White Smoke!!!!

Level 10 User Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 621

I have some questions....will I have to take the injectors off? The headbolts appear to be non-standard! They have Hex tops instead of Torx! What's the quick way? Not going to have time to do a full head off, clean up etc. Will I have to change the oil at the same time? Was hoping to put that off til end of the month.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

yes to the injectors and pump cos they get in the way iirc

quick way belt off, leave the manifolds etc connected undo head lift if slightly, pull out old gasket stick new one in and bolt it down.
make sure all the coolant you can get out is out before undoing the head bolts. If oil/water is in the bolt holes when you torque em down the blovck will split.

leave the oil if its not got coolan tin it but it will need changed.

Level 10 User Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 621

Cheers Chris, will add an injector socket to the growing list of tools needed for this job!!! Will drain the coolant again before I start! No coolant in the oil planning to change it at the end of the month for the MOT anyway, want to leave it until just before to give the emmissions a helping hand Smile

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

with the bottom rad hose off blow as hard as you can or get 'him' to do it. that will help clear it all out.

BTW a slight dizzy feeling is normal and means your doing it right.

A good ragging will also help the emmisions.

Level 10 User Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 621

LOL...that should work wonders on my asthma then Confused

Level 10 User Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 621

Chris H wrote:

If its just the gasket could probably do it in an hour, if your doing it properly i.e head off cleanign it up etc then better part of a day.

Chris, were you pissed when you said an hour???? I've been at it for 16 hours so far and am at the stage now of cleaning the head Shocked

came to a full stop again thanks to the rain...back to it tomorrow...day 4. Rolling Eyes

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

no an hour should be doable.

I had the laguna head off within half an hour.

Energy headgasket changes are dead easy they are the niest to do.

Level 10 User Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 621

Well, I must have gone way wrong somewhere then!!! Anyhoo, the heads off and awaiting a good clean. Then I'll start putting it all back together again! Anyone got any tips on tensioning the timing belt????

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

yep get it right. You shouyld be able to push it a good 5 or so mm between the cam and pump.

Level 10 User Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 621

So when I can push it 5mm it's tight enough??? How about the auxiliary drive belt? Got one of them too.

Strange but true...I phoned around this morning to see where I could get the timing belt and lo and behold Halfords had it within half an hour and was the cheapest too at Â£16 inc VAT!!!!

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

half inch on the aux

Level 10 User Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 621

Cheers Chris, I'm off to finish cleaning the head and get it back where it's meant to be!

Level 10 User Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 621

Right, heads cleaned and back on...old timing belt ended up going back on for now coz I couldn't get the Cam pulley off the bolt is seized solid!!!! (Neither could the big strong boy so it's not just coz I'm a girl!). Put everything back to where it should be in the pissing rain, refilled with water then tried starting...PROBLEM! Shocked

!! As soon as I turn the key it makes a noise...the only way I can describe it is that it sounds electrical! Battery was the last thing I reconnected and everything lights up as per normal. Could this be coz the whole entire engine is soaking wet coz I spent 3 hours putting it back together in the rain in an attempt to get my freedom back?

Didn't think the head bolts were that hard to get off or back on btw and that is despite my having to climb on top of the engine bay to reach the back ones!

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

water shouldn't affect it tbh.

is the engine actually turning over or is it not doing even that?

Level 10 User Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 621

Not even doing that. Went out to try again this morning, dash lights flashed 3 times and glow plug light didn't light up. Tried turning the key and it made a sort of tick.tick.tick noise. What have I missed???

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

either the batteyr connection is crap or the battery has gone a tad flat. Give it a jump start.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

does the engine turn over by hand?

Level 10 User Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 621

Battery has gone a lot flat Sad

Tried again this morning it tried to turn but there was obviously not enough juice in the battery. The glow plug light behaved normally. Will organise a jump start later! Why would the battery go flat in 5 days not connected??? it's 18 months old btw.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

cos its crap! Razz

you checked the water level in it?

Level 10 User Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 621

The only dash light that's coming on now is the handbrake one! Tried jump starting - nothing. Will check it out tommorrow, hopefully it'll be dry!

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

you have broke it!

Sure you haven't trapped any wires.