Head gasket issues in southern spain

[jaycey001]

Hello

My van has been overheating a bit on hills and after flushing the rad and taking the thermostat out and it still overheating I took it to a local mechanic.
The mechanic has quoted over 1000 euro to replace the head gasket and radiator (which seems a stupidly high price??)

So I am not having the work done and will stick some steel seal in and drive back to the UK.

Out of interest how many hours labour does it take to do the early 2.5Di (1989) head gasket and what price would I expect to pay to have the HG replaced?

I may shop around down here if the miracle cure doesn't work?

Cheers

[loot]

i would probably think the water pump wants looking at and maybe a pressure test to see if the head gasket is leaking, is it OK on normal roads/temps?
I just think that there could me more checks done first that's all.

[Altransit]

Very rare for a Di to have HG issues, I would suspect practically anything else first

As above, check the water pump, or maybe even the timing belt has jumped a tooth

[Keef]

Or viscous fan coupling failing, sometimes they slip so the fan isn't turning as fast as it should.

I'd be inclined to try and get a cheap electric fan kit and fit it while you're down there. Whatever the overheating cause, an electric fan might help you finish the holiday.

As said, a DI with head gasket failure is a rare thing. If there is no oil in coolant or coolant in oil and the coolant system doesn't pressurise I'd be inclined to look elsewhere.

Don't forget that the garage will take your money knowing full well that you almost certainly won't be coming back even if they don't fix your problem.

[ricc]

even get a leccy fan from a car in a scrap yard , wire it to a switch on the dash.


we used to tow a caravan with a renault 1.9d it got hot on hills , i put an overide switch on the fan, flick it on at the bottom of the hill and gauge would drop going up most hills. most leccy fans seem to only come on after the engine has overheated.

[jaycey001]

Hi
Thanks for input. I tend to agree and feel the mechanic is taking the piss a bit. He seems quite annoyed that I did not want him to do work. He even tried to say the clutch needed replacing which was done before we left!!

Obviously he is trying to make some money from brits on holiday.
Anyway the van has no oil or coolant mixing, doesn't use any oil or water but is Getting hot when climbing hills in 4th or 3rd gear. On the flat it's fine and needle down by the N (thermostat removed). There is some sticky wet play dough like stuff floating around which I have tried to flush out. I think it's this that is blocking the flow of water but I wasn't sure if it was caused by oil or exhaust gases mixing with the Glycol coolant.

I am going to fit an electronic temp guage tomorrow so I have a better idea of exact temp. It made it down here so should get back to England!

[jaycey001]

Would this do?
Look at this on eBayhttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151999135902

[V184]

you can run di s without a fan & there normally ok, would check water pump 1st

[Aardvark]

you can run di s without a fan & there normally ok, would check water pump 1st

True enough. I drove mine over a hundred miles once with no fan belt and the temp needle at full hot. No damage, no boiling over. Bullet proof.
Just wish I could keep air out of the damned injectors.

[go2]

Hello

My van has been overheating a bit on hills and after flushing the rad and taking the thermostat out and it still overheating I took it to a local mechanic.
The mechanic has quoted over 1000 euro to replace the head gasket and radiator (which seems a stupidly high price??)

So I am not having the work done and will stick some steel seal in and drive back to the UK.

Out of interest how many hours labour does it take to do the early 2.5Di (1989) head gasket and what price would I expect to pay to have the HG replaced?

I may shop around down here if the miracle cure doesn't work?

Cheers

chuck a rad on it leave thermostat out & add a bit of bleach
In the rad water that's wot they do out there keeps it clean

[jaycey001]

Thank you for all replies. I have checked water pump and all seems ok (blades all present and good flow of water). Have hosed through radiator and that is all clean and have flushed system again (nice and clean!)
Today I fitted a new temp gauge and sender unit and will see if the readings are any different. Currently showing 60C at idle but couldn't get out for a run as it's market day and I was blocked in!

Heading back next Thursday and will take a gentle drive up to Calais and hope all is ok!

[gotgcoalman]

Only Di I've had head gasket issues with (oil gallery rather than water)
was at 250,000 miles (body work fell to bits at 400,000 miles)

It was a leisurly weekend to change and cost me £50 for a Reinz top end rebuild gasket kit.(about 4 years ago)
Timing doesn't have to be disturbed so no need to fit a new belt.(unless it needs doing)

1000 euro pounds seems a bit steep

You've flushed/checked water pump and I assume hoses aren't pressurising excessivly/loosing/using coolant.
You can pretty much rule out Manuel's HG failure diagnosis.
Does the coolant smell of combustion gasses?

Viscous fan and warm climate or dodgy sender/gauge (which you've sorted)

[jaycey001]

Thanks for advice, looks like it was a faulty viscose fan

So much for the mechanics diagnosis of HG!! Hopefully next summer's adventures will be less problematic
Although I do still have 1000miles to go....

[gotgcoalman]

When you get back bin the viscous fan and fit the electric one you
were looking at.
Either wired to a switch/ignition live or to the temp sensor.

Had a Sierra pinto years ago that hated sitting in traffic (needle used to go in the red)
fitted an electric fan and problem solved.

[ernie b]

Had a viscous fan give trouble in a capri at a track day once.
Fan off, two tek screws through the viscous unit to lock it solid and back at it
Made a nice noise with the fan running at full speed the whole time but kept her cool