1.8TD engine problems

vanny · Post by **vanny** » 19 Aug 2005, 01:48

Hmm, i did like the rest of you muppets and got 'volunteered' to help my mate do a belt change on a 1.8td peugeot 405. Basically i've done most of the work, the only thing i left him to do was clean the water pump gasket and fit a new pump. Got it together and it weed all over. (this is the guy that helped me 'time' my XUD and its been pretty much off the road ever since!)
So stripped the bugger down cleaned the gasket surface fitted a paper gasket instead of the 'blue tube one' we used the first time, and it still leaks (although VERY little now!). But we found another problem. Turned the engine over by hand to make sure the belt was happy and tensioned and finding its 'wobbling' quite a lot, moving as much as 5mm off the cam/pump/water and crank pulleys! I know this usually happens for the first repetition or so and then its pretty much in a fixed position which happened the first time we had it together, but now its going all over the show!
Any suggestions as to why? dodgy pump? dodgy belt?
also the first time we had the accesorie belt on it was bouncing up and down, kind of like there was slack but more vicious, but it was 'snug' and taught. the auto adjusting idler was snapping about all over the show! cant say i was impressed! Any suggestions on this!
the car belongs to his older sister who has recently become a single mother of two after 12years of marriage the husband scarpered. Unsurprisingly she doesnt have two beans to rub together probably why mike took up the job, so i feel a little biased to helping!
Also i hate his workshop! great for building kit cars (which he's doing) but not one french friendly tool to be found! Frustrating!
any help appreciated

Dave Burns · Post by **Dave Burns** » 19 Aug 2005, 04:41

The water pumps that you get from motor factors these days are total crap, the problem with them is that the gasket face is not machined but left as it's been cast, if you clean (and I mean clean) every trace of old gasket off the block, you will more than likely notice the pump rocking on a high spot when offered up to the block.
I have had two such experiences with the last ones I have fitted, one pump from GSF and one from my local factors, different (packaging) boxes, same pump manufacturer, same number cast in pump, same fault, a high spot on bottom lobe of gasket face.
I used a piece of high speed steel to scrape the gasket face flat, a pump from the main stealer will have this face machined and it will bolt down on a paper gasket with no need of gobbo and it will seal ok.
But if you aint payin main stealer prices for your pump then you need some gobbo, and the only sealant worth a light for sealing this type of joint is red hermetite, apply to both faces (pump and block) and allow to touch dry before bolting the pump on (and with a paper gasket).
If you are saying that you have not got the crankshaft vee pulley in place when turning the engine over, then the belt WILL ride over the edge of the pulleys, the crankshaft pulley is the controling pulley if you like as far as belt tracking goes, if you allow the belt to run off it by not having the vee belt pulley bolted on, there is little chance of the belt tracking correctly over the other pulleys.
If the belt does not track even with the vee pulley in place, then the tensioner pulley and or water pump pulleys are not running true.
Dave

vanny · Post by **vanny** » 20 Aug 2005, 00:43

oh wow, now theres something that i would never have figured! Too late now its gone to a garage and i dont have to deal with it! But something i'll remember!