Why do 300Tdi's blow headgaskets ?

Hmmm,
From experience they blow when the a 300tdi overheats-
So fit a water level alarm.


Preventative maintanence is a funny one, my first 300tdi grenaded when no.1 bigend slipped, blocking oil causing a conrod meltdown seize at 230,000km

After looking at 300tdi bigends at a range of 25,000km through to 150,000km (as well as the other three at 230,000km) I will be replacing the big ends insitu every 100 to 150 firstly because its easy enough to do and secondly a whole lot cheaper than replacing a crank plus pistons etc etc once they wear to the point of slip????

S

Sorry but what a load of rubbish this is.

They dont go for any reason other than the same as any engine, heat and abuse or manufacturing fault.

As far as Ron Mc goes with his V8's not blowing head gaskets, do a search on V8 head gaskets, there is way more than even TD5's and plenty are 3.9's but more 4.0's and 4.6's, and then there is now 2 for 300Tdi but there may be more.

Mines on 303,743kms and the head has never been off, injectors have never been out and the trans has never been separated from the engine so in my opinion.....they dont blow if you look after them and I dont have one of those temp warning gadgets......:o:eek:

? lucky ?

I agree though overheat is what kills a 300tdi.. usually :)
My landy mech mate has what looks to be about 30 - 300tdi heads in a pile, all cracked or otherwise unuseable... just waiting for the day that the scrappers really want the Aluminium...

S

Quote:

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Originally Posted by roverrescue

? lucky ?

I agree though overheat is what kills a 300tdi.. usually :)
My landy mech mate has what looks to be about 30 - 300tdi heads in a pile, all cracked or otherwise unuseable... just waiting for the day that the scrappers really want the Aluminium...

S

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No offence intended but I would find a new mechanic.....:o

I dont actually get the truck worked on just get parts from him...
If you have a look at the dead heads they are quite obviously cracked or toasted...
He must just be a busy landy mech - and a hoarder!

I guess you could find someone to weld em, pressure test etc etc. (BTW in Cairns I couldnt find anyone who would pressure test the head other than the sealing surface, ie the oil and water passage ways, not sure if this can be done else where?)
If a customer cooks the head, he pulls the rocker gear off and bolts it into a new bare head shipped from the UK and bolts it back up.

Having said all this 300tdi are no more susceptible than toyo 2.4/2.8L diesel 4s for doing heads???

S

Don't know why they go, but I was at Karcraft a while ago and asked them about 200tdi heads.

They'd just had a container delivered. No 200tdi heads, and they suggested a long wait to find one. I think it was eighty 300tdi heads in. Fool me, I didn't ask about Td5 heads.

Cheers
Simon

Quote:

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Originally Posted by roverrescue

I dont actually get the truck worked on just get parts from him...
If you have a look at the dead heads they are quite obviously cracked or toasted...
He must just be a busy landy mech - and a hoarder!

I guess you could find someone to weld em, pressure test etc etc. (BTW in Cairns I couldnt find anyone who would pressure test the head other than the sealing surface, ie the oil and water passage ways, not sure if this can be done else where?)
If a customer cooks the head, he pulls the rocker gear off and bolts it into a new bare head shipped from the UK and bolts it back up.

Having said all this 300tdi are no more susceptible than toyo 2.4/2.8L diesel 4s for doing heads???

S

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Probably a typical landy mechanic (read horder) and seeing that your in cairns, it may have something to do with the ambiant heat/hard water or something like that that may make them more susceptable up there than down here.

I really dont think that it is more susceptable than a toyo diesel except the 2.4s and 2.8s are generally not turbo'd but sling a turbo on the side and they are prone to blowing head gaskets probably more so.

Yeah after posting i got thinking, maybe the Cairns heat has an effect. Our water is pretty good though! Maybe another factor is cairns would attract a lot of discos and fenders that have driven long and hard maybe with a trailer enroute to or from the cape??

I guess if Karcraft gets em in batches of 80... that is saying something!!!

S

The Tdi engine does blow headgaskets but the main reason they go is they crack from the valve hole across to the injector one.Rumbles at Dungog had a pile of heads there aswell and everyone of them was cracked in the same place,I'm talking a dozen off them.In saying that I have worked on so many different motors that they all give trouble if overheated and there wouldn't be to many head reconditioners that wouldn't have a mountain of U/S heads out the back.I don't worry about mine,when it go's it go's.I'll buy one in from the UK and fit it in and go another 10 years. Pat

There are 2 different head specs for the 300Tdi. The earlier head uses a composite head gasket and the later uses a steel shim.
The later spec can be used on the early BUT NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND as the later steel shim and head have an extra gallery opening for cooling that the composite does not (if i am remembering correctly)..
The composite gasket will deteriorate over time regardless and generally these burn thru the fire ring and across into a water gallery.

If you are using composite gaskets, I suggest that you change to the steel shim type when the need arises, particularly if any of you have tweaked the waste gate pressure on your turbo.
If anyone wants me to confirm it, call me (Andrew) on 08 9358 1777 in WA and i will look at it when i am in the office next week.
Or for those of you in the other states, call 133 767 and let them know that I sent you. :)