1.9 xud Xantia head gasket replacment, easy?

[ashy90]

I know ive created a couple of threads like this recently asking how difficult is it to do this or that etc. including head gasket change on a C5 HDI - the reason being is I have been looking at various Citroen's to buy and repair. However, I have now actually bought a car -a Citroen Xantia 1.9 diesel.....with head gasket failure.


Never done anything major on any diesel engine, nor on a Citroen. So, whats the difficulty of removing the cylinder head on an xud and replacing the head gasket? Is there any online tutorials, pictures etc. or even any books/manuals on the xud?

Is a 1998 and has oil/water mix.

[Xaccers]

Are you certain it isn't the oil cooler that's failed?

[ashy90]

I dont know, the car has been advertised as suspected hgf due to oil/coolant mix.

Can a failed oil cooler make the oil mix with the coolant? If so how would you distinguish between the two?

Has done 135k miles and these xud engines seem quite prone to hgf so I wouldnt be suprised.

[Xaccers]

Bypass the oil cooler and flush the coolant system to get all the oil out.
Then run it for a while and see if the oil returns.

[RichardW]

HGF usually = a bit of oil in the coolant, probably brown.
Cooler failure = LOTS of oil in the coolant (probably overflowing) and the oil is black.

Assuming it's a 1.9TD, then easy is not an adjective tht would normally be applied to the HG change.... depends on your definiton of easy though I suppose

[citronut]

also the XUD lump in its self is not realy prone to HGFas its usualy caused by rad fan/s not working, or low/loss of coolant

regards malcolm

[ashy90]

Ok so what are the difficult parts of the job then?

I have 0 experiance of the xud engine, and virtually none of Citroens or diesel engines full stop.

Are there any special tools required?


When I asked about the hdi engines head gasket I was informed the manifold (inlet or exhaust?) was a pain to removed, is it the same situation with the xud?

Picked the car up today. Very very strange car to drive! Soaks up the speed bumps very nicely indeed, feels like an ocean liner though! - despite that the body roll around corners/round abouts etc is quite good....not much of it. Felt a bit SEA sick driving it haha. Is quite bizarre

[CitroJim]

Ok so what are the difficult parts of the job then?

None really...

Manifolds are a bit of a PITA but not impossible..

Special tools. Good T55 Torx bit and breaker bar for the head bolts and an angel gauge for re-tightening them. A very good selection of 13mm spanners and small -drive sockets to get at the one difficult 13mm socket on the inlet manifold.

Someone did their head on here a while back and his threads were a veritable goldmine of information on doing the job. I can't recall who he was but to be honest I'm unable to think straight with this dammed toothache As soon as I can think again and find the threads I'll advise...