Cranfield Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 Last week I had a few pin pricks appear at the top of the rusty radiator in my 23 year old Toyota Surf 3.0 TD. I was out shooting when all the steam appeared and a kindly farmer poured 500ml of RadSealer in it, which worked wonders, but I ordered a new radiator (generic version), which was fitted yesterday. After it was fitted and the garage were filling up the system, adding the anti freeze, etc., they queried whether the cylinder head gasket had gone as there was so much froth coming out as the radiator warmed up. As I had not had any overheating problems prior to that morning they thought it might be the RadSealer in the pipes. After about an hour of running the engine and squeezing all the pipes, it seemed to stop (its now 6.15pm and the garage was supposed to close at 5.30pm). We agreed I would take it home, check the water level in the morning while it was cold, any loss of water go back to the garage and they would check for leaks. All was OK this morning and I set off shooting, firstly I went to the farm where I had been given the RadSealer and took back a new bottle. While standing talking to the farmer he pointed out the white smoke coming out of my exhaust. As we were looking at it it started to get bluer. I turned the engine off and noticed the water temp was at N . We looked under the bonnet saw nothing relevant and I decided to limp back to the garage. The smoke was clear until I tried to accelerate (you could feel the power loss) then it got quite blue, this was the same when I had to stop at a junction. I had arranged to meet my wife at the garage so I could get home (esp with my guns) and having given the garage boss a brief rehash of what had happened , I left the truck there and he is going to let me know the cost of putting it right. The big dilemna is whats wrong and whats it going to cost, set against the value of the motor. Worth about £1000 as write-off, but it would probably cost me at least £5000 to replace it. Anyone had new cylinder head gaskets fitted lately ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 Milner Offroad showing head gasket set about 52 quid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webber Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 There is a potion that we have used with a large degree of success. I'll contact young webber and report back. webber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wisdom Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 Head gasket swap is fairly straightforeward. If the engine overheated for a while it could have warped the head in which case there is a good bit more work involved including a head skim.The price will go up considerably Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webber Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 The product is called Steel Seal. It's not cheap, you must follow the instructions carefully. Also be aware that for a large engine you will need more than one bottle, follow the guide. It's about £40 per bottle. If it works you've saved a packet. It's never failed for us. webber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodp Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 Scrap it, Surfs don't fetch much around here and they're known for head problems (even the 3ltr td) . Main problem on them, and Toyota knew it, was the auto box cooler pipes blocked the bottom outlet in the rad so they overheat when pulling. Aussies used to change the rad as a matter of course when they bought one apparently. Had one once never ever again, back to a disco for me, at least I can afford LR parts The showmen had a lot of them when they came out, didn't keep them long though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebarrels Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=steel+seal+head+gasket&tag=mh0a9-21&index=aps&hvadid=3174956195&hvqmt=b&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_7iwa0eafxw_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 webber - useful bit of information. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 get the system pressure tested if drop in pressure and oil not milky looking take glow plugs out turn motor over and see if any water /coolant blows out of the cylinders= head or gasket . or did the top hose get hotter than the bottom hose could be thermostat or circulation blocked with rad seal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del T Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 Take it to a garage and get them to test it with their gadget that they put in the expansion tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 The ONLY WAY... IS take the head off..nothing else works.. Its that easy you should do it propery,all the gimics are get you home,it is NOT a solution... Mine went two years ago,,Found I had Four Head gaskets, how about that,no white smoke now,goes like a rocket,fuel went up too,do it right mate,keep the ole gal going.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 webber - useful bit of information. Thanks. It doesn't work mate,you spend money and make mess inside the engine you wouldn't believe, Takes time then to get the **** off everything it touch's.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 subsonicnat - over many years, I have changed more head gaskets than you could point a stick at. Normally just gasket, but had the odd head skimmed. The cars that myself, wife and sons run are a bit too new for head gasket problems, although I did a Suzuki RMZ 450 motocross head gasket a couple of months ago. I still tinker with other people's cars - friends, relatives, neighbours etc. and thought the information might be of use to them. I know webber personally - he knows more about engineering than most. Have you tried this particular product? