Head gasket

[GSLondon]

The head gasket on my 1998 1.8 petrol Berlingo has gone.  I have mayonnaise and it's running hot.  I've had a quote for £350 from a backstreet garage and he says he will have the head skimmed and will replace: water pump, cam belt, head gasket, head bolts, rocker cover gasket and camshaft gasket (oil leaks from there).  I'm in London (as if the name didn't give it away!).

Another garage I've gone to has suggested something like Steel Seal.  I'm really sceptical, especially as I've read it solves oil leaks but not water.  He's quoted £75 to drain it and use this stuff.

What do you think?

[Tomcat3]

The steel seal in my opinion is just a temp fix and in the end you are going to have the head gasket changed in the end. I know its sounds a lot but if it was me I would get the gasket changed. Sounds a good price for London if they intend to do all that work for £350

[GSLondon]

The steel seal in my opinion is just a temp fix and in the end you are going to have the head gasket changed in the end. I know its sounds a lot but if it was me I would get the gasket changed. Sounds a good price for London if they intend to do all that work for £350

Cheers TC.  The Steel Seal sounded too much of a miracle fix hence the alarm bells.

Another (dim) alarm bell ringing is that the garage does do the work for £350 and doesn't rip me off.  I say that because other people/mechanics I've spoken to have suggested that's too cheap!  Hmm.

[Tomcat3]

It is difficult you have to go on your gut feeling what the mechanic/garage are like and are they trustworthy. Ask as many mates friends who they use and are they any good.

[GSLondon]

Is it an absolute necessity to have the head skimmed? I have gone to another garage and he has said that this can be avoided. Thoughts?

[jj9]

Is it an absolute necessity to have the head skimmed? I have gone to another garage and  he has said that this can be avoided.  Thoughts?

No it's not, you should only be looking to have a head machined if it is out of tolerance (not flat) or has pitting / corrosion on the face.

You should never machine something as a matter of course, but it seems that's the way it goes these days, every time a head gasket is replaced the head gets skimmed for some reason.  
Maybe the garages are just covering themselves, or maybe they just can't be bothered to clean the head up and check its flatness so it's easier to let the machine shop do that and for you to pay the bill.  

.

[Gadgetman]

First of all; if you let anyone use one of those 'wonder fixes' on that car I will hunt you down and give you an atomic wedgie!
You just don't do that to a good engine!

If the head is skimmed you'll also need to use a thicker gasket or you'll get too high compression and it will run too hot, which makes a new failure more likely.

The fact that he wants to replace the head bolts is a good sign on the mechanic.
They CAN be reused, but it requires you to measure them very accurately to verify that none have been stretched. With a blown gasket, this is more likely.

[GSLondon]

First of all; if you let anyone use one of those 'wonder fixes' on that car I will hunt you down and give you an atomic wedgie!
You just don't do that to a good engine!

If the head is skimmed you'll also need to use a thicker gasket or you'll get too high compression and it will run too hot, which makes a new failure more likely.

The fact that he wants to replace the head bolts is a good sign on the mechanic.
They CAN be reused, but it requires you to measure them very accurately to verify that none have been stretched. With a blown gasket, this is more likely.

You're quite right, Gadgetman, and I did steer clear of the "wonder fixes", instead going with the conventional and proper repair.  Once the head came off the garage said it needed skimming, which they duly did, but that took an age due to a cock-up with the machine shop.  Got it back on Saturday, £525 poorer, and so far so good.  They did the water pump, cam belt, head gasket, rocker gasket, cam gasket of some sort, etc.  It's been such a good car that I'm glad - afterwards, anyway - that I spent the money.  I'm not sure there's another 19-year-old Multispace out there that's had such sums lavished on it in recent times!

[Top drive]

to be fair to garages . most folk these days first incline that their headgasket has gone is when it overheats and head goes bye bye.

Given they dont lift the bonnet mot to mot half the time.

If you look after your car and spot it early often theres no need to skim but Id always quote for a skim - and then if not needed i would take it off the bill.

[GSLondon]

to be fair to garages . most folk these days first incline that their headgasket has gone is when it overheats and head goes bye bye.

Given they dont lift the bonnet mot to mot half the time.

If you look after your car and spot it early often theres no need to skim but Id always quote for a skim - and then if not needed i would take it off the bill.

I have fallen into that category - stupidly - but then I paid £150 for it over a year ago and thought I'd only keep it for a few months.  Looking back, I think the HG had probably gone when I bought it. 

When i visited the mechanic during the work, the mayonnaise was all over the floor of the garage and looked like congealed gloss paint - it really was so thick.  I was surprised it ran for so well and did so many miles in that condition. It's an oldie but a goodie - I was looking around to replace it and even bought a 2004 (I think) Quiksilver but I missed the panoramic roof and the old-school handling and so sold that and bit the bullet with the HG.  Glad I did even though it was probably uneconomical in the eyes of some - my wife included!