Diesel - Head Gasket? Water Pump?

Diesel - Head Gasket? Water Pump?

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Petrolhead_Rich

Original Poster:

4,659 posts

192 months

Monday 1st October 2012
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Evening all, sorry I know this should really go in the Vauxhall section, but after a speedy response.

I've acquired a 1.7 Diesel Astra Van, It's T-Reg and I've paid pretty much scrap value for it, it's running and has an MOT, but its been sold as needing a water pump, the guy who bought it thinks it needs a head gasket and has therefore sold it to me, Cheap! smile

So, before I go ripping the head gasket off, these are the symptom's:

Engine runs, perfectly, all four cylinders, no smoke on idle, although a little oily smoke on a short drive (has been stood for a few weeks).

If I take the cap off the coolant it has a very slight oily residue, but also a pressure as if something is pressurising the whole system.

Your thoughts?

Petrolhead_Rich

Original Poster:

4,659 posts

192 months

Monday 1st October 2012
quotequote all
no, just being pressurised while running, not got it warm (daren't until it's fixed), I suspected head gasket as it smells like combustion gasses with the cap removed!

I'll whip the head off then and get the gasket swapped!

Thanks for confirming my suspicions!


Petrolhead_Rich

Original Poster:

4,659 posts

192 months

Monday 1st October 2012
quotequote all
Astra Dan said:
For the amount of effort, it's really just worth whipping the head off, clean it all up, new gaskets and bolts, job done. Take about a day. DON'T get the head skimmed unless there's significant damage.
Then you have piece of mind.
Almost all head gaskets will fail eventually. They rot from inside out (if coolant is not renewed regularly), they rot from outside in just due to age. you could also slip a new belt on and then forget about it all for the next 4-5 years and just drive it. smile
thats pretty much the plan, I'll give the whole thing a good clean while it's apart!

Petrolhead_Rich

Original Poster:

4,659 posts

192 months

Monday 1st October 2012
quotequote all
FSEngineer said:
1.7 Diesel Astra, it's the oil cooler smile

it breaks down internally and lets oil into the coolant system. Fairly easy job to do, but don't forget to budget for new fluids. Oil coolers run about £100 from a dealership. HTH
I also suspected this, but there is very little oil in the coolant and it's pressurising with gas?!

I found coolers on ebay for £30 but with the gasses pressurising the coolant surely it's the head gasket?!??


Petrolhead_Rich

Original Poster:

4,659 posts

192 months

Monday 1st October 2012
quotequote all
It's this type of engine:



Do these have the heat exchanger oil coolers, or are these on the later engines only?



Petrolhead_Rich

Original Poster:

4,659 posts

192 months

Tuesday 2nd October 2012
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Welshbeef said:
What's the car worth if no issues?
What is the cost to get it fixed?

It may be uneconomical to fix.

Worth thinking about as these are ten a penny vehicles just my 2p
no issues, £5-600

I've paid £300

Head gasket will cost £40, oil £25, Coolant £10

so £375 for a fully functional, serviceable astra van, I'd say it's economical to fix?!



Petrolhead_Rich

Original Poster:

4,659 posts

192 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2012
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SebastienClement said:
Hmmm...Astra Van....1.7 Diesel...Yorkshire... It's not registration "Txxx NHL" is it? If so it has a history of cooling problems!
no, not NHL thankfully!! smile

Going to get the head off and have a look where it's blown, then I'll go from there as to skimming or not!