Head gasket repair in a bottle...

[ssray]

Mk4 golf 130pd TDI estate I'd fitted pd150 head bolts a few years ago when I got it.

Possible head gasket failure......
It knows I've been thinking of selling....
Symptoms: it's been pressuring the expansion bottle for a while,off for a 100 mile trip, stopped 3 times there and back, the expansion tank overflow was leaking.
New aftermarket one fitted, then I ended up replacing the hoses from the block to the heater matrix, flow and return, one was no longer available, good used one fitted.

Today a different hose popped off, it was a 3 mile drop son off at work and back run, loud pop and off it came.

I refixed it and went round the block, back at home the rad hose was really hard , couldn't squeeze them.

It's not worth getting anyone to repair it as it's possibly a 1k car, I don't have the time to do it myself.

So back to the title, I've got a combustion check kit arriving
Is it worth using a bottle of head gasket fox stuff?

Ta Ray

Edited by ssray on Tuesday 18th August 20:04

[bangerhoarder]

Head lift is common on these engines, and that contributes to HGF. Uprated head bolts alongside a new headgasket should work it. Also factoring in a new cambelt it's not a particularly cheap job.

[ssray]

bangerhoarder said:

Head lift is common on these engines, and that contributes to HGF. Uprated head bolts alongside a new headgasket should work it. Also factoring in a new cambelt it's not a particularly cheap job.

Thanks, I did install 150 head bolts a few years ago, before this started
I'm getting a new thermostat tomorrow and a head gasket test kit

[Richard-D]

ssray said:

Thanks, I did install 150 head bolts a few years ago, before this started
I'm getting a new thermostat tomorrow and a head gasket test kit

That's too many.

[magpie215]

K seal used to be the goto...not sure if there is a newer better option.

[E-bmw]

ssray said:

Mk4 golf 130pd TDI estate I'd fitted pd150 head bolts a few years ago when I got it.

Possible head gasket failure......
It knows I've been thinking of selling....
Symptoms: it's been pressuring the expansion bottle for a while,off for a 100 mile trip, stopped 3 times there and back, the expansion tank overflow was leaking.
New aftermarket one fitted, then I ended up replacing the hoses from the block to the heater matrix, flow and return, one was no longer available, good used one fitted.

Today a different hose popped off, it was a 3 mile drop son off at work and back run, loud pop and off it came.

I refixed it and went round the block, back at home the rad hose was really hard , couldn't squeeze them.

It's not worth getting anyone to repair it as it's possibly a 1k car, I don't have the time to do it myself.

So back to the title, I've got a combustion check kit arriving
Is it worth using a bottle of head gasket fox stuff?

Ta Ray

OK, I will ask what others are thinking.

You say you may be selling, so are you going to bodge/fix it then sell to some unsuspecting buyer?

If so I do hope you don't.

[i_alan_i]

I had a E36 328i that was using a very small amount of water after overheating due to waterpump failure. Was suspected as being a head gasket issue. Steel seal fixed it with no adverse issues, and it lasted for the next couple of years I had the car.

It wasn't as bad a HG failure as you sounded like you have though, wasn't overpressuring the system at all.

[Rowe]

I'd just do the gasket and studs (again) for how long it takes.
Think you're wasting your time with any of these magic formulations personally.

[itcaptainslow]

After doing a couple of head gasket jobs on cars where this slop has been used, it's an absolute nightmare to get it all out of the cooling system again (pretty much impossible, to be honest). Just do the job properly, unless the car is a shed where another 6 months is a bonus.

[ssray]

E-bmw said:

OK, I will ask what others are thinking.

You say you may be selling, so are you going to bodge/fix it then sell to some unsuspecting buyer?

If so I do hope you don't.

If I sell it, I will sell as a project, been there myself.
It's got some trick bits like projector headlights and a cuppa interior.
I'd rather not scrap it

[ssray]

Richard-D said:

That's too many.

149 just wouldn't work

[ssray]

Just had a thought, the oe expansion tank was leaking under pressure, so I stuck a pattern one on in it's place.
I've just ordered a used clean looking one (oe) and will try that.
If I could get a few months out it I'd be much better off

[richhead]

Ive used steel seal in the past on old sheds and it has worked well, but you have to follow the procedure to the letter, and remove the thermostat.
I would never use it on something worth fixing properly. As said, it does coat everything.
From memory some of those old tdi golfs had more than one thermostat aswell, so maybe worth an engine code specific google.

[ssray]

richhead said:

Ive used steel seal in the past on old sheds and it has worked well, but you have to follow the procedure to the letter, and remove the thermostat.
I would never use it on something worth fixing properly. As said, it does coat everything.
From memory some of those old tdi golfs had more than one thermostat aswell, so maybe worth an engine code specific google.

Thanks

[ssray]

I'm trying to work out what kind of flow there should be on the return, I've got a vid at tickover and it wasn't much more with a few revs
https://www.flickr.com/photos/192325275@N04/554736...

[richhead]

ssray said:

I'm trying to work out what kind of flow there should be on the return, I've got a vid at tickover and it wasn't much more with a few revs
https://www.flickr.com/photos/192325275@N04/554736...

There wont be much flow from that hose tbh.

[ssray]

richhead said:

There wont be much flow from that hose tbh.

Would the highest hose on the rad be better?
Ta

[richhead]

ssray said:

richhead said:

There wont be much flow from that hose tbh.

Would the highest hose on the rad be better?
Ta

Depends what you are trying to check for

[ssray]

richhead said:

Depends what you are trying to check for

The efficiency of the water pump, trying to rule that out.
Should have a coolant sniffer kit for the head gasket arriving soon too