My 2004 Van 1.9D

[messsy]

Just got myself a 2004 1.9D

Overall its mint and im happy with it, it struggles to start when its colder but im sure thats the glow plugs.
I know it needs the cam gasket done, hoping thats an easy task?

Any starters advice that you would suggest before i start go looking for jobs to do on it

Thanks all

[stevetiler]

well ive had a gutfull of this rocker cover gasket#

my classic car ones dont leak, why does this one

what a crap design, two flat mating surfaces with nothing to stop the gasket moving,but [beat this ] the rubber has ridges on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

totally stuffed my block paving up,ive had the intake manifold off for the 5th time since fitting it today

next time its going in the bin, it been fine for 2 years with a silicone bead the last owner put on, good luck bud ,steve

[Bernie]

Totally loaded my with silicone & let it get nice n hot. Had to do my twice tho due to oil weeping from the back. So far so good, but can be a pig to do !!

[messsy]

Rocker cover gasket or cam gasket underneath?

Love the way ur honest about the situation steve

So its a 'stick loads of that stuff there and hope for the best' kinda job

And a gasket with ridges in it? The only logical explanation for that would be 'its ok they will compress if the user tightens it enough'
One word.. PLANK!

[evdama]

careful you dont lose any into the internals especially the old dried flakes -it'll block up oilways.
I had a Honda CB650 gearbox fail becuse the previous owner got a bit too free and easy with the bathroom sealant....

I can remember my dad making up gaskets from cork floor tiles using a scissors scalpel and a leather punch.
Surely theres a modern gasket material you could do the same with?

[addo]

A lot of the covers are held on with shouldered bolts so tightness can't squeeze out the gasket. When the cover is plastic, this compounds woes as the covers happily distort with heat. You could be shonky and counterbore the block holes 1/8"...

My fix: Clean the **** out of both mating faces with carby cleaner, and identify distorted areas. Then apply a THIN bead of sealant to both mating faces. I mean, 1/16" thick. That's plenty. In the areas where the cover has distorted away from its face (ie, at corners or between bolts) add an additional 3/16" bead to the lower face only. Assemble everything up, leave bolts finger tight by twisting socket with fingers. Make sure the bead is in contact with the gasket all around. After two or so hours, come back and snug down the bolts to correct tightness (usually, when the shoulder bottoms out). I use blue RTV for this normally, but the thicker Hondabond or Threebond sealants would also do well.

[ffrenchie]

Use proper gasket mastic not bathroom sealant and just put a thin smear on to hold your rubber gasket in place. Run some in the grooves on the gasket and smooth it out with your finger before you fit the top surface.

[crickleymal]

Blue Hylomar. But you do have to make sure everything is clean.

[addo]

I agree that it's a fantastic adhesive sealant (wouldn't be without it for head gaskets) - but it lacks gap-filling qualities when the plastic's distorted by more than a few thou. IMO that's often the problem; even cast pot-metal covers can get out of shape over time.

[messsy]

Not had chance to do the work yet but thanks for all your input.
Going to take it to a local garage with the parts and get them to do it. I do t wana mess it up if its a weird design.
Gave the can the once over today and the center section is barely touching the back box. Rusted and basicly come apart.