Classic XUD 1.9TD Head gasket oil leak point

[cc101]

Hi all decided to pull the head off the Xantia this morning, the oil leak was starting to leak alot! As you can see in the picture the lower left hand corner of the gasket has snapped off! Might go for the thickest gasket as there are no notches on this original one! Can I just stick the thickest one I can get on?



PS can anyone spot the four aliens in the picture........

Chris.

[cc101]

Tell a lie, the notches are on the top right!

[MikeT]

Having done this once myself and opted for the thickest repair gasket, I've learnt it maybe wasn't the ideal choice though there were some perks I think. Basically, I think I've lowered the compression which although hasn't affected starting at all, does tend to produce a bit of smokey exhaust at idle when using veg oil and I suspect it's reduced the mpg a little.

The upside is, I've increased boost (and fuelling) to the point others (on the pug forums) warned would blow the head/gasket again, with no ill-effects over several years/thousands miles. She takes 24psi in her stride and I love it.

[Old-Guy]

I've just done mine because it was leaking oil into the coolant, only a little but a messy nuisance. I definitely wouldn't "stick on the thickest gasket". A bad idea, it will significantly reduce the compression ratio with absolutely no benefit and make cold starting more difficult, increase fuel consumption and make the engine smoke (more).

Before you put the head back, check the breather hoses - particular the one to the cambox. They've probably gone rock hard and will split when you try to push them back over the stubs. It's a pig to do them with the head in place (I know I've done it) but quite easy with the head off. Citroen only parts but under a tenner for the two (from Cambox and to control valve).

A few words of warning about tightening down the head. It's absolutely vital to follow the correct procedure:

• Stage 1 tighten with torque wrench in the prescribed sequence shown in Haynes, in 3 steps of 20Nm, 40Nm & 60Nm.
  
  Mark each bolt head by scribing half-way across each one and the next-door part of the cam box (so you have a double-check on how far the bolt has been rotated in the next stage.
  
  Stage 2 It's impossible to tighten each one down in one go through the full 220° specified. So with big bar and angle indicator (essential), rotate each head through a further 110° in the same sequence, then do them all through a further 110°. When the angle indicator slips (it will!) the marks will enable you to be confident that you've reset the indicator accurately and that in the end you've rotated all the bolts by a full 220° (a half turn plus 40°).

To clean the cooling system of oil, I've used strips of Pirtek oliophilic mat OES1 (absorbs oil but not water) loosely cable-tied to the header-tank filler-neck. It's done a brilliant job, but a strip will stay in there until there are no more traces of oil being trapped.

Best of luck - enjoy your week-end

[cc101]

Thanks for the good advice much appreciated, fortunately it is just leaking down the block and hasn't mixed with the coolant!

[citroenxm]

Just to back up..

I ALSO would NOT PUT the thickest gasket on... Looking at your head gasket the notch cutout looks very much like a three notch!!

So, I would throughly reccomend a THREE NOTCH GASKET on if you are not giving it a Skim.. If you skim it, then Four Notch, but only if you skim it..

I took a three notch off a HDi and could only, at the time, get a five notch gasket to replace it... BIG mistake.. It had to spin over for about half a min before it would, but then it would go and run fine... short term..

[evilally]

When you get it skimmed, the machine shop should be able to tell you how much material was removed, and from there you can determine the appropriate increase in gasket. Good time to check those valve clearances, they will almost certainly have drifted out and correcting them should result in better compression. Choose the brand of gasket carefully. OE gaskets are expensive but you will have piece of mind that it will seal properly and last, plus you can usually negotiate a reasonable discount with the dealer on one (mine knocked £15 off without too much effort).

[citroenxm]

AND do FIT a Multi layer Laminated "Repair" gasket!

You will NOT need to do it again! My SX TD Xantia I got at 197k had this type of gasket, now on 240k, and still in fine fettle head wise... who ever did the job did a good one...

HDi engines have the laminated multi layer gaskets fitted at factory, and head issues are few and far between on these compared to XUD engines.

[spider]

I've used genuine head gaskets on the XUD, despite their expense as although its not difficult its a long job and not really want to do it again too soon. The rest of the 'head set' I got a good quality one from a factors, gen H/G itself from the dealer.

The last one was on my own 205TD, that was still OK about 80K maybe 90K after I changed it when I sold it ( a sad day even though I got double what I paid for the car originally )

I put the thickest gasket on that as I knew it had not been cooking. Did not really seem any slower used to go like a rocket unlike the later "winded down" XUDT's* ( The car before I did had cooked (not mine!) so I had that tested and skimmed and the thickest gasket on that as they did take a bit off the head. Perhaps it was lazyness not sure.

* I see three readings for timing settings depending on the age of XUDT units in some cases, typically 11 / 10.5 or 9 reducing with newness. Certainly the later ones lack the "urge" of the earlier ones. Practical example: try a L/M plate 306 compared to a P/R plate one.