XM head gasket identification

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
joneseymanchester
Posts: 2
Joined: 04 May 2003, 18:48
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:
Contact:

XM head gasket identification

Post by joneseymanchester »

Have already posted this at the Yahoo XM list - apologies to those of you who've seen this plea there already...
I'm about to replace the head gasket of my '93 2.1 SED Turbo Diesel auto hatchback, but need to identify the gasket upfront. I'll be doing the work on a Sunday, with my motor engineer brother who's coming from Brum to Manchester for the day, so won't have access to spares counters.
Haynes & Russek guides aren't too clear - is it possible to identify the part BEFORE you remove the head? I gather there are three or more thicknesses to choose from, and I'd rather not have to buy them all on the off-chance. I'm looking for tell-tale notches in the current gasket, maybe sticking out of the side of the block, but can't find anything.
Or maybe I'm just being dim. I gather new bolts are a good idea - anything else crucial I should know? Thanks in advance & wish me luck...
User avatar
AndersDK
Posts: 6060
Joined: 21 Feb 2003, 04:56
Location: Denmark
My Cars:
x 1

Post by AndersDK »

If you don't have any record on the car/engine - and you can not identify the current HG - it's only guesswork.
Also - you are aware the head must be skimmed (machined) ?
I'd say that just ripping the head off - is a full workday for non-pro's - all the hassle considered. On a 10y old engine there are large possibilities that you'll run into the most odd problems - like a sheared head bolt - or beyond-repair damages to the head - which can only be recognised with head off and a good look on the internals.
Major car repairs on older cars are hard to anticipate in terms of what spares will be needed beforehand. Exactly the same problem garages are facing every day. Even for brand new cars - in some instances you'll have to wait weeks for spares to arrive.
I'd say you should take a deep breath - and plan for at least a full week to conclude this project. That's the only sure way to get needed parts - w/o buying up a whole stock beforehand.
If you need more in-depth factory information on XM TD engine - you should immediately contact noz :
http://www.andyspares.com/discussionfor ... IC_ID=4763
Post Reply