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

[mangocrazy]

Just had confirmation from another source that £2k-£2.5k for a head gasket repair is a fair price. Not many garages even want the work, as it's time consuming and ties up a ramp and mechanic for 3 or 4 days.

[mangocrazy]

OK, I think we may have A Plan. I spoke to a guy I know who runs an engineering shop in Clay Cross and he suggested I ring AW Engineering in Darwen, as they are T4 specialists and will either supply and fit a recon engine or will fit a new cylinder head and gasket to my block. They do all the recon work themselves, reboring, valve seat cutting, re-facing the head etc. etc. and are much more reasonable on price. I was given a ball-park quote of £1000 + VAT to supply and fit a recon head with new valves, valve stem seals, re-cut valve seats and hydraulic tappets and new head gasket to my engine, and that price includes all labour.

I think I'm going to bite his hand off...

[Rockburner]

OK, I think we may have A Plan. I spoke to a guy I know who runs an engineering shop in Clay Cross and he suggested I ring AW Engineering in Darwen, as they are T4 specialists and will either supply and fit a recon engine or will fit a new cylinder head and gasket to my block. They do all the recon work themselves, reboring, valve seat cutting, re-facing the head etc. etc. and are much more reasonable on price. I was given a ball-park quote of £1000 + VAT to supply and fit a recon head with new valves, valve stem seals, re-cut valve seats and hydraulic tappets and new head gasket to my engine, and that price includes all labour.

I think I'm going to bite his hand off...

Is that to a loose engine? or a drive-in/drive-out service?

[KungFooBob]

With the difference you could get it blueprinted and gas flowed, maybe even a spicy cam

[Rockburner]

With the difference you could get it blueprinted and gas flowed, maybe even a spicy cam

hmm - what's the best paint job for a T4?? Mystery Machine or A-Team?


(in the vein of "useless ways to throw money at a van")

[iansoady]

I seem to get the ones that have problems - whether bikes or cars.....

[KungFooBob]

With the difference you could get it blueprinted and gas flowed, maybe even a spicy cam

hmm - what's the best paint job for a T4?? Mystery Machine or A-Team?


(in the vein of "useless ways to throw money at a van")

[mangocrazy]

OK, I think we may have A Plan. I spoke to a guy I know who runs an engineering shop in Clay Cross and he suggested I ring AW Engineering in Darwen, as they are T4 specialists and will either supply and fit a recon engine or will fit a new cylinder head and gasket to my block. They do all the recon work themselves, reboring, valve seat cutting, re-facing the head etc. etc. and are much more reasonable on price. I was given a ball-park quote of £1000 + VAT to supply and fit a recon head with new valves, valve stem seals, re-cut valve seats and hydraulic tappets and new head gasket to my engine, and that price includes all labour.

I think I'm going to bite his hand off...

Is that to a loose engine? or a drive-in/drive-out service?

That's drive in, leave it with him for a few days, then drive out. All I have to find extra is return rail fare from Sheffield to Darwen. Or perhaps pick up & return car hire in Darwen?

[Ditchfinder]

loads of car hire places in Blackburn. My mate is from that neck of the woods and has a T4 - i could ask him about the guys you're taking it too if you'd like?

#edit - I see they are a diesel specialist not a T4 specialist

[mangocrazy]

loads of car hire places in Blackburn. My mate is from that neck of the woods and has a T4 - i could ask him about the guys you're taking it too if you'd like?

#edit - I see they are a diesel specialist not a T4 specialist

Yeah, I'd like to hear an independent view of what they're like. Having said that, I'd trust Jon's judgement as he recommended AW Eng.

[MyLittleStudPony]

Oh well, out of one frying pan, into another frying pan.

[mangocrazy]

Oh well, out of one frying pan, into another frying pan.

Owning an old vehicle. Goes with the turf, innit?

[Taipan]

As a former car dealer i can tell you loads of people try and slyly p/x knackered cars, but it doesn't mean we take them. Private sales are often more dodgy with no legal comeback either. Bottom line is always take a vehicle on its own merits before you trust its service history. and owners reason for sale stories...

