Club 80-90 Forums

Hi, I've a bit of problem...... I took my 1989 T25 Westy with a 16TD JX engine to the local garage on recommendation, as it was burning oil and coolant and smoking. They told me it was the head and had it all refurbished, injectors done etc and charged £1100. They even showed me the head when it was done and I asked about a hairline crack between the ports and was told they are all like that and it was compression tested and fine. I had problems in that there was a subsequent diesel leak from the injector pipes but they sorted this. As it's been winter I haven't used her much but went up to Scotland over Christmas. The 500ml round trip has taken the oil level from top to just touching the end of the dip-stick (I'd estimate 2l of oil?). I've told the garage there is still a problem and I've taken it in for them to look at.
What I want to know is
1) The work they've done hasn't solved the problem. Should I have to pay for it? Surely they're the experts and should have diagnosed correctly.
2) What would the likely cause of the oil burning be? There's no oil leaking when standing but she smokes badly at start up.

I wanted to take her to Baxters but their waiting list was so long I went local!

all the best, Pete

Welcome to the forum

I believe you'll find the Technical Forum one bunk down

Ian

peteandnero wrote:.......... They even showed me the head when it was done and I asked about a hairline crack between the ports and was told they are all like that and it was compression tested and fine. ...........

I hope not all heads are like that! In my opinion cracks are bad and show a weakness. I've always gone with replacement head if the old one is cracked.

To answer the non tech question 1 though..... if the mechanic thought that was the problem you have entrusted him to undertake the work. did he guarantee it?

paul66beetle wrote:

peteandnero wrote:.......... They even showed me the head when it was done and I asked about a hairline crack between the ports and was told they are all like that and it was compression tested and fine. ...........

I hope not all heads are like that! In my opinion cracks are bad and show a weakness. I've always gone with replacement head if the old one is cracked.

NO all the derv engine heads have tiny cracks unless virgin new, it is normal.

although this maybe should be in tech, we'll leave it here for now, untill it gets tech'd up.

i would think if its burning oil, its either rings or turbo trouble, but i know naff all about derv engines by choice.

What Mocki said about cracks, I've seen too many heads and they all seem to have them tragically.

You are probably out of luck on the issue of free work also. Unless something they have done and invoiced you for has come undone or never really has been done then they don't need to give you any concession or discount on the ongoing work. They may say "we think doing this or that will fix it" but you pay for the work to do this and that, not for the opinion; if it turns out to also need the other then you keep paying. That said there a plenty of good mechanics out there who might use their discretion to do you a solid and you never know, this may be one.

Mocki wrote:

paul66beetle wrote:

peteandnero wrote:.......... They even showed me the head when it was done and I asked about a hairline crack between the ports and was told they are all like that and it was compression tested and fine. ...........

I hope not all heads are like that! In my opinion cracks are bad and show a weakness. I've always gone with replacement head if the old one is cracked.

NO all the derv engine heads have tiny cracks unless virgin new, it is normal.

Blimey! Learnt something new today!

Avoiding the tech questions, assuming that you are more concerned about the quality of workmanship of the garage etc...

The answer really is no. He has solved the coolant problem, and gone belt and braces with it by the sounds of things. The problem you are still ahving is something unrelated by the sounds of it. A good, honest mechanic will tell you if it's his own work that left something out, or if it is a new problem. If it is a different problem, then it is fair that you pay for that to be sorted too. If the problem is something that is down to the mechanic not sorting it properly first time (bearing in mind we are all only human and no one is infallible, so don't give him a hard time if this is the case) then he should reqork it for the cost of parts.

I had a very similar situation with my Moggy Minor, the head gasket went and so I took it to a mechanic I trust. He did the gasket for me, but what he failed to do was crack test the head. He made sure it wasn't warped and a visual inspection revealed the head to be ok, so he refitted it. Within 10 miles, I had the same problem, and the head had indeed cracked and he hadn't spotted it. He repalced the head for free (no labour charges), but I paid for new head, he was absolute down the line honest about it and, becuase the car wasn't our daily, I told him to put it at the back of the que. He had the car for 11 days before it was returned to me with the new head. I get on very well with the mechanic I use, and that incident sealed the relationship for me and I now trust him absolutely and always take him at his word, he has yet to let me down or make me feel ripped off. He's completely transparent in his work, mechanics like that seem hard to find these days but they are out there.

As for your situation, give him the benefit of the doubt, he was confident enough to let you see the head etc, appears to have nothing to hide, so take it back to him, see what diagnosis he comes up with and work through from there.

Ask the garage which head bolts they used in the rebuild ,some need to be re-torqued after a couple of hundred miles,
Oil can only disappear two ways , burnt off or leaking ,have a nosey around the engine bay and the tail gate see if you can see the oil ,also look in the coolant bottle.
Then come back and let us know , pictures tell a million words as well