300Tdi headgasket

[B92 8NW]

Long story this morning but I think I've blown my 300Tdi head gasket. Happens to everyone eventually I'm told:D.

-took a decent cranking to fire up this morning
-coolant gurgling noise when I shut it down
-oily mist in the header tank
-took two litres of coolant
-header tank bubbling like a jacuzzi with the engine idling.


I reckon if not already blown - it's on its way out - 239,700 km!

I'm about to drive down to my mechanic and book two head gasket jobs:(.

[brianwood]

Could be a head gasket, but I didn't know they had a used by date :confused:

[sjd70]

Sorry for your mechanical woes. At least it sounds like you caught it before any damage was done.

Is there a rough mileage range where the 300 spits its head gasket?

Should I be worried as mine is at 313K?

Is it wise to replace it as a service item at 300+K'ms or wait and fix when and if it fails?

Regards

Sean

[brianwood]

Mine has 375,000 km on it Sean, and to my knowledge not been changed.
But I've only owned it 6 years. I do have the service history - its not listed there...
I can't see the point in replacing it unless it fails IMHO

[Disco_owner]

Mine has 375,000 km on it Sean, and to my knowledge not been changed.
But I've only owned it 6 years. I do have the service history - its not listed there...
I can't see the point in replacing it unless it fails IMHO


It's called "preventative mainenance" Brian;)

Should be replaced around 240K on a tdi , but JC can confirm this , it could be argued that if you have an engine saver , keep your headgasket going untill it lets go and Engine saver is supposed to alalm you for loosing coolant rapidly and save your engine from cooking itself. pfffft.
--------
I'll let you know when I'm out in the middle of the desert and my HG lets go , how I go with pulling the heads off to replace the gasket.

[spudboy]

Don't be tempted to use an aftermarket HG. Go for the genuine one.

Don't ask me how I know this :(

[brianwood]

Good point Disco_Owner,

I think the coolant level monitor would be worth its weight in gold...

[B92 8NW]

I've not run low on coolant or overheated the engine on this one. It's a Jan 1997 so it might have the older composite gasket. Could it have blown out between a pot and a water gallery from just the compression alone?

[ATH]

Met a bloke at the weekend who was advised by one of Perths expert LR Workshops to have his gasket changed at 180K as "they always go then".
He'd never had any problems with it but decided a bit of preventative maintenance wouldn't hurt so paid through the nose for the work to be done .....all fully guaranteed of course.;)
4K later somewhere out of Carnarvon it lets go and he quickly pulled over at the first hint of trouble.
Local towee wanted mega bucks to get him to town so a young bloke in a Tojo (I think) towed him for nothing a couple of hundred kays.
Then he flat bedded it to the expert who pronounced "all fully covered under our guarantee" but we'll just inspect it first........and lo and behold a piston had seized and that was the cause of all his probs. not the gasket going and the coolant disappearing, so very sorry but it's not covered after all!:mad:
Perth seems to have plenty of these "LR experts" around and most seem to have lousy reps., is it the same all across Oz?
I used to think this particular bloke was a bit different from some others I've had the misfortune to deal with, but from the stories I've heard lately he obviously isn't.
Alan.

[Bush65]

I've not run low on coolant or overheated the engine on this one. It's a Jan 1997 so it might have the older composite gasket. Could it have blown out between a pot and a water gallery from just the compression alone?
One common place they blow is the rear of No 4.

If it is there, you might be able to get your hand in there to feel the gas escaping when the engine is idling (before it has warmed too much to burn you). Or listen with a piece of plastic tube (one end to your ear and the other end down near the gasket).

[abaddonxi]

Oh, bad luck Joel. Hope it's just the gasket and nothing more.

Simon

[JamesH]

It's called "preventative mainenance" Brian;)

Should be replaced around 240K on a tdi , but JC can confirm this , it could be argued that if you have an engine saver , keep your headgasket going untill it lets go and Engine saver is supposed to alalm you for loosing coolant rapidly and save your engine from cooking itself. pfffft.
--------
I'll let you know when I'm out in the middle of the desert and my HG lets go , how I go with pulling the heads off to replace the gasket.

I take your point but i got the strong impression from somewhere, I assume here, actually, that Tdi's don't like the head coming off and that the second gasket never lasts as long as the first. On the other hand if this is true then it is probably becasue they hate getting cooked and the problems stem from that rather than the head coming off as part of the repair process.