Replacing head gasket - parts questions

[cupcake]

Garage confirmed today what I had suspected - head gasket is knackered - there was no coolant in the system and lots of white smoke when up to temperature.

Now, I've "done" a cylinder head replacement (twice) with a friend (that did most of the work!) on my old Misti and I don't recall twice having to buy new cylinder head bolts.

Garage has quoted me for a new set of head bolts, plus oil filter, gasket set, thermostat, possible head skim and TWO DAYS labour (and a few other bits)

Does that sound right? We did a complete head replacement in a day but just used the same head bolts at least one of the times.

If that's right, anyone know where I can get a replacement set that's not massive money? Garage quoted £150 + vat

I'm providing the parts cos it's so far saved me about 200 quid over garage parts quoted.

Any help keeping Smurf alive would be gratefully appreciated. Don't wanna see my T2 in the scrapyard

 

[geoffdown]

Garage confirmed today what I had suspected - head gasket is knackered - there was no coolant in the system and lots of white smoke when up to temperature.

Now, I've "done" a cylinder head replacement (twice) with a friend (that did most of the work!) on my old Misti and I don't recall twice having to buy new cylinder head bolts.

Garage has quoted me for a new set of head bolts, plus oil filter, gasket set, thermostat, possible head skim and TWO DAYS labour (and a few other bits)

Does that sound right? We did a complete head replacement in a day but just used the same head bolts at least one of the times.

If that's right, anyone know where I can get a replacement set that's not massive money? Garage quoted £150 + vat

I'm providing the parts cos it's so far saved me about 200 quid over garage parts quoted.

Any help keeping Smurf alive would be gratefully appreciated. Don't wanna see my T2 in the scrapyard

To take head off a 3ltr is very lengthy think book says bout 11hrs only what I have heard as I dont own a 3ltr

 

[cupcake]

My Mitsubishi was something like that according to "the book", but in reality it didn't take that long

 

[davenclaire]

just do it your self and feck the garage, the old bolts would be stretched i replaced head bolts on my old van when i did it a few years back but its up to you.

defo have the head skimmed and at the same time they can pressure test it for you to make sure there are no cracks in it you cant see

 

[Banshee]

I speak for myself here but i wouldn't mind seeing some pics of a damaged head and what knock on effects it's had on other components if it is evident

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

When I was looking at replacing my cylinder head, I do remember reading somewhere that the diesel head bolts are done up so tight, they actually stretch. The problem is, once the stretch is used up, if you try to re-use them, there is less/no stretch left, and you are more likely to shear them as you tighten them, so should be replaced, but I am not sure if that is just "Best practice", or essential. I would think that because the garage is doing the work, the high compression of a Diesel, and any issues come may back on them, they would want new ones, but I am sure Rick would know more, from his days of working on the old Oil Burners.

Was that price for Nissan? have you tried a Motor factor?

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

You might be able to widen your search...

I just looked up the ZD30Ti engine, and if this site is to be believed, it shares the bolts with the:
Nissan Patrol 3L 05/2000 12/2004 2953 Y61 ATV/SUV 156 ZD30DDTI
Nissan Terrano 3L 04/2002 12/2006 2953 R20 ATV/SUV 154 ZD30Ti
Nissan Terrano 3L 04/2002 12/2006 2953 R20 Van 154 ZD30Ti
Nissan Patrol 3L 10/2004 08/2010 2953 Y61 ATV/SUV 158 ZD30DDTI

 

[cupcake]

He didn't tell me over the phone where the quote price was from, but the only head bolts I have found for myself on fleabay are not much short of the same price really.

Not had chance to ring around any factors yet.

I might as well just get new ones then if they stretch. If I'm gonna have to spend this money then I might as well get it done properly.

Been reading a lot of other posts here about head gaskets going and wondering what they would have tested on the car to check?

They said the glow plug furthest back had signs of 'melting' or warping at the very top and loads of white smoke from the exhaust when hot. Does that sound about right?

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Try this... based on the other link, these should be the right ones...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BOLT-KIT-CYLINDER-HEAD-NISSAN-BK3311-BY-BGA-/380708404269?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Model%3APatrol+GR&hash=item58a3fd3c2d

 

[firebobby]

Is the car blowing water out when hot, do you have mayo under the oil filler cap or do you have a leak.
If it's loosing water, it must be going somewhere.