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Kelly Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 I had a Colorado with the same engine and it blew the head gasket at about 175k. It had obviously already been done before as the head had been skimmed once and I had to get a new head for it. Tied up a lift at my garage for over a week getting the head inspected, then a new one ordered and cost a lot of money. About 3K if I remember rightly, mainly because it took up working garage space for so long. Kept it for another 30k, then sold it to some guys who were exporting them to Burundi, so goodness knows what the poor old bus is doing now! Loved that truck, but old 4x4s are money pits. I've a 11 year old Grand Cherokee now, and that likes separating me from my cash too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 New head £360 plus vat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 Yes, it didn't work, only to get me to the week end,it didn'teven do that. It wasted my time and petrol sitting on the drive, Then the darn clean upafterwards,,never again. If youcontact them all they say is you have done it wrong,Buy another,, that says it all. I have worked on all my familyz cars since I was a sprog,andat 70 still doing it, never been able to afford anything likea car that ran for years, Had to learn from my dad and brothers,,RILEYS and the like,Humber Super Snipes..gearbox's that ran with pully jumpers,that was the Riley lol. Morris 1000's,Triumph heralds,that rotted while you looked on,Mayflowers with wooden chassi's, Yes been there 60 years since I Started,My sons are very good mechanics,took after there Dad.lol. Talking of which, My Misses stripped the head off my Jag while I was at work, it was -5 all day in the road way as well, So I think I can call myself a mechanic and tooling engineer as well. Hope this answered the question . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted February 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 Milner Offroad showing head gasket set about 52 quid I spoke to them today, they don't sell cylinder head gaskets separately , that £52 is for a complete engine gasket set (which incl the cylinder head) Scrap it, Surfs don't fetch much around here and they're known for head problems (even the 3ltr td) . Main problem on them, and Toyota knew it, was the auto box cooler pipes blocked the bottom outlet in the rad so they overheat when pulling. Aussies used to change the rad as a matter of course when they bought one apparently. Had one once never ever again, back to a disco for me, at least I can afford LR parts The showmen had a lot of them when they came out, didn't keep them long though I have had my Surf for 14 years and 180+k miles, during that time it has been faultless and most of the parts are the originals (incl the radiator thats just gone). When it goes, I won't get another Surf (they are disappearing fast), but I will get another Toyota. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 subsonicnat - I am impressed. I can almost match that, including sons who have changed engines for fun, but my wife has never been near a car with a spanner. That said, she told a colleague at work that her head gasket had gone. I was stunned, but she had heard me describe the symptoms often enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 subsonicnat - I am impressed.I can almost match that, including sons who have changed engines for fun, but my wife has never been near a car with a spanner. That said, she told a colleague at work that her head gasket had gone. I was stunned, but she had heard me describe the symptoms often enough.Its not what you know,its who you heard it from,good for her.lol.Did have picture somewhere with 2 of my lads with a hammer and chisel on the roof threatening to use it.lol.That was the rubbers on a damn,Ford they were always ripping out,Then they did a sort of plastic mucktogether,they used them on racing cars,and by ek they worked.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted February 19, 2016 Report Share Posted February 19, 2016 The product is called Steel Seal. It's not cheap, you must follow the instructions carefully. Also be aware that for a large engine you will need more than one bottle, follow the guide. It's about £40 per bottle. If it works you've saved a packet. It's never failed for us. webber Had this put in mine 2 years ago, touch wood it's fixed it as never had a problem since, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted February 19, 2016 Report Share Posted February 19, 2016 the write up on it are rubbish,dont think i would try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted February 20, 2016 Report Share Posted February 20, 2016 the write up on it are rubbish,dont think i would try it. My experience isn't a write up its actual experience, My car was using more and more water, (no visible leaks), white steam would come out of the back after using it, letting it cool down and then using it again, Took it to a friend of mine in the trade, explained the problem, Got me a quote on gasket replacement (silly silly price, VW Diesel engines Seat) and then mentioned this stuff that they use, they like Webber said it had never let them down, Now as I said, this was a couple of years ago and touch wood it's been working ever since, Now I don't know if I can use it again if it goes again but it's a LOT cheaper than a gasket replacement/head skim jobbie Must admit though I thought my mate had said something about ceramic but I maybe wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrowning2 Posted February 20, 2016 Report Share Posted February 20, 2016 Makes you think why with head gaskets failing being such a common problem over many years now why the engine designers have not come up with a better gasket design that last a lot long or never fails, after all most of what else we buy as consumers improves year on year so how difficult can it be to improve the current gasket? Or is it just a nice little earner for the industry when they know one dys if will fail so why improve it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowStandards Posted February 20, 2016 Report Share Posted February 20, 2016 There is no substitute for doing it properly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendrix's rifle Posted February 20, 2016 Report Share Posted February 20, 2016 There is no substitute for doing it properly +1, after seeing many people putting rad seal in various cars and seeing the mess it made internally I wouldn't use the stuff. Usually I do a head gasket every other week and some of the mess inside them engines :L a friend put 2 bottles of rad seal in his corsa and that blocked 3 pipes, the bottle itself and some water jackets in the head. 2 hours to clean the thing! I always skim heads as I believe if its done once it wont need doing again! I did a seat Ibiza a few weeks back with 30k on the clocks, dealer wouldn't do it on warranty and it cost her just shy of a grand. Again, do it properly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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