Forum Poll: please place you comments!

adzbaby · Unread post by **adzbaby** » 12 Oct 2004, 01:02

I have a choice (and do I go for the red or the blue?

):
I have a car (Xantia 1.9 td VSX) which I just bought with a head gasket problem (ebay bargain).
Although I have s/h details the engine has done 200k and I don't know if there is anything else wrong with it!
I have my old 1.9td engine, 127k, which I know has no problems and is completely sound and has never missed a service.
Do I:
a) Attempt to repair the existing engine's head gasket prob, which may involve skimming etc etc (which I have no previous experience of).
b) Just swap the engines over which I have done before????
What do folks reckon is the easiest and best option for the long term?

RaceMouse · Unread post by **RaceMouse** » 12 Oct 2004, 01:07

I'd go for the complete engine change. I would personally (which is what you ask for, right ?) prefer not to open a fully functional engine if I can avoid it. If the space/facillity is availible : QEC! (Quick Engine Change)
Cheers
RaceMouse

Robin · Unread post by **Robin** » 12 Oct 2004, 01:08

Never done either but I would go for the devil I know and swop the engine doing mounts etc as I went along, even perhaps the clutch too. 127k is not a great deal for the 1.9. R

oilyspanner · Unread post by **oilyspanner** » 12 Oct 2004, 01:09

Swap it over, I would rather swap a motor than do a HG (in situ)
Stewart

vanny · Unread post by **vanny** » 12 Oct 2004, 01:13

Swap it!
though i know where there is a 2 litre petrol from a Xantia kicking about, not sure about the history but if your interested then email me and i'll find out!

Richard Gallagher · Unread post by **Richard Gallagher** » 12 Oct 2004, 01:14

Personally I'd swop the engines because then you KNOW your efforts will be rewarded with a working engine.
If you go for the repair option, there is always the risk that there will be more work required than first anticipated. Replacement must surely work out cheaper under these circumstances.
Being nosey here, is the car the red VSX from East London/Kent?

Stuart McB · Unread post by **Stuart McB** » 12 Oct 2004, 01:32

go for the engine swap. Quicker, easier, know to be good and is a diesel. The busted one on e-bay for spares.

adzbaby · Unread post by **adzbaby** » 12 Oct 2004, 02:04

Thanks for the replies guys. I appreciate the advice. And I did just want some reassurance that the engine swap was the best bet. Undoing nuts and bolts and remembering where they go is easier and requires less thinking than heads, pistons, clearance, skimming

Richard - yep the car ius a red VSX from Kent, nr Brands hatch. How come you ask (sounds ominous; hope you don't tell me the car is possessed by malevolent spirits from a parallel universe who up until recently possessed the late, great, James Dean's engine!)?
And Vanny thanks for the offer but a petrol!! Are you mad!!

I get 47 mpg and the turbo is enough excitement for boring ol me! Unless I can afford to buy (and run) a petrol that'll give me Porsche performance its diesels ahoy!!

Richard Gallagher · Unread post by **Richard Gallagher** » 12 Oct 2004, 04:03

The only reason I asked about it being the red one in Kent was that I looked at it on Ebay but considered it was too far for me to get it back home with a duff head gasket.
Still, not wishing to be outdone I bought myself another toy today from ebay, the petrol VSX shown below, thinking that it would be worth buying just for its leather electric seats with the thought of maybe stripping it down. However, having driven it back its far too good for that so I'm going to use it and put my TD into hibernation for the winter, just starting it up every couple of weeks to keep the aircon working.

AWG · Unread post by **AWG** » 12 Oct 2004, 05:04

29k? !!!!!!!

DoubleChevron · Unread post by **DoubleChevron** » 12 Oct 2004, 10:23

Aren't the motors different ??? Isn't the BX a 1.7 turbo diesel ??
I'd be at least interested to see what's going on with the existing motor. Go on .... whip it's head off, you probably only need to slap a head gasket in (<b>and fix the problem that caused it to overheat in the first place</b>).
Once you have whipped the head off the existing motor, it's a simple matter of deciding the Xantia motor is toast, or just needs a gasket. I've never heard of the bottom end going on a Citroen diesel.
Yeah I've gotta be different to everyone else, but I'd most certainly be whipping the head off the existing motor before going to all the effort of dropping a different motor in. Pluss you always have a known good motor as a backup if you ever need it.
seeya,
Shane L.

JohnD · Unread post by **JohnD** » 12 Oct 2004, 10:40

Where's the BX come from??? I'd change the engines over, doing the clutch on the way.

uhn113x · Unread post by **uhn113x** » 12 Oct 2004, 13:28

<head over parapet>
I am with Shane on this one - apart from the HG, the engine in the car is probably OK. Personal opinion, but I would much rather do a HG and get the head skimmed, lapping the valves while it is off, that have to hire an engine crane and manhandle a huge lump of metal.
Much lower pratabout factor, IMHO
Of course, if any other nasties were discovered with the lid off, then a swap would be necessary.

tomsheppard · Unread post by **tomsheppard** » 12 Oct 2004, 14:21

If it were just a lump swap then, do it but as it is a conversion, don't. Fix the fault.

Unread post by **RichardW** » 12 Oct 2004, 14:32

We've lost the plot a bit I think...
Adam has bought another Xantia TD with HG probs and is proposing transplanting a known good Xantia TD engine into it. Given the ease of fitment of a new clutch, replacing the water pump inlet housing, fitting new cambelt and possible cam / crank seals with the engine out, it's the way to go [:o)]
TD head gasket swaps are not for the feint hearted - or anyone that values their knuckles [:p]