Replacing cylinder head water jacket - some advice please

[hughzt]

I've just removed the right-hand head off my 2.1 petrol engine in order to replace that pesky leaking water jacket seal. Whilst removing the head the cylinder liners started to move out a little until I prised them from the head.

Two questions:
1. Do you think the bottom piston liner seals will still work or should I replace them?
2. Is there any way to replace the bottom seals without removing the liners? - this looks tricky as I think I'd end up having to removing gudgeon pins, pistons etc.

I can't find anything in the wiki on this.

[itchyfeet]

1, not reliably, imo replace, some people don't and get away with it.
2, no, liners must come off, but they can stay on pistions by sliding up gently until you can just get to the gudgeon pins/circlips.
not in wiki because there is a Haynes manual that covers it.

[itchyfeet]

You may get gudgeons out with a filed down nut ( to fit through pin) on studding and a socket as a slide hammer, if that does not work ( because some gudgeons have a chamfer) an m8 rawl bolt + tube + studding works with slide hammer socket, both pictured below.

Plenty of rags in the crankcase in case you loose a circlip, you will need straight and right angle circlip pliers.

important all seal surfaces are spotless before reassembly, with exception of water jacket which is not quite so important becase of dirko-s, use dirko-s both sides, cleaning up surfaces properly is the longest part of the job, don't cut corners on it.

[hughzt]

Thanks Itchyfeet the photos are really helpful - I'll let you know how I get on

[ghost123uk]

Aye, replace the seals, mine had gone like stretchy soft toffee and no way would have re-sealed. I am glad I didn't chance it.

If the gudgeon pins are reluctant to come out (a couple of mine were) an old towel soaked in boiling water and rung out a bit is a good way of safely warming up the pistons to aid pin removal. It also helps protect the rings and piston against damage from contact with the main studs (if you are separating pistons from liners, which for no good reason I did )

[itchyfeet]

Some more pics here may be useful, this is a 1.9 but not much different on what you are doing.
http://s1145.photobucket.com/user/paul_ ... LPG_Engine" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;