[mangocrazy]

As a former car dealer i can tell you loads of people try and slyly p/x knackered cars, but it doesn't mean we take them. Private sales are often more dodgy with no legal comeback either. Bottom line is always take a vehicle on its own merits before you trust its service history. and owners reason for sale stories...

That's another reason why I'm apprehensive about buying a 'new' van rather than staying with the Devil I know. To get something half decent I'll need to spend well into five figures and that's a sizeable outlay when you're retired. I know there are plenty of honest car/van dealers around, but there are also a fair number of less than scrupulous ones as well. As for a private sale, I wouldn't even think about it for the reasons you mention.

I'm also not a fan of the way van design is going - loading the things with all the toys that car drivers expect and squeezing ever higher power outputs out of smaller and smaller engines. More recent vans will have catalytic converters, EGR valves and DPFs - my T4 has none of those and is all the better for it. I understand the reason for it - manufacturers are forced down that route because of ever more stringent Euro emissions regs, but I'll stay with my old low-tech van for as long as I can keep it running.

[Mr. Dazzle]

for as long as I can keep it running.

Errr....

[Taipan]

As a former car dealer i can tell you loads of people try and slyly p/x knackered cars, but it doesn't mean we take them. Private sales are often more dodgy with no legal comeback either. Bottom line is always take a vehicle on its own merits before you trust its service history. and owners reason for sale stories...

That's another reason why I'm apprehensive about buying a 'new' van rather than staying with the Devil I know. To get something half decent I'll need to spend well into five figures and that's a sizeable outlay when you're retired. I know there are plenty of honest car/van dealers around, but there are also a fair number of less than scrupulous ones as well. As for a private sale, I wouldn't even think about it for the reasons you mention.

I'm also not a fan of the way van design is going - loading the things with all the toys that car drivers expect and squeezing ever higher power outputs out of smaller and smaller engines. More recent vans will have catalytic converters, EGR valves and DPFs - my T4 has none of those and is all the better for it. I understand the reason for it - manufacturers are forced down that route because of ever more stringent Euro emissions regs, but I'll stay with my old low-tech van for as long as I can keep it running.

When you think about it, vans are typically occupied more than cars and often achieve higher mileages, so adding creature comforts for the driver was an obvious move for manufacturers. Long gone are the days of uncarpeted and uninsulated cabins with manual windows and a basic radio.

I'm with you all the way on the criticism of smaller engines producing higher power though. A cabbie recently told us the best engines he'd ever run were 90s diesels. Most of them achieved starship mileages with no engine work. He reckons cars are much more unreliable today with so many needing engine work as well as multiple sensor failures, DPF issues etc.

[Mr. Dazzle]

best engines

Only if you don't enjoy breathing

I know it's boring etc, but I suspect the "problem" here is that you can't see the reduction in pollution/improvement in air quality but you can very much see the bill you get for a new DPF.

[KungFooBob]

We could reduce air pollution by half overnight. If we had that gold glove thingy with gems on it.

[mangocrazy]

A cabbie recently told us the best engines he'd ever run were 90s diesels. Most of them achieved starship mileages with no engine work. He reckons cars are much more unreliable today with so many needing engine work as well as multiple sensor failures, DPF issues etc.

Exactly that ^^^

I've owned three vehicles with '90s (or earlier) diesel engines; the 2.5 TDi 5 cylinder ACV engine in my T4, the 1.8 TDCi engine in my 2007 Ford Focus (pre wet belt!) and the 2.0 HDi Citroen/Peugeot engine in my 2005 Berlingo Multispace. All of them were phased out in the early to mid 2000s due to being unable to meet emissions targets, all of them were capable of big, big mileages and all of them were replaced with smaller and far more problematic power units.

A cycnic might say that vans started to become much more car-like in their cabin comforts and infotainment systems around about the time the engines became a lot less reliable and not capable of high mileages.

'Don't worry about that smaller, more highly stressed engine sir, just look at the plush cabin and plethora of gizmos you have to play with'...

[KungFooBob]

Baby murderer!