I think its more a case of how much would you have to pay for someone to take it away!

Go buy a Haynes and get the head off!

If it is really a faulty head gasket, it requires a hard work...You have to remove intake manifold, exhaust manifold, valve train, and then the head to replace the head gasket..but you can always refer to a repair manual and follow the instructions. Or there is always the professionals to help you.

get the spanners out!!!

hey fella's, just thought id let you know the outcome of it all. ended up costing

To think that could of cost you about £50 and a few hours tinkering...

Not a terrible outcome by any means.

Id certainly baulk at paying over £300 on a head gasket, but I guess it could be worse, some garages really enjoy fleecing people. I can see though that if you look under a bonnet and just see a jumpe of cables and pipes the idea of taking that lump of metal apart can seem scary.

£310 is good. they wanted £700 to do mine.

good to hear your back on the road to skoderdum!!!!

Had my head gasket changed recently

Someone earlier asked what the symptoms of a head gasket going were and I'm still not clear. I think my wife's Felicia's has blown (see end of scrap or fettle thread) but I'm not sure. If it has gone it was from accidentally over oiling, not over heating. Her car starts to emit pale smoke from the exhaust after about 30 seconds, especially if pulling uphill.

Sound likely?

there are many symptoms of a head gasket faliure.. a thing worth remembering is that the head gasket doesn't just seal the head to the block.... there are also water passages, plus oil feed and return slots

1). it can be as descibe in the above post, where the combustion gases leak into and pressureixe the cooland circuit..

2). can be oil and water mixing together in the expansion tank/raditor

3). can be combustion gas leaking into the oil system

4). can be one cylinder blowing through to another.

5). can be a cylinder blowing out though to the outside of the engine

Someone earlier asked what the symptoms of a head gasket going were and I'm still not clear. I think my wife's Felicia's has blown (see end of scrap or fettle thread) but I'm not sure. If it has gone it was from accidentally over oiling, not over heating. Her car starts to emit pale smoke from the exhaust after about 30 seconds, especially if pulling uphill.

Sound likely?

Yea! The Felicia lives to fight another day. Local garage says the head gasket is definitely intact. I gave it a blast round our steepest, sharpest roads and plenty of revs and it has definitely stopped smoking. Will stop taking it for granted and give it some TLC starting with a new thermo. 112k and counting.

Edit: forgot to say thanks for the advice TT.

Yea! The Felicia lives to fight another day. Local garage says the head gasket is definitely intact. I gave it a blast round our steepest, sharpest roads and plenty of revs and it has definitely stopped smoking. Will stop taking it for granted and give it some TLC starting with a new thermo. 112k and counting.

good news!

get out and give her some abuse:rofl:

get out and give her some abuse:rofl:

tis the only way to treat them! :D