Right from the looks of it my car seems to be throwing the water out on heavy load ie on full boost so I'm thinkin headgasket ???

Unless anyone can say otherwise ?

How difficult are they to change on fabias??

And do the Haynes owners manuals have the specific torques for head bolts if not is there anywhere to find them

Thanks

Depends what engine but i've got it down for 5 hours 30 minutes for cylinder head & gasket

Cylinder head bolts i've got..

Renew bolts

Stage 1 - 40nm

Stage 2 - 60nm

Stage 3 - 90nm

Stage 4 - 90nm also.

Thanks mate I've got Vrs pd130 on a 54 plate

I don't drive fast but when i fancy having a bit it annoying the water light coming on so needs doing ..

What gasket did you use a standard or a metal layer one if there available

isn't there a sequence aswel as torque for the head so as not to warp it?

something like this

Yeah a sequence aswell .

Just trying to get as many tips to make life easier as I've done many of impreza head gaskets and found little hints along the way to make easier

Depends what engine but i've got it down for 5 hours 30 minutes for cylinder head & gasket

Cylinder head bolts i've got..

Renew bolts

Stage 1 - 40nm

Stage 2 - 60nm

Stage 3 - 90nm

Stage 4 - 90nm also.

Stages 3 and 4 are 90 degree angles not 90nm

Where is it throwing the water out through the exhaust or just in the engine bay

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Stages 3 and 4 are 90 degree angles not 90nm

Might be correct, i just put it in the work computer for a quick look 5 minutes before im off for a few days.

In my previous experience not all bolts go to the same torque, you can use your own feeling for when a bolt will strip or snap. A computer saying 90nm doesnt know when a bolt will strip in the real w

Stages 3 and 4 are 90 degree angles not 90nm

Might be correct, i just put it in the work computer for a quick look 5 minutes before im off for a few days.

In my previous experience not all bolts go to the same torque, you can use your own feeling for when a bolt will strip or snap. A computer saying 90nm doesnt know when a bolt will strip in the real world.

Been a mechanic 22 years and 90nm is nothing for a head bolt. Final torques for these bolts are angles nowadays.

It's throwing out the expansion tank I've replaced it aswell as the cap twice still doing it

Before you start ripping the head off, have a leak down test done (diesel compression test), that will help pinpoint the problem.

SN

Does your temp gauge go high in the car?

Have you tried bleeding the cooling system properly?

Did read one thread... somewhere... where the bloke "checked" his head bolts (partially drained coolant then loosened/retightened the bolts). Whilst very much not a recommended procedure, he found a bolt or two looser then desired and nipped them up tighter. Fixed his problem for the time being. Not really something the average person should attempt though.

J.

Sorry if I'm cluttering multiple threads, but as this one is HG specific, I thought it best.

Possible the Missus's HG has gone as well on her 1.4 8v mpi. Creamy residue on oil cap and small loss of water (although stat is buggered anyway). If it needs doing I'm happy to have a crack myself, but is the head likely to need skimming as well? Obviously this would be an added inconvenience waiting for a machine shop to do the work!

Cheers gents!

Hi Seanl,

If it is your head gasket thats gone, it would be worth having the head pressure tested/skimmed.

Just completed this myself on my car, on the exact same engine(ATZ)- (I'm not a mechanic).

I bought a new head from TPS (£235inc vat) as I went to get mine skimmed, but the head specialist wouldn't guarantee the skim because it was so close to the water channel.

After searching numerous scrappers (many wouldn't split a good working engine) and only finding a couple of very poor examples (priced at around £100 each), I figured i should have them tested and possibly reskimmed if bought them, so this could bring the price up to a couple of hundred pound so I decided to buy a new one. I had to swap over the valves and reseat them to the new head with new valve stem oil seals (bought a full head set (£58) and head bolts (£35) from Andrew Page)

Really easy to do, following the Haynes and researching on here for info.

Car only cost me £100, so I thought it would be worth it. Took me about 12 hours in all to strip everthing (had a couple of weeks searching for a used head inbetween) and put it back together again. (was really cold too, as i did it on my drive a couple of weeks ago).

After putting it back together, I put in new oil, filter, and coolant.

Like a different car now. Smoother running.

Go for it!

Cheers bud, although doesn't fill me with confidence that it could be a cheap fix now! lol

Missus went out earlier to take some curtains back to Dunelm, (less than 10 minutes drive each way) so I thought I'd check it over when she got back. Left it for half an hour for it to cool a little, then checked header tank which I filled to max after inspecting the stat yesterday, and was below minimum. Not good! Checked the oil filler cap, and had more mayo than it had yesterday, and there was noticably water (seemed slightly pink as well!). Not good! Obviously its really cold, but upon starting there seemed to be a fair amount of white smoke/steam coming from the exhaust. Went to have a closer look, and there was a fair amount of water on the floor, and drips around the tip of the exhaust. Did the old trick of tasting it, and it seemed pretty sweet (like anti-freeze). Not good! It rings even more alarms bells when I've had a search on here, and seen previous posts where HG issues which have killed lambdas, indicated by engine warning lights illuminated (which she had) although today its not on which is weird. Either way, not good!

I'm gonna fit the stat tomorrow, change oil and filter, take it out for a little run and get it up to temp, and see where I go from there. I simply can't afford a new head this close to Christmas, so it will have to remain off the road til after if it ends in that.

Cheers guys!

My temp gauge sits perfect

No creamy residue in oil or water

Leaks out if driven normally after around 3/5 days

But if booted Itl be low after about 5/10 minutes

Plenty of usual pressure from expansion cap

So a strange one I'd of thought if I had a leak or somthing itd be low whatever speed/revs I do

Could be a pin hole leak in one of your water hoses or at the water pump Deano. Obviously when your giving it beans, the revs are up, therefore your pulleys are driving the water pump like the clappers, and creating more pressure. Under higher pressure you are more likely to loose more water if you have one of the above. Have a look under the bay, see if you can see any snail trails (crystal like deposits that look a little like salt that trail down) and see if you can trace it back.