3.0 Cylinder Head Removal

[Wez ssr-x]

My truck was fine when i got it but the started blowing white smoke turned out to be cracked head.It started and drove fine as i had to use it for a few days like it (Made the school run fun)I got a roughtrax head and just to make sure a new rad as well.Did it all myself and was an easy job even taking my time with lots of tea breaks had the head of in a couple of hours.Been all over the country in it over the past 2 years and it never missed a beat since mainly running on veg oil.I did do pic's as i took the head and parts off so if there was a problem putting it back on i could refer back to them i will have a look and see if i still have them.

[madmanc]

Nice one mate.
That would be cool if you could find them.

Since this initial posting i have since had the water system pressurised and still nothing, the mechanic that did the last test is going to isolate the Turbo and the inlet manifold just to make 100% sure its the head before finally oiking it off.

[BeratE]

Wez - Any chance you have rounded up those pictures? I am about to the point of yanking bits apart and would like to be able to visualize what corners I can cut. The manual want everything to come apart.

[Hazzo]

I did mine with 18 months back and just set about it, basically everything bolted to the head has to come off so as long as you've got eyes and tools take it to bits, mine was hydrolocked at the time so I couldn't even set the timing marks up, its more important when putting it back together anyway. 18 Months on its still running great though its getting driven to the scrappy on feb 14 when the mot runs out as we've a new dinky toy coming.

Madmanc, mine showed no signs really for 6 months just kept losing 1/2 inch of coolant a week, I was convinced it was a leak, isolated the rear heater and went through every scenario but couldn't find nothing, started great every day and like yours on cold days it was like a steam train till it warmed up, did another coolant change/service and the drove it like I stole it up to 90, still drove fine, got home parked up and checked the coolant when it cooled, again it had dropped a bit, next morning locked solid.

I've had it four or maybe fifth year now, it starts on the first turn and always has apart from that day, serviced every 4 grand and not been offroad, tried selling it on here but decided to keep it in the end as I wouldn't have got a car as good for the dough. If you do fix yours do the viscous fan service and fit an aftermarket temp guage too, I'm convinced this is where the head problems lie if all else is looked after. H

[silva surfa]

why you scrapping the surf harry,mine has started chucking all the coolant out the expantion tank and lots of steam out of the exhaust,garage says it may be the gasket or could be a cracked head but they wont no until they get it off and tested, £600 to do the gasket and head skimmed and tested,be more if the heads cracked,so hoping its just the gasket,its never over heated,just have to wait and see

[TonyN]

, £600 to do the gasket and head skimmed and tested,be more if the heads cracked,so hoping its just the gasket,its never over heated,just have to wait and see

Thats pretty steep, I get heads tested and skimmed for £60ish, £50 for gasket and bolts and then I charge £300 labour on top!

Labour dosn't change if heads cracked or not, and usually the cracks are obvious so you don't need to pay for testing.

[silva surfa]

shame your so far away,his first price was just under a grand
was going to be paying £180 just for head bolts,is it more common to be the gasket or cracked head on the 3ltr in your expereance ?

[TonyN]

Yeah, if fuel was a decent price it'd be worth a visit down south, but as it you won't save a great deal.

3.0's are about 60-40, more chance it being the head than not, but not a dead cert like a 2.4. They tend to just go, like most other cars, due to just use and abuse or old age, not just because they've got hot like a 2.4.

TBH, most people buy them with it gone, if you use enough rad seal or whatever, it'll last anything up to 6 months, especially if you don't do long journeys before you the new owner lose enough water to notice its got a problem.

[silva surfa]

thanks for that info,fingers crossed its the gasket,think i,d rather get it fixed properly than put rad seal in,i,ll shop about see if i can get the price down abit,anyone in the north east recomend a decent garage ?

[Hazzo]

why you scrapping the surf harry,mine has started chucking all the coolant out the expantion tank and lots of steam out of the exhaust,garage says it may be the gasket or could be a cracked head but they wont no until they get it off and tested, £600 to do the gasket and head skimmed and tested,be more if the heads cracked,so hoping its just the gasket,its never over heated,just have to wait and see

Got a new car coming in a few weeks, the Surf's only done a few miles over the last year as I've been using the bike through the summer, Mot runs out in feb and it probably needs a couple of bits, back bumpers are scabby as hell now and I just don't need it. Tax, mot n bits will run to £350-400 or so, plus the new insurance rules mean it has to have that on it too as theres nowhere to sorn it so I'm cutting my losses.

Dont do ebay now either as theres too many dickheads on there now, was thinking of removing things like towbar/alloys to sell separate as I've got some steel wheels which I was going to use to try the offroad stuff but never got around to. I'm pi55ed about it as we bought it for 3500 which is the most I've paid for anything in my life let alone a car and fuel is only going one way from here on in so we've opted for a 60 to the gallon pile of shit as a replacement so as soon as the garage says its in the trucks history, I'll drive it with no mot if we haven't got the other one by valentines day but I'm hoping I dont need to.

Think you'll be very lucky in the gasket dept on yours myself, the new gasket I shoved on this one when I done the head is steel plate so I think it more likely the weaker component (head) is fubared, my local scrappy has a 3.0 LC and I know him so I might be able to coax a bit extra out of him for this rolling spares dept. H

PS. mine "never overheated" either on the included temp guage but we all know what they're like, I know it hasn't for definite since as I fitted an extra guage and the oil cooler, I also didn't tow anymore as the caravan got broken into while my truck was off the road and the thieving bstards relieved me of my caravan gear so I sold that and bought the bike.

[silva surfa]

what would yours need for mot harry ? it may be a better option than repairing mine if the price was right

[nasar1968]

hi is it a 3rd gen if it is would you be looking to break it or sell it by anychance thanks

[Hazzo]

what would yours need for mot harry ? it may be a better option than repairing mine if the price was right

I came back on here to ask about a squeaky front drivers side, theres a thread about someone having the same so reckon it needs those bushes replaced, don't know if thats a fail or what though, and front balljoint got an advisory last year, but I'd only had them done 18 months before. Other than that its sailed through every year I've had it, everything works on it and its used daily.

I'm not breaking it for the same reason I can't sorn it or that would have been the route to take, its got 159000 kilometers on it, a new head at 145000, starter done not long before yours and oil changed every 4k 4 good AT tires on alloys and a set of steels with tires too.

Really theres nowt wrong with it but I'm sick of the fuel costs and its not used for anything other than shopping, let me know what you're willing to pay for it as I'd obviously rather it went to someone than me taking a few bits off it to sell then junking it but I just have nowhere for it and can't be arsed with tire kickers or knobs

I reckon I can get 200 for the alloys n tires and probably a ton or so for the tow bar/mat/spoiler if I have to scrap it so have a think, its going nowhere till around feb14 at the earliest. H

[Hazzo]

hi is it a 3rd gen if it is would you be looking to break it or sell it by anychance thanks

Sorry mate no hairdriers in this one, gen 2. H

[silva surfa]

i havnt got your number,if you still have mine could you give me a bell harry