200Tdi Anti-Freeze Leak from Block ? Pointers / advice Please

Hi all,

Ive just come back in from the cold after taking out my Clutch Master Cylinder...

Whilst battling with the nut and stud that hold the thing in place I dropped the spanner, crawled underneath to retrieve and...

Noticed two large drips of blue looking liquid (presuming anti-freeze) on the bolt heads just in front of the bell housing, i.e. the lowest point before they drop to the floor (incidently no drops on floor).

The underside of the sump where the bolts hold it in place is also wet, following the leak further forward and up the engine slightly the power steering pump adjustment mechanism is also wet.

With just an inspection lamp for a source of light this is where I lost the trail.

So, I think my leak is coming from somehere above the power steering pump, but where?????

The thermostat housing and all hoses seem dry and intact. Water level in the radiator expansion tank is low but not alarmingly so.

When I moved the air cleaner box I think I could see a damp patch somewhere below the thermostat housing and behind the timing case but will need to look closer at the weekend when I have natural daylight!

Is there a gasket that could have failed in this area? If so how big a job is it to re-setup a 200tdi assuming that the timing case and contents have to come off to get to the offending gasket?

Any other nicer possibilities??

I will update once ive had a look in the daylight.

...As for the master cylinder, its proper buggered so another call to Paddocks in the morning!

Thanks Jon

Reply to
jonathan.kelly
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snipped-for-privacy@nospam.linesurveys.co.uk wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Symptom of blown head gasket? Check that back pressure is not forcing coolant out through the expansion cap on the reservoir. That's my first thought.

(Been there, done that).

Derry

Reply to
Derry Argue

Hoses sounds like a possibility....

Well, there are two gaskets (top and bottom) on the thermostat housing, there's the bypass hose, and the radiator top hose - all worth a good look before assuming the worst. 200Tdi don't, as a rule, suffer from the waterway gasket behind the timing case gasket leaking as do 300Tdi's. It's also worth checkingthe radiatir itself.

Richard

Reply to
beamendsltd

mine is currently in having the same problem dealt with, my leak is from the gasket behind the rear of the timing case where it mates with the waterway from the block, which is directly above said power steering pump. my leak was welling up in the recess of the block just under the thermostat cover then getting to ground as you describe. the job entails stripping back as if you are having a timing belt done, then remove fuel pump & all the various sprockets, followed by the rear timing cover. Worth replacing all the dust & oil seals at front of engine whilst u are in there, not forgetting a new cam belt whilst u are at it.

Chris

1990 200Tdi Disco
Reply to
Merlin©

I had this exact problem on my V8Efi RRC back in November. Whilst parked up on a nice dry service area, noticed a leak (other than the oil leak!). A blue in colour liquid seemed to be coming from the right hand bank of cylinders. I start to panic and have visions of blown head gaskets, holes in the block etc. You name it, i thought that was the problem!. I calmed myself down and started to have a proper look. Guess what it was......the drivers side windscreen washer nozzle pipe had split just below the bonnet side of the nozzle. Each time i washed the screen, some fluid got sprayed into the engine bay (thought the thing looked clean!) and after a while there must have been enough for it to drip. One new nozzle and length of pipe and things were back to normal. This also cured my misfire problem as well, spark plugs dont like getting washed.

So start with the simple thngs......

Dom J

Reply to
Dom J

All hoses appeared to be OK after looking again last night (again under artifical light).

Reply to
Jon

Richard, Thanks. I will check out the thermostat housing gaskets at the weekend.

J>>

Reply to
Jon

(Sorry this is a long one)

Ok, finally got around to removing air cleaner, intercooler hoses etc etc so that I could have a good look around the front of the block to try and find the leak - it didnt take long!

I left the engine to cool and then connected the hose pipe to the bleeder fitting on the rad and slowly built up the water pressure till it blew out of the pressure cap on the header tank. After about 30s -

1 minute a few drops of water appeared where the timing case mates to the block - just above the alternator and behind the water pump (should be able to put pictures on a website if required).

Now i know where the leak is how easy is it to fix it??? clearly timing case off, belt and all sprockets etc etc. Im guessing once these are off its just a case of putting back together again - BUT - my concern is timing. How easy is it to get right again?

I was thinking that if I setup as per Mr Haynes / Workshop manuals and also mark everything with white paint / tippex before it comes off it should go back on as it came off???

Thought I would remove radiator, intercooler etc to make life easier for myself...

Any "been there done that" advice on repair procedure appreciated!

New additional problem... This may just be a coincidence but since pressurising the water system on Saturday, when driving at about 45mph and above (only under load though) there is quite a violent shaking through the car. I have been trying to think how the search for the leak and this new problem could be connected, but I cant!

First thing I checked was propshafts - no adverse play or seizure, no loose bolts, both counter weights present. Also checked that no wheel bearings had collapsed / were collapsing. I also removed the wading plugs to ensure I hadnt inadvertantly got water into the timing case (Thinking that i could possibly have water forcing its way between sprokets and belt) - It was bone dry. When water was flowing I made sure that none got into the intercooler. Also, there is no steam from the exhaust and oil still appears water free!

Any thoughts???

Reply to
Jon

On or around Sun, 30 Jan 2005 21:34:41 +0000, Jon enlightened us thusly:

probably water pump gasket, between the block and the pump. I've got to do the one on the 300TDi here, when I get a chance - 's getting expensive in antifreeze topping the bugger up.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

Hi all, Hopefully pictures of the trouble sopt here:

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- water mark onwater pump is due to a leaking jubilee clip ob thermostat housingunder mains water pressure. I am hoping that some kind soul can tell me if the timing case needs to come off to replace gasket or if i only need to remove the offending water pump?

Thanks Jon

Reply to
Jon

On or around Mon, 31 Jan 2005 15:32:02 +0000, Jon enlightened us thusly:

Should just be the pump (fx: crosses fingers)

Reply to
Austin Shackles

Unfortunately when I began to strip it down last night it became clear that the tioming case needs to come off.

I removed the water pump to expose a now broken gasket and more of the timing cover case. My leak is where the back of the case joins the block.

I was rather hoping that the water pump would faster straight to the block...No such luck.

Next question... Haynes Manual says Crankshaft pulley should be tightened to 270Nm - How the hell do you measure this? My torque wrench only goes upto

130Nm?!?

Do you need a special tool or just a socket that fits and a 3ft bar on the end for leverage, lean on end of bar till tight?

What is the general rule of thumb for this?

Thanks Jon

Reply to
Jon

On or around Tue, 01 Feb 2005 07:44:06 +0000, Jon enlightened us thusly:

about that IME. big breaker bar and tighten it as tight as you can.

The 300 TDi has just barfed it water pump here. bearing gone in a big way.

I'd need to look again, but I suspect that the bit the water pump fits to is not part of the timing case but a separate housing. This may not be so on the 200. Hmmm. just looked at the book, and it is. Looks like you have to get the cambelt housing off. Bad luck.

Mind, on the 300, sundry other stuff is all attached to the bit that the water pump is on, and as such, it's nontrivial to remove it.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

Austin, This has confirmed what I saw the other night. I will keep all posted with how it goes.

J>On or around Tue, 01 Feb 2005 07:44:06 +0000, Jon

Reply to
Jon

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