Calling all Bxperts - rad problems, car seems on way out!!!

jwthwaites96 · Post by **jwthwaites96** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:02 pm

Hi guy's,
I have been on here quite recently with some problems with rear suspension collapsing, but as i am sure most you know once one thing happens another is soon to follow.

Well.... I have the car booked in the garage, recomended by one of you guy's (much appreciated) this is going to cost me round $150 bit included, fair enough. But recently the raditor keeps emptying out (not on the floor just disappearing), so I investigated, the heater works, so internal hot air is blowing. so this morning filled the rad up and left cap off and ran from cold, all seemed fine then air bubbles started coming out (seems to be v. high pressure in there cos loads of water was coming out before the air bubble, as if filling up behind).

I am being told this is probably a cylinder head gasket gone or cracked block, what can I do to check this? the garage is going to quote me for the work but is there anything I can do, they are talking bout shimming it or skimming it, something bout 1000's inch off or something, either way sounds like something I can't do. Pretty able to do the basics with gasket changes and all, so will attempt most practible things.

I don't want to lose the car but it's sounding like its to costly to keep it running, do any of you have any suggestions, would anyone like to come have a look, would be very much appricated.

Any help would be great.
Cheers guy's,

John

Post by **docchevron** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:29 pm

Have the garage looked at the coolant issues?
When you topped it up, how much did you put in, and did you bleed the system?

Assuming it's diagnosed as Head Gasket failure (which is not that uncommon actually) then yes, removing the head and having it skimmed is the only way to go.

It's not unknown for blocks to go porous, I've seen it a few times now, and replaced a few engines because of it.
But it's not insurmountable.
Remind me, this car is a N/A Diesel oui?

In which case it's rather easy to remove the head yourself.
I dont know where you are in Brizzle, but I always use Bowden Engineering in Patchway for head skimming / crank grinding etc etc etc.
They're rather good and nice guys.
0117 9693355 is the number.

If you get the gaskets and have the head skimmed yourself, even with a new cam belt, all in it'll most likely be less than £100.
Oh dont forget head bolts too.....

jwthwaites96 · Post by **jwthwaites96** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:56 pm

Hi docchevron1472 thanks for such a quick response,
I'm based in horefield so that ain't too far away for me. Yeh the BX is a 1.9 Diesel. I did not bleed it when I filled it is this essential? there does seem to be a hell of a lot of air in there once the bubbles start coming?

So if I just run through what I think needs doing will you correct me if i'm wrong,
1. remove plastic air thing off top of rocker cover
2. undo and remove rocker cover (does the gasket here need replacing once this is done?)
3. undo bolts for gasket cover and remove
4. check inside of the cover for cracks
5. hopefully it is the gasket and its obvious where the problem is
6. replace gasket with new (is there anything to seal here?)
7. what do i get skimmed and where is this found, is this in the cover or is it to do with pistons?
8 I have hear talk off people at work bout having to ajust heights of pistons or cylinders, is this relevant for me to do, what do i need to do it?
9. re-assemble as disassembled. cross fingures

Any suggestions much appreciated,
John

Post by **docchevron** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 2:15 pm

Erm, it's a bit more involved than that!
The bit you have skimmed is the actual mating surface of the cylinder head itself.

Ok, a very quick, very rough guide to removing the cylinder head goes thus:

Drain cooling system.
Remove cam belt covers.
Tuen engine over and lock it, (pin in crank flywheel), M8 bolt in cam pulley, 2 x m8 bolts in injection pump.
Remove top engine mount (the engine will need supporting).
release cam belt tensioner and remove cam belt.
Remove air box (on top of the head)
Remove cam cover (3 x 10mm bolts).
Half way along the cam you'll see a square in the shaft. Stick an adjustable spanner on this, then using a 16mm spanner undo the cam pulley and remove.
Remove the top bolt in the cam belt tensioner.
There's also a bolt on the O/S engine lifting eye that goes through the timing case cover that needs removing.
Remove the exhaust manifold to downpipe bolts (2 x 10mm bolts / nuts)
Remove the top coolant hose from the thermostat housing.
The wax stat coldstart cable (runs from the stat housing to the injection pump) will need to be released from the pump.
The heater pipe from the head to the firewall will need to be removed as will the bypass hose on top of the stat housing will also need removeing.
The feed wire for the glow plugs (8mm nut) also needs to come off (usually attached to Number 2 plug).

Once you're sure all hoses and connections are undone from the cylinder head, you'll need a T55 torx socket and remove all 10 headbolts.
Crack each one off a bit at a time working in reverse order of how they are done up.
Then the head should come off, may require a pair of small levers (one in each side of the head down the head bolt holes) to rock the head off.

I may have forgottena few things here, this is straight off the top of my head, but the Haynes manual is actually not bad for a guide in this job..

Once the head is removed you can either remove the valves and strip it yourself, or just take the whole thing to a machine shop, ask for it to be skimmed, chemically cleaned and have the valve seats recut.

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 5:44 pm

I did not bleed it when I filled it is this essential?

Absolutely - probably one of the biggest causes of head gasket troubles or head gasket false alarms on XUD engines.

I personally suspect that the reason so few non-PSA cars with XUDs seem to survive is that non-PSA-friendly garages weren't used to the procedure. The rad-cap corner of the car needs to be made the heighest point (either by crossways parking on a slope or by jacking-up/supporting that corner).

You need a temporary "header tank" which can be a 2l soft drinks bottle with the bottom cut off, suitably O-ringed or neoprene-taped around the neck to give a serviceable seal in the rad-cap opening. The pressure from the extra height works wonders, and it's amazing just how much air needs to be purged. Use the rad bleed screw on the opposite end to the rad cap, and the bleed screw on the thermostat (most models), as well as an occasional squeeze on the rad top hose once the thermostat opens.

Once you have run up to fan cut-in speed, and inital bleeding is complete, switch off and replace the rad cap. Check again once cool, and when it's cooled down after a couple of trips, topping-up to the top of the filler neck: any excess will be discharged.

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 5:34 am

Well I just had the head replaced on my 19 TZS (see thread Kiwis BX Terminally ill). Sounds very much like what I was experiancing.

I lived with this problem for over a year and the final nail was after leaving it parked for about 3 weeks allowing enough water to soak into a cylinder and the car just would not start.

Replacing like has just been pointed out is not simply a case of whiping off the head a whacking in a new Gasket. In my case that was pretty much the case didnt need much skimming to get the surface back.

gazpacho andulus · Post by **gazpacho andulus** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:16 am

Swampy too good to scrap is going to yhe scrapper with a good' free to collector' engine(n/a 1.9 TXD) .Swop over is the cheapest option . Muster the troops and theres room here to do it.