00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently)

mrgregm · 26-04-2008, 15:46

Hi,

I am on the Verge of buying a Felicia 2000 1.3 with a blown head gasket.

It's a mates and hes gone and got him self a new car so i can have the skoda for about £100, head gaskets are only about a tenner I do beleive so is it worth buying it and doing the work?

I am sort of technically minded, have fix electronics and macanical things like tumble dryers before, but never done anything with cars (short of oil/fuse/wheel changes - the easy crap) so yeah i probably am a bit of a noob, lol.

Is it a good idea and if so, any recommendations?

thanks

anewman · 26-04-2008, 16:08

Hello and welcome...

You will ideally need the stretch bolts too and some tools, including a long wheel brace and 10mm 1/2" drive hex key, torque wrench (screwfix do one for about £13).

On the 1.3 it is relatively easy to do as there's no timing to worry about. Just a case of disconnecting everything, removing rocker gear, undoing those head bolts in order. Remember to keep the push rods in order, you need a method of labelling like sticking them through a corn flakes box. Oh and putting it all back together and setting the valve clearances. There are a few threads here somewhere about valve clearances, it's a good idea to read those to avoid all the usual mistakes (Haynes manual does NOT describe how to do that job particularly well).

Grab yourself a Haynes manual, £18.99 in Halfords, or there is amazon. This describes the process. I would read it through a few times and ensure you have the correct tools and a little understanding of what they are telling you to do, bearing in mind most of it only makes sense as you do the job.

It's probably a good idea to try label bits up as you remove them to aid putting them together, although most things will only go on the one way around.

I think it's doable, but there is a little element of risk when being so involved in a job on a car. Easier to do on this than most other cars anyway

TeflonTom · 26-04-2008, 16:30

remember not to turn the crankshaft when the head has been removed otherwise you will push the liners out of the engine

bobob · 26-04-2008, 16:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrgregm

i can have the skoda for about £100, head gaskets are only about a tenner I do beleive so is it worth buying it and doing the work?

For £100 it's still worth buying and getting a garage to do it

daverapid · 27-04-2008, 23:02

I'd highly recommend checking the liners protrusion while the head is off. It's not unknown for them to drop [especially 2 and 3] and cause the gasket to be less tightly sandwiched than it should be even if the head bolts are torued up correctly leading to premature gasket failue.

surprising_skod · 28-04-2008, 01:14

yeah, get it. i can do it and i started out with no technical knowledge at all. you'll probably not need a manual to be honest except for the torqueing order. and label the wires you disconnect!

KenONeill · 28-04-2008, 13:12

It's nearly as good an engine to learn on as an A-series.

Just one question; is there a way of locking the crank cos of the liners issue?

mrgregm · 30-04-2008, 23:41

kool well ill definatly buy it then, ill post how much i paid when we come to an agreement, hehe, i had a little look around elsewhere and it seems well worth the money, and time,

one thing more though

how would i know if the head needed skimming?

someone said it might need doing, but if it did i could just take it to a garage and they would do it for £30

it sounds complicated that bit lol

cheers

KenONeill · 01-05-2008, 08:50

The traditional way of testing a head for warping is to put the casting on a piece of flat glass, and see if it rocks like a 3-legged table, or is proud of the glass at the ends or in the middle.

Skimming is a fairly specialist process. Whereabouts (town/city level where) are you?

mrgregm · 02-05-2008, 15:55

northampton, im happy with taking the head to a garage and asking them to do it, apparently costs about £30 for them to do it,

i did ring a garage and ask about doing it all and they gave me an estimate of £600-£700

, i thought it would be more like £300 at the most for a garage though i would like to do it myself.

as well as a haynes manual, is there any guides/tutorials that anyone knows of anywhere that i might find useful?

thanks

KenONeill · 02-05-2008, 16:05

Don't know any engine shops down that way myself.

I'd suggest looking in Yellow Pages under "Engine Remanufacturers"; they'll either can do it or will tell you who they send their machining work to.

daverapid · 02-05-2008, 22:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrgregm

i did ring a garage and ask about doing it all and they gave me an estimate of £600-£700

, i thought it would be more like £300 at the most for a garage though i would like to do it myself.

How on earth do they justify that? I've just completed a cylinder head gasket change, AND removed, reset the heights of the cylinder liners on a customers Estelle and the bill came to less than £500. It's no more difficult to do a head gasket on a Felicia than an Estelle.

KenONeill · 06-05-2008, 09:13

"hourly rates"?

pinkskud · 07-05-2008, 19:41

they wanted £700 to fix my old favs head.

harryhill · 08-05-2008, 18:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenONeill

It's nearly as good an engine to learn on as an A-series.

Just one question; is there a way of locking the crank cos of the liners issue?

There is a way of locking the liners down with a piece of flat metal say 2cm thick with a hole drilled in and a suitable bolt. This allows you to bolt on the block this metal to fit over 2 of of the liners to prevent any movement.

KenONeill · 09-05-2008, 08:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by harryhill

There is a way of locking the liners down with a piece of flat metal say 2cm thick with a hole drilled in and a suitable bolt. This allows you to bolt on the block this metal to fit over 2 of of the liners to prevent any movement.

