My Essex V6 Transplant

[Leeday]

Hmm, Long Time, No Contact

Been soooo busy with work + other issues

Driving van today, sat at traffic lights on start of dual carriage way with a Mercedes sprinter next to me, lights go green and sprinter takes off, I laugh and floor the throttle on mine and whizz past him.......... then a sudden hesitance and slight loss of power and LOADS of white smoke out the exhaust got to end of dual carriageway and pulled into B & Q car park, switched off engine and went into B & Q for some materials. Back out to van 10 minutes later, tried to start her up and engine won`t turn over. Head-Gasket gone.... believe it has gone between water channel and a piston chamber, so pumped water into the cylinder whilst driving (thus white smoke) and once switched off, piston chamber filled with water and so engine won`t turn over as compressing water is quite hard.
Got van recovered back home and it is now sat in the garden awaiting for me to take heads off.... will be a while as very busy at the moment

[jonochap]

Oh mate I had that with a couple, one was a brand new gasket that gave out as well, I feel your pain

[pelmetman]

Been there got the T shirt .........

Although I took the opportunity to have the heads converted to unleaded ............

[robbie.cee]

Can't believe all the abuse mine got never let me down... My only initial issues were retarded timing and red hot glowing cast manifolds...once timing sorted she never missed a beat!

Gutted for ya mate... And tbh I never had .one converted to unleaded and only ever used bp ultimate or tesco 99 octane

[pelmetman]

Can't believe all the abuse mine got never let me down... My only initial issues were retarded timing and red hot glowing cast manifolds...once timing sorted she never missed a beat!

Gutted for ya mate... And tbh I never had .one converted to unleaded and only ever used bp ultimate or tesco 99 octane

Apparently the bloke who did mine, said he wouldn't had bothered if I was just going to use unleaded, but as I'm planning a LPG conversion he said I'd need it for that ...........

[robbie.cee]

I also heard gas is particularly hard on the valve and seats... So yes good move!

All the leaded motors I ever had were long after lrp. Was available so all got thrashed on super unleaded or avgas heheheh

[Leeday]

New head set arrived, just got to find the time to do it now..

Anyone know if the head bolts are re-useable? Replaced a head gasket on one of my Sierras years ago and when torquing head down one of the head bolts snapped and later found out that they were use only once as they are designed to stretch during fitting..

[robbie.cee]

I reused my head bolts no dramas but can't honestly answer that!

Plus they'll need re tightening after a few miles

[Leeday]

I reused my head bolts no dramas but can't honestly answer that!

Plus they'll need re tightening after a few miles

Cheers Robbie

[whitemice]

my views on stretch bolts are on page 3 and 4 of this thread.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=89098&hilit=stretch+bolts

[pelmetman]

Anyone know if the head bolts are re-useable? Replaced a head gasket on one of my Sierras years ago and when torquing head down one of the head bolts snapped and later found out that they were use only once as they are designed to stretch during fitting..

Give these guys a ring ..........They seem to know the Essex inside and out .......

http://www.burtonpower.com/

Hope to get my Fanny back soon......it appears I didn't need a new fuel pump after all ........

They're dropping the fuel tank today to hopefully find why the pump is having trouble sucking ......

[Leeday]

Cheers whitemice & pelmetman will give Burtons a ring (did buy some flywheel bolts from these guys for my essex).

Anyone think of anything else I should do or replace whilst the heads are off?

[whitemice]

valve stem seals are less than a tenner the lot i reckon.

[Leeday]

valve stem seals are less than a tenner the lot i reckon.

Sounds good to me, added to the list

[Leeday]

Finally decided to start on the van, only just get the bonnet under the carport to try and keep me dry in the rain:









Have started stripping bits off the engine to get to the heads, however I cannot get the inlet manifold off, have removed the 8 securing bolts but cannot get it to budge, have hit it with a mallet several times and tried block of wood with a hammer, but obviously do not want to break or crack the manifold, anyone got any ideas?