What should I do? Any advice welcomed

[npjrogers]

I have a 96 non Banana 2.5DI swb Motorhome. Bodywork is excellent. 117k miles. Just did timing belt and new water pump after a major coolant leak (which I thought was the water pump) turns out it seems to be a head gasket but with no white smoke and no milky oil. The water forms a bead just above the front end of the exhaust manifold and under the big air tube. It only appears when the engine is hot and when running at higher revs. Although I managed the timing belt and pump I have too many birthdays to embark on a head gasket job.. If it is a head gasket should I spend the money on a reconditioned TDI replacement engine or get a garage to fix the existing DI engine? Sorry for the long post but any advice would be most welcome.

[V184]

I have a 96 non Banana 2.5DI swb Motorhome. Bodywork is excellent. 117k miles. Just did timing belt and new water pump after a major coolant leak (which I thought was the water pump) turns out it seems to be a head gasket but with no white smoke and no milky oil. The water forms a bead just above the front end of the exhaust manifold and under the big air tube. It only appears when the engine is hot and when running at higher revs. Although I managed the timing belt and pump I have too many birthdays to embark on a head gasket job.. If it is a head gasket should I spend the money on a reconditioned TDI replacement engine or get a garage to fix the existing DI engine? Sorry for the long post but any advice would be most welcome.

Sure its not the heater hose or the union at the front of head?

[npjrogers]

I really appreciate your advice.. that has given me feeling of hope!.. I will do a detailed follow-up check.. as you can appreciate the leak is on the hot side of the engine.. it appears to form a little bead about the size of a pearl and then dribbles down onto the hot exhaust and evaporates.. seems to only happen when the engine is hot and presumably the thermostat is open..
Again thanks for sharing your experience.. Have a good day..
Nick Rogers, Lisburn, N.Ireland

[dumper]

Try and get a pressure tester on it

[npjrogers]

Thanks for your advice.. the leak is on the heater hose (inlet) it spurts against the rocker cover when the engine is hot and runs down onto the hot exhaust manifold.. I have ordered a new hose Metzger 2420084…. The challenge will be to get at the bulkhead connection on the heater box.. I understand that there is a little blue plastic tool that allows you to turn the white coupling anti-clockwise to release the pipe.. will I need to do a major strip down for access to the heater box inlet stub pipe?
Thanks all
Nick

[dumper]

From memory it’s take the air filter off not 100% sure but in the past I think I I removed the clip setup off the pipe stub and refitted the pipe with a jubilee clip I could be wrong as it was 25 years ago

[V184]

Thanks for your advice.. the leak is on the heater hose (inlet) it spurts against the rocker cover when the engine is hot and runs down onto the hot exhaust manifold.. I have ordered a new hose Metzger 2420084…. The challenge will be to get at the bulkhead connection on the heater box.. I understand that there is a little blue plastic tool that allows you to turn the white coupling anti-clockwise to release the pipe.. will I need to do a major strip down for access to the heater box inlet stub pipe?
Thanks all
Nick

From memory you can carefully cut the plastic retainer off with a stanley knife