Tackling the issue from the other end, but a good idea, and readily (well IMO now I see it and think it through) extensible to all 4 liners.

mrgregm · 12-06-2008, 00:14

okay, these are all really helpful, im attempting to do it tomorrow

sounds a bit needy but can someone quickly write a step by step guide? lol not a massive thing just small few steps of the main parts really

quite pleased with the car overall though, £200, blown head gasket but apart from that good condition and only 43k on the clock, think i done well lol

26-04-2008, 15:46	#1
mrgregm Briskodian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 38	00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) Hi, I am on the Verge of buying a Felicia 2000 1.3 with a blown head gasket. It's a mates and hes gone and got him self a new car so i can have the skoda for about £100, head gaskets are only about a tenner I do beleive so is it worth buying it and doing the work? I am sort of technically minded, have fix electronics and macanical things like tumble dryers before, but never done anything with cars (short of oil/fuse/wheel changes - the easy crap) so yeah i probably am a bit of a noob, lol. Is it a good idea and if so, any recommendations? thanks

26-04-2008, 16:08	#2
anewman Briskodian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Leeds Posts: 1,981	Re: 00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) Hello and welcome... You will ideally need the stretch bolts too and some tools, including a long wheel brace and 10mm 1/2" drive hex key, torque wrench (screwfix do one for about £13). On the 1.3 it is relatively easy to do as there's no timing to worry about. Just a case of disconnecting everything, removing rocker gear, undoing those head bolts in order. Remember to keep the push rods in order, you need a method of labelling like sticking them through a corn flakes box. Oh and putting it all back together and setting the valve clearances. There are a few threads here somewhere about valve clearances, it's a good idea to read those to avoid all the usual mistakes (Haynes manual does NOT describe how to do that job particularly well). Grab yourself a Haynes manual, £18.99 in Halfords, or there is amazon. This describes the process. I would read it through a few times and ensure you have the correct tools and a little understanding of what they are telling you to do, bearing in mind most of it only makes sense as you do the job. It's probably a good idea to try label bits up as you remove them to aid putting them together, although most things will only go on the one way around. I think it's doable, but there is a little element of risk when being so involved in a job on a car. Easier to do on this than most other cars anyway __________________ <-- clickable for loads of boring info 94 Favorit GLXIe Estate (saved from scrap) - 101k miles (replaced clock - actual 120k+)

27-04-2008, 23:02	#5
daverapid Briskodian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sawston, Cambridgeshire Posts: 725	Re: 00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) I'd highly recommend checking the liners protrusion while the head is off. It's not unknown for them to drop [especially 2 and 3] and cause the gasket to be less tightly sandwiched than it should be even if the head bolts are torued up correctly leading to premature gasket failue. __________________ David McKinney TREASURER OF SKODA OWNERS CLUB GREAT BRITAIN www.skoda-owners-club.org.uk

28-04-2008, 01:14	#6
surprising_skod Briskodian Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: N.I. Posts: 233	Re: 00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) yeah, get it. i can do it and i started out with no technical knowledge at all. you'll probably not need a manual to be honest except for the torqueing order. and label the wires you disconnect!

28-04-2008, 13:12	#7
KenONeill Briskodian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Normally somewhere in Scotland! Posts: 8,372	Re: 00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) It's nearly as good an engine to learn on as an A-series. Just one question; is there a way of locking the crank cos of the liners issue?

30-04-2008, 23:41	#8
mrgregm Briskodian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 38	Re: 00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) kool well ill definatly buy it then, ill post how much i paid when we come to an agreement, hehe, i had a little look around elsewhere and it seems well worth the money, and time, one thing more though how would i know if the head needed skimming? someone said it might need doing, but if it did i could just take it to a garage and they would do it for £30 it sounds complicated that bit lol cheers

01-05-2008, 08:50	#9
KenONeill Briskodian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Normally somewhere in Scotland! Posts: 8,372	Re: 00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) The traditional way of testing a head for warping is to put the casting on a piece of flat glass, and see if it rocks like a 3-legged table, or is proud of the glass at the ends or in the middle. Skimming is a fairly specialist process. Whereabouts (town/city level where) are you?

02-05-2008, 15:55	#10
mrgregm Briskodian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 38	Re: 00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) northampton, im happy with taking the head to a garage and asking them to do it, apparently costs about £30 for them to do it, i did ring a garage and ask about doing it all and they gave me an estimate of £600-£700 , i thought it would be more like £300 at the most for a garage though i would like to do it myself. as well as a haynes manual, is there any guides/tutorials that anyone knows of anywhere that i might find useful? thanks

02-05-2008, 16:05	#11
KenONeill Briskodian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Normally somewhere in Scotland! Posts: 8,372	Re: 00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) Don't know any engine shops down that way myself. I'd suggest looking in Yellow Pages under "Engine Remanufacturers"; they'll either can do it or will tell you who they send their machining work to.

06-05-2008, 09:13	#13
KenONeill Briskodian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Normally somewhere in Scotland! Posts: 8,372	Re: 00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) "hourly rates"?

07-05-2008, 19:41	#14
pinkskud not a bird!!! Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: pixi said not to fill my box Posts: 2,050	Re: 00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) they wanted £700 to fix my old favs head. __________________ also found on http://skodafelicia.freeforums.org/index.php

12-06-2008, 00:14	#17
mrgregm Briskodian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 38	Re: 00 1.3 - Head Gasket (apparently) okay, these are all really helpful, im attempting to do it tomorrow sounds a bit needy but can someone quickly write a step by step guide? lol not a massive thing just small few steps of the main parts really quite pleased with the car overall though, £200, blown head gasket but apart from that good condition and only 43k on the clock, think i done well lol

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