As for the white smoke, do you have an air leak on the fuel supply line, check under the rear of the car, just above the rear axle, see if it's wet from leaking fuel lines.

 

[solarman216]

one of the ways to test for head gasket fail is to sniff (with a tester) the gasses coming into the radiator, if they contain exhaust gas then head gasket gone, most modern heads use stretch bolts, they are done up to a low torque to start with then a further two stage angle tightening, this method is more accurate than just torque wrench as binding of the threads can mean the bolt is not as tight as the torque implies, angle tightening gets round this, and whilst I have used bolts 2 nd time around, the preferred method is replacement, Rick

 

[solarman216]

H

Been reading a lot of other posts here about head gaskets going and wondering what they would have tested on the car to check?

They said the glow plug furthest back had signs of 'melting' or warping at the very top and loads of white smoke from the exhaust when hot. Does that sound about right?

easy test you can do yourself, is remove rad cap place rag in plastic bag hold it over rad filler, you now have a path for any gas to go to the top up tank make sure this has enough liquid in it to cover the inlet at the bottom, now rev the motor if you get a constant stream of bubbles chances are it has gone, it is not an infallible test as some only blow under load, the glow plug just sounds like a bad connection may have got hot but a clean up should sort it, Rick

 

[Sweety]

I think the 3L has an alloy head(someone please correct me if i'm wrong) in which case I would have the head skimmed anyway

 

[rhume]

3 Litre head

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your problems. I am afraid I had the head go on my 3 Litre Terrano at the start of the year. Hoped it was a gasket but in the end when the head was pressure tested it had two cracks in it. The cracks did mask the problem as until engine was hot and under load it didn't tend to loose water.

I managed to source a new head which was replaced by the garage. they are an independent 4x4 specialist and replace heads on Landy all the time. They said that any heads that go on Terrano are mostly the 3L as sometimes you can get overheating due to over fueling. They reckoned it was a good 4 hr job to take it off and about the same to put it back on. I had new bolts on mine as didn't want to risk it based on the cost of the head and fitting.

Hope it's just the gasket.

 

[J66P]

best bet is budget for a head, good chance it will be goosed, they are not uncommon to fail on the Patrol from what I read when i was looking round, hence I decided to go for the 2.7

If the recommendation is to change the head bolts then do it, you will always be unsure if you don't, as said above they are manufactured to stretch at the torque, once its gone it gone they do not tighten the same and not only the risk is them shearing but you run the risk of the head not being torqued down right.

 

[cupcake]

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your problems. I am afraid I had the head go on my 3 Litre Terrano at the start of the year. Hoped it was a gasket but in the end when the head was pressure tested it had two cracks in it. The cracks did mask the problem as until engine was hot and under load it didn't tend to loose water.

I managed to source a new head which was replaced by the garage. they are an independent 4x4 specialist and replace heads on Landy all the time. They said that any heads that go on Terrano are mostly the 3L as sometimes you can get overheating due to over fueling. They reckoned it was a good 4 hr job to take it off and about the same to put it back on. I had new bolts on mine as didn't want to risk it based on the cost of the head and fitting.

Hope it's just the gasket.

How's yours been since you had it done? I remember the last time I did it on the Mitsubishi and the truck was just never quite the same again. Ended up (eventually somewhere further down the line after me) having a new engine.

I'm toying with scrapping and just spending the money on something else, but I'm having a bit of a dilemma...

Do I spend bucket loads of money fixing it and hoping nothing else goes wrong? Or do I get rid, get something else that I hope is also reliable? Or do I just not get a 4x4 (as my husband wants) and get something boring, sensible and reliable?

answers on a postcard :nenau

 

[davenclaire]

who is to say that anything else would be more reliable?

you mite buy a bigger problem than you have now whats the total cost from the garage?

 

[davenclaire]

ebay have new heads for 3lt from 365 to 450 gaskets sets from 35 plus bolt another 20 quid so 500ish for parts seeing as i almost spent 200 replacing no1 injector i dont think thats to bad what are they quoteing for labour?

 

[geoffdown]

Ok not bad

 

[cupcake]

They haven't quoted yet, didn't get there til late last night and they said it wouldn't be today as they're booked solid all morning and closed this afternoon

the other garage that I won't be using quoted £600 + VAT for labour. Parts on top included head bolts, gasket set, 7ltrs oil, oil filter, thermostat, head skim (but probably needs a new head), anti-freeze. Without the new head it came to over £1200