Thread: change head gasket on Tdi @ 240k as a preventative ?

Hi Rick,
I would do it, I have a 209K D1 here ATM (New customer, towed in on Thursday)that did the head gasket, emptied the cooling system and by the time they realised the thing was hot, destroyed the bore in Number4. New engine req.
The gasket definately blew first, and you can see the fire rings have 'rotted' away.
This isn't the lowest mileage one I've seen, 170K is.

As you say, do it on your own terms, NOT when it decides to go!

JC

are you going to be doing the work yourself? if so, then it's good, cheap preventative maintenance. time expensive, but cheap none the less.

all depends if you have alternate transport or not and what else you intend to do in the same job (eg water pump, timing belt, clutch etc etc).

In generic engine terms (I don't know TDI's very well) , once the head is off, it makes sense to replace the water pump, timing belt, welsh plugs, hoses and wearing parts while you are at it if you ask me...
even take a look at rodding/recoring the radiator, rebuild the alternator and starter motor - this way you are probably ready to go for another 100k without major work.

if someone else is doing it, well it's gonna cost you, but not as much as a replacement motor

I wouldnt do it just as preventative maintenance but if there was something else to be done that went halfway to removing the head or was niggling like a leaky valve stem then Id have it off in a shot.

Its also worth doing all the gaskets involved and matching the exhaust while you at it.

thanks fella's.
Being the work truck it has to be off the road on my terms, not circumstances.

Rick,
What Dave suggests is true also, BUT, the majority of these failures I have seen are about 240K. I have also seen the odd one at 300K, and the highest mileage one I did was 420K. It hadn't failed, I just recommended to the owner to do it BEFORE it did...
Basically, I just take the average km's from all the actual failed ones I could think of that I have replaced in the last 10 years... ( And just to confound the argument, That 420K old one could've gone a while longer too!!!)

JC

and add in that the fuelling has been upped for the last couple of years, and the boost is up a tad (only 1-1.5 psi) and I tended in the past to drive it like I'd stolen it......

La, la, la.

What actually goes wrong on a 300tdi?

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/discovery/...fo-please.html

I'm curious because all the stories I hear seem to lead back to another cause, rather than some kind of head failure.

Rick, you're pretty scrupulous about your maintenance, and you've owned it for a few years, so not likely to be stung with someone else's problems, what would you expect to go wrong?

If it's up for a vote, I'd go with Dave, he's a clever bloke.

Cheers
Simon

I might take this opportunity to remind everyone reading this, that these are my opinions only. The majority of tips and info I write here is based on personal experience and working knowledge, plus about 15 to 16 years working on LR's.

I.E. Please don't remove your 300Tdi head and blame me if the combustion gasses aren't starting to creep under the fire rings yet.

As I mentioned before this thread somewhere else too, 240K is an arbitrary figure, and only the average mileage that one should begin to do as Rick130 has done; contemplate replacement before a problem occurs.

Besides, it is an easy job, and helps the Tdi owner achieve a closer bond with his or her beloved engine...

JC