General Head Gasket!! Well here goes ....

[Misty Buff]

Help!! My little bundle of joy is struggling. I've noticed that the temperature is fluctuating wildy (have replaced the thermostat) and it appears that the head gasket has let go as the coolant is getting airlocks and is over pressurised

I've taken it for 3 quotes now, all from 'corner shop' garages that in the past have been reasonable, but the costs have all hovered around £500 in repair costs - as you know though the gasket cost is about a tenner.

So, I've decided to have a go myself! I thought "What's the worst that can happen?" being as its not usable as it is anyway. Before anyone mentions binning it - thats not an option; I'm sure you'll understand - besides I would then have to replace it with something and as I can't afford £500 in the first place.

I've had a look in the Haynes manual and it all looks OK on the face of it. I've blagged a torque wrench, do I need any other specialist tools? Is there anything I should watch out for which might not be mentioned?

If I get stuck I thought I might quiz a few of you Panda aficionados if thats OK:worship:

 

[The co-driver]

You will be fine.

Follow the book. Take pictures as you take the car to bit. This will help you do a write up later and will help for reference when putting it back together again.

Take your time

Follow the instructions

Make sure the mating faces to the gasket are clean before you put it back together.

The job is in fact very simple. It just takes time. it doesn't much matter what you are working on be it a panda or a BMW V12 the whole process for a head change is pretty much the same.

Things I have found make life easy are:

1) Mentally break the job up

2) Position the timing and lock it off if possible. If not make sure you mark it all up before you start.

3) Use parafin spray to clean out blind bolt holes. If you don't have a compressor to spray the parafin with use carb cleaner but oil wipe any surface if you do so they don't surface rust if you leave them exposed overnight.

4) Take your time and walk away and get a coffee when you have complete each of your job sections. You will feel much better that you are making progress, break down any feelings of frustration and give you thinking time.

5) Undo and lock up the head in the correct pattern. It is a critical and probably the most complicated part of the process.

6) Get some freezer bags to bag your bolts up so they don't get lost and you can write on them what goes where. Better yet print a pic off of where they came from and put it in the bag with them.

7) Take your time & use quality tools (find the mole grips and get your wife to hide them and ask her not to let you have them back no matter how much you beg)

Just remember that cus it means seperating the head from the block and it sounds daunting, and the garage wanted lots of money don't get scared into thinking its the mechanical equiverlent of brain surgery. Its just a slow job with lots of things to dig out before you get to the gasket.

And....like you said, whats the worst that can happen? You learn alot and have to find a replacement engine if you need to. To be honest though, I think you will be perfectly ok. If you can remove and refit a spark plug you can change a head gasket. (I'll stand back for people to get excited about that) time wise a garage would want your car cold before starting the work and they would take around 4-5 hrs doing the job so for your first time, doing the job as you read the book, your target is getting the job done by lunchtime the day after you start.

Go on, do it. You will be smug as hell when you're finished.

 

[allen fletcher]

Totaly agree take your time we all had to learn i'v been playing with cars/engines for over 45+ years and I'm still learning. If you get stuck stick a message up load's of members on the forum will help but hide the grips and hammer you don't need them. I dad when I first started on cars at about 8years old kept saying you were born with a hammer in your hand get the proper tool :worship:

 

[Misty Buff]

Wow, Thanks guys, I'm sort of feeling a bit less nervous already although a long way of feeling smug at the moment, and I haven't even started working on it just yet - I've moved the mini (thats another story!) out into the cold to make way for the Panda tomorrow (its in a mates barn at the moment) I've buried the hammer and mole grips as per instruction and got my (and my neighbours) tools at the ready along with lots of coffee

Oh Yeah, I must order the gasket set - Are the kits all the same or is there a difference in quality depending on the make? Can someone recommend somewhere decent to get it from, or is that against forum etiquette? It's an N reg 1000 clx - not that it matters, but with double sunroof don't you know!

Thanks again for the valuable advice - much appreciated:worship:

 

[The co-driver]

I use GSF for lots of parts. I know its a Fiat but they can get other stuff without too much trouble and my local one will happily order in all 3 of a type in most cases and I select the one I want. Most motorfactors with a big stack of parts books (not Halfords) should be able to help you.

Either that or go original and try Fiat. You may be surprised at the price. Always check a dealer price on parts as they do frequently beat OEM stuff.

As for which type....I like using Victor Reinz stuff in high stress engines (Mitsy GTO 3k, and M5 & M3) I've never had a replaced one fail (not sure if they have a panda offering though). But as to which to use, this is one of those questions that if you ask 10 people you will get 10 different answers.

 

[panda-sport]

Make sure you get a new set of head bolts with your head gasket as they are stretch bolts and should only be used once.

It may be an idea to take the head to a local engineering firm to check its nice and straight.

 

[allen fletcher]

You start the job and go as far as you can,if in doubt ask its some times cheeper to ask than damage a part. it should be possible to leave the inlet and exhaust outlet attached to the head during removal but seeing its your first time at this do it to the book step by step.

Remeber you will lose water when the head is off and also change oil and filter and when you have built it back up drain water off and refill 50/50 with antifreeze I,v know people forget and bugger the hole engine because its frozen solid

 

[bandido41]

:yeahthat: or better still do a full service

 

[oldernowiser]

All good advice above.

There are a couple of points I would add:

one of the head bolts (more or less centre at the front) needs a long reach socket, if your socket doesn't fit down the narrow slot you are stuck.

put a new timing belt on while you are there, and have a look at the tensioner.

 

[allen fletcher]

good points you raised about the belt and tensioner for the price of a tensioner I would fit both.
Then the job is 100%

 

[Lesnewell]

It is worth while taking the head to an engine reconditioners to get it checked and possibly skimmed. If the head has warped and you don't get it skimmed it will fail again, fairly quickly. A head skim isn't usually very expensive.

 

[Misty Buff]

Wow, What a usefull bunch you lot are:worship:After all that advice, I can't back out now! Thanks for the info on re: cam belt and tensioner as well - I believe the tensioners go quite easily - I've had one go before anyway.

So, I've just dragged it of the barn (next door to where I work) and will attempt to drive it home (only 3 miles mostly downhill through the lanes) to await surgery back at mine.

I'm amazed and at the response you lot have offered, but please bare with me - I'll tickle away at it in the evenings when I've got time - which seems a rare thing these days and will send the head off to be skimmed as well, otherwise I might regret later on life if I ever attempt to do something ridiculous and try and drive it to Mongolia or something, but thats another story!

Thanks again