1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Hi Folks,
First up - 2000 Aero wagon, 143,000km (88,000mi). A few months ago it started to have a slight misfire on startup in the morning, a couple of weeks later I got a 'fill coolant' message appear. 'Dang, head gasket", thought I.
After quite a bit of investigation, I finally found some evidence of leakage out of a small crack in the exhaust manifold and around the turbo flange in the first minute or so of a cold startup, before everything got too hot. So there was seemingly a very slow leak into a cylinder. I would go maybe 2-3 weeks in between the 'fill coolant' message appearing. I ignored it for a while, but finally tackled the job today, getting the cylinder head off.
First impression - man, the alternator/bracket at the back of the motor is a right royal pain in the backside to get off - more so when you don't actually know where all the bolts are! Shoot the supposed "engineer" who came up with that monstrosity! ;-)
There was a crack in the head gasket between a water gallery and #1 combustion chamber and a corresponding black mark on the face of the block, so I'm fairly confident I have my smoking gun. Weird it would blow that gasket for seemingly no reason - is that normal? (I retorqud the head a few weeks back and it had no effect)
Anyhow, everything is now apart and I have a couple of questions;
1. Should I skim the head? My indy said always skim the head whenever it is off, but I don't really see the need? Is this just pure standard procedure, based on the high probability of a problem?
2. What else should I do "while I'm at it"? The water pump looks pretty easy to get to right now, do these things sometimes fail before say 150,000miles? (the time I expect to keep the car) Maybe timing chain? What is the measurement of the extension of the tensioner indicating the chain is buggered?
I will change the serpentine belt and probably the tensioner/idlers I guess, just because I'm in there now. Probably pull the injectors and get them cleaned and flow tested, anything else???
Thanks
Steve
posted by 59.167.48...
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