need advice on repairs

[Evelix]

This is why I'd prefer not to go with a plastic one again...

Hate to rain on your parade... but I'd say the amount of pressure needed to create a violent fracture like that indicates a cracked head. I once had one go on a 3.0L KZN130 and it blew the cap mounting and cap straight off the top of a brass rad, hard enough to leave a dent in the bonnet.

[Dunl]

Hate to rain on your parade... but I'd say the amount of pressure needed to create a violent fracture like that indicates a cracked head. I once had one go on a 3.0L KZN130 and it blew the cap mounting and cap straight off the top of a brass rad, hard enough to leave a dent in the bonnet.

This is where my mechanical knowldge fails me. If the radiator was the weak point for the pressure, why would the hea gasket be blown as well? And what would cause that extreme pressure?

I honeslty haven;t had time to look at it, but the mechanic figured the water pump backed up.

[NiftyNev]

This is where my mechanical knowldge fails me. If the radiator was the weak point for the pressure, why would the hea gasket be blown as well? And what would cause that extreme pressure?

It's usually the head that cracks not the gasket failing. Pressure comes from the cylinders which is around 450PSI. That will tend to blow radiators apart.

I honeslty haven;t had time to look at it, but the mechanic figured the water pump backed up.

Water pump backed up? No idea what that means, so can you ask your mechanic for an explanation? Sounds like BS to me.

Nev.

[Dunl]

It's usually the head that cracks not the gasket failing. Pressure comes from the cylinders which is around 450PSI. That will tend to blow radiators apart.

Okay, that makes sense.....otherwise, with the gasket or head intact, the pressure does not enter the cooling system?

Water pump backed up? No idea what that means, so can you ask your mechanic for an explanation? Sounds like BS to me.
Nev.

No clue either, and nope....never going back there again.

[Evelix]

For info:

it now seems that for some years, Toyota were using a type of head gasket that subsequently proved to be faulty in long-term use. Its failure led to localised overheating and that's what caused (and still causes) the heads to crack. There was a recall to change the gasket but they won't honour it now (I've tried!) because of the age of the vehicles and the likelihood of it by now having caused the head to crack, with the expense a consequential repair would involve.

I suspect that inspection of any cracked head on a Surf will also show a head gasket failure - something often overlooked in the horror of it all.

[Dobbslc]

I assume the new 5 hole gaskets roughtrax sells replace the old style ones and that they've opened up the extra holes over the water ways for more cooling?
The trouble with the old gaskets is that by the time you get them off they are too damaged to see if they caused the fault in the first place.

[Dunl]

Well, none of this info is really sounding good.

I have some time over the next few days....where do I start?

[wishbone]

The heads crack between the valves usually, so the head gasket wouldn't show any problems (the crack goes between the coolant passages in the head and the cylinder)

You need to take the head off to get it checked. If it has cracked it is usually obvious.

Start by removing all the pipework that goes across the top of the engine. Take the radiator and fan out. On the turbo side remove the 3 manifold / turbo bolts. (ones a bit tricky to acccess - I used a 3/8" 'wobble' extension to get to it) Remove the bits on the top of the inlet manifold where the cables go to)

Remove cambelt cover / line up timing marks then remove belt.

Undo / remove the injector pipes.

Take cam cover off / undo the head bolts in reverse order to tightening sequence.

^That's the basics off it from memory - keep an eye out for any cables etc I haven't mentioned.

It's a good time to check and replace the turbo oil feed pipe while the head is off - easy access.

Download the factory manual it makes it all very clear.

[Dunl]

Thanks for that...appreciate it.

I went to move it today so the street where it is parked can be cleared....no coolant on the oil dipstick. So I thought I'd check what little coolant is in the overflow bottle for oil and....it's frozen solid?

It's only 8 degrees Celcius out. Not sure when the coolan was last changed.

[bigman1]

blown rad. seal

Why not try a dose of K-Seal heavy duty it's worth a try,my boat diesel was leaking visibly at head/block joint and it cured it a year ago it has a good reputation,don't know if it's available in canada but you could get it sent online. Ronnie.

[Dunl]

Just a quick update....I've been toying with some plastic welding on that really long crack on the rad, as I have other vehicles to drive and until I have cash to blow on repairs. Well, I managed to get the leak down to about three inches from the 14" crack it was...now it is seeping out instead of a full blown leak.

The good news? It's not overheating...it's not blowing white smoke....there's no coolant on the dipstick...it has power...

In fact, NOTHING at all to suggest a head gasket failure. I'm pretty happy with that so far. I believe that when this happened, it was such a cold day that somewhere in the coolant it froze solid, and the pressure from the cooling system, with no where to go, blew the rad. Because otherwise, I don't see any symptoms of any issues.

Thanks to all for the help on here.

[Dunl]

Well, the Worley aluminum radiator arrived on Friday, about a week after I ordered it (Oz to Canada....not bad). Now I just have to make it fit.

It's thicker, but narrower. The fan shroud doesn't fit, and nothing lines up. All of this I knew ahead of time. Two options are to either make the fan shroud fit, or with the reduced space between the fan and rad, pull the fa and install an electric Taurus fan instead.

How hard is it to wire in an electric fan onto these diesels in place of the viscous fan?