Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all,
Just been poking around the engine, 1.9DG, (gassed up) looking for things to touch so that they stop doing their job; no mechanic me.
Have noticed water drips on underside of head gasket, on passenger side just over push rod tubes. Wondered where the water had gone from the top up tank.
Has anyone removed cylinder head with engine insitu? Haynes says it can be done in theory but it does not recommend. Taking the engine out to replace a gasket seems like hammer/walnut situation.
Also has anyone got any updates (or used it recently) on the Wynns Sealant article in Wiki? Will try this first before I have to pay someone to rectify the problem. Head gaskets/engine removal are beyond me.
Thanks in advance.
Don

what year engine?
early engines are a bugger for snapping studs.
though using heat helps eliminate this

the haynes gives a full and easy to follow account of engine removal.
once all the water has been drained and the pipes and lectric plugs un plugged or disconnected

can you undo eight nuts?
you can?
cause thats all there is holding the engine in

heads off is so easy with the engine out that even you could do it.

can you undo eight nuts?
you can?
cause that's all there is holding the head on.

Even if you don't do it, it's what your mechanic will be doing so you'll be armed with this if he tries to tell you it's a complicated proceedure and there fore expensive.
I think Baxter quotes eight hours for an engine out/in (switch off switch on)

Hold On There !

That area is also where a leaking thermostat housing can drip from (sometimes drips onto the exhaust but sometimes it tracks round the jacket seal) and also make sure that the head drain plug (allen headed screw between the pushrods) isn't leaking, again this can drip off the jacket seal.

I'd want to eliminate these before you strip the head down with all the cans of worms that that can open.

Ian.

I had a drip and removed the push rod tube cover to confirm that it was the head jacket seal and nothing else. Losing about a cup every 500 miles. I was told by a VW mechanic who specialises in T25's to try K-seal as a temporary measure. Its primarily for conventional cylinder head gasket repairs but it seems to have worked on mine.

Kev,
Vehicle left the factory Aug 1987 ie 1988 model, Autosleeper. Main concern about engine removal is all the gas bits.... putting them back that is.

Ian,
Will check and treble check that the leak is where I think it is.

The top up tank emptied itself over a couple of hundred miles. I didn't notice it was empty till I got home. In all the time I have owned the vehicle I don't remember ever having to top up.

Don

kentishvanman wrote:Kev,
Vehicle left the factory Aug 1987 ie 1988 model, Autosleeper. Main concern about engine removal is all the gas bits.... putting them back that is.

should you need to remove a head.. that late head will be the lesser of two weevils. lucky you.

be sure that your mechanic checks the head for cracks and that the water jacket seal face is not too badly pitted.
as some phosphate rich antifreezs' cause a moon like surface on the head seal face, which is what causes leaks.

By gas I presume you mean LPG?
well in my experience you don't have to mess with it, just pull off the gas delivery ring and tie it back.

i have just had to do this as both mine where leaking lucky for me my engine was a donor which was rebuilt 2 years ago drove for 1700 miles then laid up, the heads where really badly pitted this was causing the leak i assume the pitting was caused due to it being sat doing nothing for such a long time.
i removed the engine as i did the front and rear crank seals and others because i got a full gasket set cheap from gsf.
if the engine was still fitted it would of been a pain and a struggle, as i had to use stud extractors to remove the dead sump plug and had to drill out a snapped exhaust stud but other than that and some special nissan sealant my mechnic friend gave me was easy and would happly do it again with the haynes bible and some late nights, but not any time soon hopefully.
but the one thing is my liners came out with the heads so had that to deal with to.

Don,

If we can organise a convenient date, I'd be happy to help you on your road to engine removal nivarna.

I will admit I have never removed one before either. But got plenty of tools, a trolley jack, time on my hands and a modicum of spanner savvy.

Besides if we do get stuck, post the problem up here and I'm certain the answer will come along. Plus, there's quite a few members in Kent who have the required nouce to put it right (on the end of a phone if necessary) if we feck things up, so fear not (easy to say when not my motor ).

My biggest fears are exhaust removal (I guess this would be necessary), pulling off heads and something to do with sleeves coming out. And finally lining up the engine to clutch properly so all runs smoothly when connected.

I did watch a video clip posted here (maybe elsewhere?) sometime back.The guy (an American... no, not you Lloyd ) gave very clear instructions how to rebuild T25 heads and in what sequence, and whats necessary to get everything seated properly. Might not be available now 80-90 club got new format, though. Perhaps another will recognise the clip I mean?

I'll leave you to ponder on this one....