Heads (dont you just love them)

[Walkingflyguy]

Hi surfers,

I think I know the answer to this one before I start but can someone confirm it for me?

I have a 1992 2.4 diesel. The problem started after a caravan towing session. The temperature suddenly shot up and the engine started !!!!ing steam all over the shop! I thought to start with it was the thermostat but when I changed it, it did nothing. I also have air being forced into the overflow bottle and more smoke than normal from the exhaust but no water in the oil or under the filler cap. Is it the head? (some say No please)

[Big Jonah]

Brace yourself

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but you've described more or less the same symptoms as mine a couple of weeks ago.

Head was taken off in a garage, to be told it was the most impressively corroded one he'd ever seen...

Will make a nice paper weight.

I'm not a mechanic, but I'd have it checked over.

[Walkingflyguy]

Thanks mate looks like I am going to have a busy weekend

Colin

[Koi]

Hi surfers,

I think I know the answer to this one before I start but can someone confirm it for me?

I have a 1992 2.4 diesel. The problem started after a caravan towing session. The temperature suddenly shot up and the engine started !!!!ing steam all over the shop! I thought to start with it was the thermostat but when I changed it, it did nothing. I also have air being forced into the overflow bottle and more smoke than normal from the exhaust but no water in the oil or under the filler cap. Is it the head? (some say No please)

Most don't seem to have the water in oil scenario, so its not a viable way to say if its the head.
You say more smoke than normal, it should be more of a sauna from the exhaust than smoke. Set all heaters to hot and take off rad cap and refill the system until it wont take no more, start up and rev it a couple of times then recheck levels. If you are satisfied its full of coolant, from cold take of rad cap and start up if it flows out coolant then it could indicate a head problem, only sure way is to pressure test it.
Towing always puts more load on an engine and shows out lots of things, blocked rad, air locks etc that under normal conditions you may get away with and only show out under loaded conditions.

[The Lovely Boyo]

Heads, oh, heads.....

Picture the scene - an idylic remote Scottish island, Whitsun Bank Holiday, 500 miles from home (South Wales) difficulty starting the Surf, plumes of steam from the exhaust, Angus the local mechanic gleefully strips off the head to show me the most minging cracks between the valves........

End of holiday and a low loader all the way home.

Your problem will be with your head, almost certainly not your gasket, get ready with the readies! A good test is, with the engine cold, take off the radiator cap (the one on top of the thermostat housing) and rev the engine. If the head has gone the coolant will be forced out (quite rapidly) by the combustion gases going into the water jacket instead of down the exhaust. This will happen way before anything gets warm, so you won't mistake it for expansion of the coolant. If you are loosing any amount of water you have a problem.

The garage replaced the head about 20,000 miles ago and I have had no trouble since. I tow a horse box (with horsy passengers) about three times a week (and its a bit hilly here) so the whole transmission gets a bit of a hammering. So, once fixed, they seem to stay that way.

ps - search the net before accepting the head price a garage might give you - they are a lot cheaper if you get your own.

pps - the LT engine was also used in Volkswagen vans, so don't just search for Surf stuff.

[kevb]

quote;-pps - the LT engine was also used in Volkswagen vans, so don't just search for Surf stuff



the LT engine in volkswagon vans is in an LT 35,its a volkswagon engine not the same as toyota engine.engine code for toyota engine is 2LT or 2LTE depending on year of vehicle

[loupea]

Hi surfers,

I think I know the answer to this one before I start but can someone confirm it for me?

I have a 1992 2.4 diesel. The problem started after a caravan towing session. The temperature suddenly shot up and the engine started !!!!ing steam all over the shop! I thought to start with it was the thermostat but when I changed it, it did nothing. I also have air being forced into the overflow bottle and more smoke than normal from the exhaust but no water in the oil or under the filler cap. Is it the head? (some say No please)

Oh god hate to say it, but it sounds like what mine did recently,,,,it was the head cracked all over the place, overheated due to the jap spec fluid coupling link, need to get a uk one or it will happen again & again, rad needs to be 4 core to, jap ones are 3 core, good luck

[robnw67]

Flux Capacitor

Ok, so being an engineer this is going to be embarrassing - but what exactly is a fluid coupling link?

Rob

[Guest]

Ok, so being an engineer this is going to be embarrassing - but what exactly is a fluid coupling link?

Rob

Think he's talking about the viscous fan coupling.

Cheers

[Morr]

Think he's talking about the viscous fan coupling.

Cheers

Aha, had me stumped too!

[dode]

head

Hi Folks,
Just came home last night with my bro and his new 93 K reg 2.4 surf, really nice clean one....................... apart from the head, 25 miles away from the garage we couldn't see out the back for white smoke. The owner of the garage came out with tow truck and said straight away he would sort it , new head no messing, guess it happened in good time, anything else worth changing or looking at once we get the new head on?????
Cheers in advance
Dode

[Alun]

Hi Folks,
Just came home last night with my bro and his new 93 K reg 2.4 surf, really nice clean one....................... apart from the head, 25 miles away from the garage we couldn't see out the back for white smoke. The owner of the garage came out with tow truck and said straight away he would sort it , new head no messing, guess it happened in good time, anything else worth changing or looking at once we get the new head on?????
Cheers in advance
Dode

I know that scenario all to well......

Except mine managed about 3 miles!!

That was a moth ago and im still waiting to get it.

[dode]

aye nae good
They reckoned about a fortnight and it would be fixed so we'll jist have to wait and see

[Koi]

aye nae good
They reckoned about a fortnight and it would be fixed so we'll jist have to wait and see

get to see receipts for a new head, not recon, stitched etc.

[korvain]

Help Me Please

had my head replaced 4 weeks ago now and the garage just can't get my surf to start off the key.
it will start from a tow and apparently runs a treat just not off the key.
if anyone has any ideas please please please pass them on to me.
i miss my surf and a 205gti though fun is no replacement and it's really heavy on the petrol, and the clio i am currently borrowing is just the blandest thing i have had the misfortune to drive