Range Rovers Forum banner

300tdi head gasket failure.... But maybe not? Advise please

1K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Gilbertd 
#1 ·
Hi guys
I thought this was going to be straight forward, but I'm not so sure now...

300tdi, 190,000miles, really well looked after, runs very well... Till last weekend.

Small amount of smoke on start up which I put down to a worn valve guide or seal but nothing while running. This smoke started getting worse a week before the failure, then I noticed it was a bit down on low revs power until the turbo kicked in, then ok again. Then noticed a lot of oil over the top of the engine and around the sides, and back, and floor, you get the idea.
Then a couple of days before I noticed a whistling from the engine bay as I turned the engine off, as though pressure was escaping from somewhere. Then last weekend it started to smoke a little for a couple of hours (temperature was fine), then masses and I mean masses of smoke out the exhaust. It still drove and sounded ok apart from the whistling for a few seconds after turning off.

So I thought head gasket or blown valve. I've just taken the head off and everything looks fine, no sign of leaks or blow by, and the head looks fine???

Would you expect to be able to see anything, or do I need to get the head tested, or bite the bullet and get a refurbished one?

I need to get it back on the road because my wife doesn't like it ( "Ok from the inside but looks like Trotters van from the outside") and if it's not sorted soon she'll push to scrap it :anguished:. Criminal I know...

Thanks in advance
 
See less See more
#2 ·
smoke or steam out the back. A head gasket usually presents as steam out the exhaust as coolant is purged. Smoke out the exhaust could be valve guides or your turbo seals/bearing failing and sucking oil.
 
#3 ·
Oh dear.
Just had the head pressure tested and it's cracked into the exhaust port in 2 places, so scrap.
So, do I try and get a good head and risk the the turbo seals might also have gone, or just get another engine out of a scraped truck and do a swap?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top