, so im really hoping Darrens gun works because im running out of cash to spend on torx bits!