Headgasket Failure

[GazRallye 0]

Last night I arrived home on the back of a tow truck,

 

Oil in the water, coolant highly pressurised, rapidly climbing temp, luckily I stopped the engine by the time it reached 3/4 on the water tempreture gauge so I don't think the head will be warped. Could here lots of bubbling when I cut the engine tho.

 

The thing is I changed it in January, 5,000 miles ago I did it by the book and its been fine until now, including half an hour round castle combe in April, where I wasn't being very mechanically sympathetic!

 

I haven't opened it up yet, i'm about to do that now, but how could this have happened on such a new HG?

 

The only possible cause I can think of right now is when I was torqueing the new head bolts up, one of the bolts wouldn't go the final [can't remember of the top of my head] so many degrees, it only went about half the amount the haynes says and the socket slipped off, shearing a couple of edges on the head of the bolt.

 

Any suggestions welcome

 

Thanks

[GazRallye 0]

Well it appears that it was the bolt I suspected, as water had got into the cylinder nearest to it.

 

I'm not too sure but could someone tell me if this liner has moved, i'm fairly sure it wasn't like that last time i had the head off

 

[Mikey S 29 1 Cars]

was the head skimmed when you last did it?

[GazRallye 0]

Aye it was, I'm pretty sure it was a sketchy headbolt that slipped and rounded the head off slightly, it wouldn't go any tighter

 

All i really want to know is if the liners have moved but i cant tell, they dont seem right to me

[Sandy 189]

Pull the liners out, clean up the seats and renew the seals. Always a good move with the alloy block.

[uncle buck 0]

Pull the liners out, clean up the seats and renew the seals. Always a good move with the alloy block.

The price of the seals is ridiculous .....nearly £6 each from Peugeot ....at least d*ck Turpin wore a mask

 

Unless you know of another source for seals?

[joe1joe 3]

there is often alot of sh"i in the block so u have to make sure it perfectly clean before going back in, i think the liners can twist very slightly but u should NOT let them move up an down. but if u think they have moved just replace them.

[joe1joe 3]

u should use grease on the threads and the underface of the bolts aswell, did u use any?

[GazRallye 0]

I cleaned out the crap accumulated in the threads by screwing the new bolts in by hand and unscrewing them, then wiping them with a cloth, was suprising how much crap got stuck to the thread doing this a few times!

 

The water system is getting pressurised on my engine again, i've changed the headgasket 2 times now and both times it has been fine for around 5000 miles, then the coolant level light comes on and I discover the system is pressurised. Both times this has happened after i've given the engine a bit of a hammering and hit the 6000 rpm red line a few times.

 

I'm wondering if its maybe the seals on the liners that have gone and not the headgasket.

[uncle buck 0]

If you have an angle grinder you can use an old head bolt & grind a couple of flutes down the length of the threads ...this will then work as a tap!

 

Also if you have access to compressed air blow out each head bolt hole with the airline to get out any muck / water / oil.... as any liquid in the bollt holes can hydrolic when you put the bolts in, if this happens you will think the bolt is tight when it's not, as the bolt is actually compressing the liquid !

 

If the liner seals had gone & the liners were not sealed to the block all your water would be in the sump.

[Mikey S 29 1 Cars]

I cleaned out the crap accumulated in the threads by screwing the new bolts in by hand and unscrewing them, then wiping them with a cloth, was suprising how much crap got stuck to the thread doing this a few times!

 

The water system is getting pressurised on my engine again, i've changed the headgasket 2 times now and both times it has been fine for around 5000 miles, then the coolant level light comes on and I discover the system is pressurised. Both times this has happened after i've given the engine a bit of a hammering and hit the 6000 rpm red line a few times.

 

I'm wondering if its maybe the seals on the liners that have gone and not the headgasket.

 

if the liner seals are fubared they usually mix water with the oil, not pressurise the system up. i would now be looking at an internal head fault, not likely as it would show immediately, not 5000 miles down the line, or a warped block face.