I have a horrible feeling my T4 van's head gasket is toast

[Mr. Dazzle]

Poor some cheap vodka in the header tank, claim your van is now running water/alcohol injection. take it racing.

Job jobbed.

[Sadlonelygit]

not that i would ever do such a thing, or even advocate such chicanery

must.jpg (7.31 KiB) Viewed 1099 times

or egg white in an emergency.................so ive been told

[Screwdriver]

I am going to get rid of my 1996 T4. It has a magnificent 2.5V5 petrol engine with an LPG conversion. low mileage, one careful owner (wasn't me).

LPG conversion is not good enough for Sadiq Khan so I have to get rid. Breaks my heart but if you need a donor and want to go petrol/LPG, I have to let it go and it will be stupidly cheap (because I can't get the thing started).

[mangocrazy]

I am going to get rid of my 1996 T4. It has a magnificent 2.5V5 petrol engine with an LPG conversion. low mileage, one careful owner (wasn't me).

LPG conversion is not good enough for Sadiq Khan so I have to get rid. Breaks my heart but if you need a donor and want to go petrol/LPG, I have to let it go and it will be stupidly cheap (because I can't get the thing started).

I will very definitely bear this in mind. I don't know how this thing will play out; I don't even know if it has head gasket/cylinder head problems or not. But when I do (and when I'm back in the land of warm beer and shite weather) I may be beating a path to your door.

Or not, as the case may be.

But thanks for the thought.

[MrLongbeard]

The water pump (along with the cam chain) was replaced earlier in the year so should be OK.

Previously liquid tight engine has work done on or around water related component, and then starts leaking and developing a thirst, that there water pump is where I would start.

[mangocrazy]

The water pump (along with the cam chain) was replaced earlier in the year so should be OK.

Previously liquid tight engine has work done on or around water related component, and then starts leaking and developing a thirst, that there water pump is where I would start.

Good point, well made. That would be a tw@t to fix though, as it's buried in the bowels of the engine. I've ordered some UV-sensitive tracing fluid and a UV torch so hopefully that will highlight where the leaks might be emanating from.

[demographic]

I am going to get rid of my 1996 T4. It has a magnificent 2.5V5 petrol engine with an LPG conversion. low mileage, one careful owner (wasn't me).

LPG conversion is not good enough for Sadiq Khan so I have to get rid. Breaks my heart but if you need a donor and want to go petrol/LPG, I have to let it go and it will be stupidly cheap (because I can't get the thing started).

I thought the ULEZ was brought about by Boris? He certainty got the ball rolling anyway.
Kahn just extended it bit.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is an area in London, England, where an emissions standard based charge is applied to non-compliant road vehicles. Plans were announced by London Mayor Boris Johnson in 2015 for the zone to come into operation in 2020. Sadiq Khan, the subsequent mayor, introduced the zone early in 2019. The zone initially covered Central London, the same area as the existing London congestion charge; in 2021, Khan extended the zone to cover the area within the North Circular and South Circular roads. In 2023 it was further extended to all of Greater London, covering over 1,500 square kilometres (580 sq mi) and approximately 9 million people.

[Screwdriver]

It is as confusing as hell. LEZ, ULEZ Congestion Charge....

I can understand the idea of charging people to go into central London. Makes sense even but that cunt Sadiq extended it to include the entire area under his dictatorial control. He had "consultations" where basically 99% of respondents said NO to his plans but he lied about the results and did it anyway.

Did the same thing with average speed tax now the whole of London now 20mph. Do I feel safer now that I might get rammed off my motorcycle by a fucking battery bicycle? No I fucking don't!

[demographic]

It is as confusing as hell. LEZ, ULEZ Congestion Charge....

I can understand the idea of charging people to go into central London. Makes sense even but that cunt Sadiq extended it to include the entire area under his dictatorial control. He had "consultations" where basically 99% of respondents said NO to his plans but he lied about the results and did it anyway.

Did the same thing with average speed tax now the whole of London now 20mph. Do I feel safer now that I might get rammed off my motorcycle by a fucking battery bicycle? No I fucking don't!

It's not that confusing, Boris kicked it off, Kahn made it a bit larger.
Gottablamesomebodywhositgonnabe?
Kahn, the Mo Fo, Grrr.

[Sunny]

The water pump (along with the cam chain) was replaced earlier in the year so should be OK.

Previously liquid tight engine has work done on or around water related component, and then starts leaking and developing a thirst, that there water pump is where I would start.

Yup. My dad (mechanic by trade) always tells me that back in the ye olden days when people used to work on their own vehicles a lot more than they do today, he'd ask what was the last thing to be done to it, and start there.

Still holds true today I reckon.

[David]

For the record, toast based head gaskets rarely last very long, even using artisan sourdough.

[Rockburner]

For the record, toast based head gaskets rarely last very long, even using artisan sourdough.

Does it depend on which side the butter is on?

[KungFooBob]

Also, don't put Hylomar on your toast, although it's still preferable to Marmite.

[mangocrazy]

Today my bottle of K-Seal Ultimate Permanent Head Gasket Repair™ finally arrived in France. It says it's guaranteed, althought guaranteed for what they neglect to say. Anyway, what's to lose?

The instructions on the bottle say to put the contents of the bottle into the radiator or top hose, not the header tank, so the front of the van had to come off. Then I syringed the contents of the header tank out, followed by the contents of the top hose, as that was easiest to get at. All in all I syringed between 2 and 2.5 litres of coolant out, which should give enough space to dump in the contents of the bottle without any overflow.

So time to put on my Big Boy Bravery pants on and do the deed...

This is the stuff, by the way: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256556665182

[weeksy]

Nice 3* item with lots of 1* reviews. Hmmmm.

[KungFooBob]

K seal was always used in rover k series cooling systems when I were a lad.

[mangocrazy]

The alternative is to either leave the van here with a French garage and open my cheque book to them, or try and make it back with an (alleged) cylinder head fault. Or use snake oil.

Not much of a choice is it really?

As a back stop I have RAC International recovery. I hope it doesn't come to that.

[weeksy]

The alternative is to either leave the van here with a French garage and open my cheque book to them, or try and make it back with an (alleged) cylinder head fault. Or use snake oil.

Not much of a choice is it really?

As a back stop I have RAC International recovery. I hope it doesn't come to that.

Why would the french garage be more expensive?

[Eclipse]

I hope it works for you, if it does it's best to look at it as a temporary fix.

[mangocrazy]

The alternative is to either leave the van here with a French garage and open my cheque book to them, or try and make it back with an (alleged) cylinder head fault. Or use snake oil.

Not much of a choice is it really?

As a back stop I have RAC International recovery. I hope it doesn't come to that.

Why would the french garage be more expensive?

They just are! The French garage guy who diagnosed a head gasket leak said all VW parts are a lot more expensive in France, plus if the head had warped (and he reckons it probably has) then getting it skimmed is also expensive. A new head would be mega-expensive and cost more than the van is worth. If you could get one.

There's also the consideration that I have a load of stuff to take back, including a cat. I can't take him on a plane so the only way is to drive back. There aren't any easy options available.