Which make of Head-Gasket is best ?...

[The Electrician]

Hi Guys,
                 I think I have a leaking core plug in the head of my 300Tdi Discovery, so it is going to get head off surgery.

While I'm doing it I'm going to flush the coolant system, clean all the easy to get to oilly bits (oil beather, inlet manifoled, oil cooler) replace the oil pipes from oil filter to rad (dunno what they are called) replace thermostat, oil pressure switch, various gaskets and washers etc.

My question is this, whats the point of doing all this if you use crap bits, So thats Paddocks or should I say Britparts out.........

So what is best Head Gasket to get, I want to get good quality.

Cheers everyone, hope everyone is having a great Christmas break.

Gary 

[extreme90]

i allways use geniune parts on my trucks

[BigBlueBeast]

No point scrimping on main parts like head gasket and timing belt, I found out the hard way!! Always always always use genuine parts!!

[The Electrician]

I agree totally, that was my first port of call, but not one LandRover dealer stocks them and that means I have to wait...........

.....But you have just confirmed what my head was telling me..............Use Genuine LandRover parts, quoted £145 inc vat for all the bits, including new bolts.

I don't intend to do it twice, do you recommend a head skim as well.

[extreme90]

while the head is off id have it skimmed and pressure tested
dont forget to fit new head bolts
i'd also advise while its apart to fit new stem seals, if the head is skimmed and flushed you " should " replace these anyway as the flushing proccess can and does lift the seals of there seats
dan

[Range Rover Blues]

Be warned that the LR manual says the 300TDi head MUST NOT be skimmed, if it's warped then it must be replaced.  Temperr this with my own experience, skimmed one head, fitted hong-kong-fuey head gasket, still going 3 years later versus new head, new head gasket, new geniune head gasket after that failed, now it's having a skim, another set of bolts and a genuine head gasket again.  If it goes this time I really don't know what I'll do.

[bogie]

Alway use the 3ply gen metal gasket,it should last a hell of a lot longer than those cornflake packet ones!

[bilge rat]

always gone against them to be honest . heard they can leak on the oil way ?. i fitted the older type elring gasket , now done 210.000 miles so not complaining ,alan

[Range Rover Blues]

Jus to update, we got the head off today, the bolts around the centre LHS of the head seemed a bit looser than the others and seemingly it's no coincidence that the area between cylinders 2 and 3 is where the head gasket failed, pressurising the coolant.

Is it possible that an engine overheat can cause this?  I'm a bit concerned that the head didn't seem very tight in the area it failed and I know that I tightened it up properly.

[stretchy]

 cornflake packet gaskets hahaa like it bogie..

they may be loose becase you never replaced them last time. its a funny subject some pepple say replace them becase they are stretch bolts and others say you can use them again a cuple of times. same with the head skim, some agree some disagree. I done a sucsessfull head gasket this year. same bolts and no skim. not saying its going to last forever but it still seems fine and its been run evry day for months . have never read the manual on a 300 head but if it says dont skim it just get both surfaces smooth and shiny and grease free as you can, it should be ok if its not warped. if you dont skim it make sure you get the same thicknes of gasket. the holes on the tab should tell you this. also on the little gaskets water pump, thermstat etc clean both surface of with a razor blade get them shiny then put some blue seal on both sides then the gasket. that should give you a good seal that will last years.
good luck

stretchy

[The Electrician]

Hi guys, Just an update, i took some advise from various people on various forums and went with a 1.6mm Elring gasket, that and the fact that autopost (wimbledon - 10 miles away) had one in stock.

So head off, all striped and cleaned (looked like new) all put back together and after running some fuel through the injectors she fired up and runs fab, no leaks or anything...........so far.

decided not to skim as Land Rover say not to and once the glow plugs (replaced them as well) and injectors are out the cleaned head sits on a glass top table which should have showed up any serious distortion being true flat, it seemed fine with no movement on any corner.

the only thing I need to do tomorrow is bleed the fuel properly as it plays up starting after you leave it an hour or so.

but now it's all fixed, I'm going to sell it and get a 90.

Gary  :lol:  

[Range Rover Blues]

The manual says the head must be flat to within 0.08mm along it length, across it's width and diagonally.  RRR's needed 14though (not sure what that is in mm yet) to get it flat.

I really can't understand why having the head skimmed means you need to fit a different gasket, the head is flat.  The gasket should be chosen after measuring the piston projection at TDC, that doesn't change unless you rebuild the bottom end.

The ONLY thing would be the valve-head stand-down and that issue is better addressed by recutting the valve seats.


Anyway, being Christmas I havn't yet managed to get hold of all the bits i need, but the guy who did my head (Rotherham Engine Services) told me the bolots are not stretch bolts despite being angle torqued and can be re-used.

Other people in the past have told me they can be reused between 3 and 5 times.  Hell you'd have to be unlucky to be doing the same head 5 times :'(


Anyway, I think fitting new bolts is as much about confidence as anything else but when I find my copoy of RAVE I'll check what it says.