Skoda Fabia MK1 End of life??

[TMB]

Your car has the factory head gasket but it's not the modified TEMAC one as far as I can see from the pics? It's done well to last this long if it is the non-TEMAC one.

Edited 9 December, 2020 by TMB

[MinkyMike]

 

11 hours ago, TMB said:

Nice work, Mike   Your cylinder head face looks a lot better than mine did!

 

 

No way ! going to give it a good clean this afternoon I was going to drop the new head bolts into the holes to stop and debris getting in there while I clean, was going to use the green side of a sponge to clean with petrol then apply a layer of engine oil once done and might get the hoover out first also 

Edited 9 December, 2020 by MinkyMike

[MinkyMike]

11 hours ago, TMB said:

Your car has the factory head gasket but it's not the modified TEMAC one as far as I can see from the pics? It's done well to last this long if it is the non-TEMAC one.

The corner looks a bit worn away so it's difficult to tell, but I don't think it is..

 

UPDATE: On closer inspection.. (magnifying the image)

 

It looks a lot like I can see the lettering TEM .... ? Although I could be wrong lol!

Edited 9 December, 2020 by MinkyMike

[J.R.]

I can see a bit of the M, the A and the C also.

[MinkyMike]

I  wonder if its been done before, but incorrectly? to be honest my gf brought this car before we got together, it only had about 50k 

 

phoned the place, I haven't had chance yet hopefully tomorrow! Bah Humbug!

 

Looks like I'll be begging a lift to work if they don't get it back to me by Thursday.

Edited 9 December, 2020 by MinkyMike

[TMB]

11 hours ago, J.R. said:

I can see a bit of the M, the A and the C also.

 

Yeah, that's definitely a TEMAC one with damaged lettering. Was hard to tell from the other pics.

[MinkyMike]

Well they've just phoned so going to get it in a bit, I'll post  photos of it..

[MinkyMike]

Here are the photos they've done a lovely job highly recommend, very clean.

 

Hehe I did ask them if I could put it all back together as I didn't touch the valve screws taking it off etc, but they was like no, it wont start, you have to do the initial setup again, they also 

let me take a photo of there book, which I'm sure is the same as what TMB provided, I'll share that image anyway!

 

 

Gonna start a fresh and put it all back together tomorrow,

 

I've put all the new hydraulic lifters in, the old ones was quite difficult to get out, kept falling off the magnet, but I managed it.

Just need to give the cylinder block a good clean.

Edited 10 December, 2020 by MinkyMike

[sepulchrave]

Nice.

[TMB]

The job on the head is miles better than the one I got. Great stuff

[MinkyMike]

Great place mate, proper old school nice fellas

[TMB]

Did ya get new valve stem oil seals fitted?

[MinkyMike]

9 hours ago, TMB said:

Did ya get new valve stem oil seals fitted?

Yes mate they did that for me as well, £70

 

 

[MinkyMike]

Been cleaning this for 2 hrs.. there was lots of carbon on the pistons very difficult to get off..

[sepulchrave]

Looks lovely, you can put it all back together now.

[MinkyMike]

Hehe yep just got all the water out the head bolt holes with a wooden skewer and pushing a thin rag down each one.. there all dry as a bone now.. oh well here goes

[MinkyMike]

Run out of time it got dark.. nightmare I made the mistake of torquing all the head bolts down before putting the 4 rocker arm bolts in by hand , they wouldn't line up! What an absolute mare! Lesson learned, if anyone else does this job put all bolts in by hand first before torquing anything !  

 

UPDATE to explain.

 

(I had torqued all the head bolts then these wouldn't line up! I little bit of hitting them with the hammer nudging them seemed to do the trick, but not my best line of thought! proper annoyed with myself, no way was I going to undo all them head bolts)

Edited 11 December, 2020 by MinkyMike

[TMB]

Damn, that's a shame but as long as you've got them in without having to undo the head bolts.

 

Just noticed it looks like you used the old head bolts, which is fine on this engine but thought you'd bought new ones?

Edited 11 December, 2020 by TMB

[MinkyMike]

4 minutes ago, TMB said:

Damn, that's a shame but as long as you've got them in without having to undo the head bolts.

yeah there in now, bit of a faf, torqued to 25nm, just hoping i didn't cross thread the one, it seemed to be hard to turn and going in wonky, so I took it out and tried again(after hitting the thing with a hyde hammer to line it up better), and it seemed to go in better(turned easier like the rest), just hoping I have not caused any damage.

 

I did shine a torch in the hole and didn't see any cracks etc, tomorrow will tell, but yep, another lesson learned. it's all experience isn't it

Edited 11 December, 2020 by MinkyMike

[sepulchrave]

Doesn't matter since they're not stretch bolts as long as you loosen them evenly in the right sequence you can tighten them up again.

[TMB]

2 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

Doesn't matter since they're not stretch bolts as long as you loosen them evenly in the right sequence you can tighten them up again.

 

Not ideal after you've compressed the gasket though.

[MinkyMike]

3 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

Doesn't matter since they're not stretch bolts as long as you loosen them evenly in the right sequence you can tighten them up again.

that's true, but the angle meter thing i was using to try and achieve the perfect 90 degree was a nightmare, just awkward to use :/ , didn't fancy doing them all again. (but probably I should of)

Edited 11 December, 2020 by MinkyMike

[MinkyMike]

1 minute ago, TMB said:

 

Not ideal after you've compressed the gasket though.

yeah that's exactly my thoughts and why I didn't, but there all in now, so .... fingers crossed

[MinkyMike]

I've just got the inlet manifold nuts to go on, thermostat housing nuts, oil and filter change... spark plugs to go back in(new) and coil pack, and I'm gonna do a few coolant flushes the water was full of oil :/ - also the initial valve settings..

Edited 11 December, 2020 by MinkyMike

[MinkyMike]

if it don't work I honestly feel like getting rid of it :/, I've spent so much money lol - that's the trouble with me, I don't like just getting rid of things if I can fix them or at least try, but when do you say no?

Edited 11 December, 2020 by MinkyMike