Car's suffered a head gasket failure it's a 98 V4 classic wagon turbo 2000, it started off with air/gas in the coolant making the overflow tank bubble. Changed the thermostat first as it was stuck shut when I boiled it(think this may have been the cause of the failure) Bled the system by back filling through the turbo pipe seemed ok, took it for a half mile drive and when I got back the car was bubbling again, the top hose was hard. Seen as though I check the car all the time I'm hoping that I've caught this before the heads have warped.
Funds are low with xmas on the way and having my hours dropped to just 6 a week at work so I've decided to DIY it. Ordered the head gasket set and a few tools I was short inc an engine stand. So the plan is over the next 10 weeks to get it sorted, Will be fitting a new cambelt/water pump kit and sealing a small oil leak on the sump when I finally get it built back up. Thought about breaking the car as I've fitted some good parts to it over the last 2 years but it's just to good kill so I want to keep it.
So over the next few weeks I will have a fair few questions guys if that's ok and will welcome any advice given. I'm going to pull the engine this weekend and get it on a stand in my shed and start carefully stripping it down. I'm doing both heads but someone has mentioned it will probably be the passenger side head that's gone. I need to do this as cheap as I can fella's but don't want to cut any corners and end up crying about it afterwards if you know what I meen. Steve.

 

Why the passenger side? Cylinder 3 runs hottest and that's rearmost, driver's side.

Oh, and if you want to avoid trouble, think about doing the crankshaft bearings at the same time.

Not that much extra, and Scoobs often do those after the heads

 

Hi mate was hoping you'd be around, cheers for the advice on the crank bearings, Whats the best place to buy a set of those from. Steve.

 

Mark at Lateral is where mine came from, I believe, but Harvey sourced them and Darrren fitted them.

I now have ACL Race bearings.

 

They aren't a bad price are they just need to figure out if it will be mid or end thrust when I strip it so I can order the right ones.

 

crank bearings need to be done as well

 

Cheers fella going to do them as well, don't suppose you no if the crank on a V4 98 is end or mid thrust do you mate.

 

Finally got the engine right down to the bottom end i now need to remove the pistons and split the block. So far 1 power steering bracket bolt snapped so I need to get that drilled and tapped.
NOT HAPPY though at some point the engines been rebuilt and it's been a **** poor job, the right bank cam bearing covers were mixed up i.e intake with exhaust, The head gaskets had been done but the heads not skimmed and it looks like one of the head bolts has warped. 1 of the sump bolt was sheared and the sump was sealed with just **** clear silicon and not much of it. Don't know what I'll find in the bottom end yet.
It was the drivers side head gasket that had gone. I need to put a new key in the crank, 2 of the cambelt Idlers are totalled and no belt guide was fitted. I cleaned up the block, decoked the pistons. I'm sending the heads to foxwood engineering £28 each+vat. So upto now I'm looking at around £700(just as well as I've had my hours cut at work to just 6 a week, may as well be on the dole) all in but thats just a plain rebuild nothing fancy. Also found when I removed the turbo that I can move the shaft about 3-4mm in and out, no sideways play is this normal if anyone can answer this for me. Cheers Steve.

 

http://www.steelseal.co.uk/

comes with free magic beans

 

v4 is centre thrust btw and its good the heads havent been skimmed tbh, you cant take that much off them before they are scrap

 

make sure you do the mains/big ends for the trouble its worth

headgasket went on mine...spent wedge on genuine headgaskets oil water pump genuine cambelt et

50km later it was granging its **** off

still havent rebuilt it

my spare engine is bein given death though haha

 

Thanks for the thrust info mate.

Brilliant guys thanks for the info, will be doing the mains/big ends kenny everyone says the same and I am listening to the advice. Cheer Steve.