Advice please - 200Tdi Cylinder Head Skimming?

Whether or not the head needs skimming depends on how warped it is although most people have it done anyway. From memory the 200Tdi manual says the acceptable amount of out-of-true is 0.8mm. Obviously you need a flat surface to check this out accurately.

The thickness of the head gasket is determined by how much the pistons protrude above the top of the block. The manual says you should refit the same thickness that you take out. Actually there are 4 thicknesses determined by the number of holes in the tab. 1 hole is the thinnest but no holes is the thickest. Confused? You will be :-)

HTH :-)

Skimming the head is ok. Refit a 3-hole gasket.

While you're there, give it some new stem seals, lap the valves and service the radiator.

cheers, Craig British Off Road

Alex wrote:

Craig, why do you say fit a 3-hole gasket? Surely the right thing to do is to refit the same one that comes out? If the gasket that's in there currently is a no-hole one - the thickest - then fitting a 3-hole one might (not likely but certainly possible) cause the pistons to hit the head/valves.

I'm also interested to know why I should consider servicing the radiator. The rad was new about a year ago. And the vehicle did not suffer head gasket failure due to overheating.

Anyway, it's all back together now and seems to be running fine

Alex

Glad to hear everything's okay :-)

Yep. Running sweet now. Better than before the gasket failed. I have my suspicions that the previous owner may have changed the head gasket before and not correctly tightened it. And I had to take a lot of slack out of the tappets, more than i expected for a new gasket.

Just crossing my fingers that it doesnt go again

Alex

In that case I would measure it, but we very rarely see a no hole gasket used. Mostly they're put on due to laziness on previous repairs (can't be bothered to check which one to use).

Generally as a matter of course we get the radiators serviced also because a LOT of the ones we see are generally that blocked that they are only working by the skin of their teeth. Tanks off and rod the core, not just a flush.

While you're going it would not hurt to clean out the intercooler - have you seen the amount of oil they collect. If they are oily then their efficiency decreases markedly. If you really want to wonder in amazement - take the intake manifold off a TD5 and check out the gunk in there. I guarantee you'll have your EGR modified before brekky the next day!

CraigB.

The core started to disintegrate and fracture on mine so I had a new core fitted. And fitted by a proper radiator repair specialist, not some cheap rubbish from Britpart

That was done when the engine was fitted to this vehicle

I dont have EGR.

Alex