several years ago I took my 110 into a place to have the head and valves re done at 250k miles. as i had nothing better do to and knew the owner (wanted to keep the bill low and helped to teach the apprentice how to use a manual) I chipped in on the man hours for the job. The head went off to be dealt with by the shops usual machinist whilst we dealt with fitting new big end bearings, when the head came back I couldn't believe (and was glad I was there to deal with) it was full of swarf from re cutting the valves. The work shop were going to just bolt it down but I'm an anal twat and inspect any job and pick holes. I hate it when people are amazed by the projects I put out and all I can see is the floors and failures in my work. At least I was there to remove all the swarf from the head before it got bolted down!
@@harveysmith100 Daft question but how bad would it be if the swarf was accidentally left on and it was then bolted down? Absolute nightmare in waiting or just aesthetics?
@@Retro-Future-Land The swarf would get ground down, mix with the grease and turn into an abrasive paste. The tool will work just fine but it isn't going to last as long. Worst case is, bits of swarf don't get ground down and end up blocking something they shouldn't or get into the bearings. They will trash a bearing very quickly. Good Question
@@BritannicaRestorations Thanks Mike, like you I'm a guy in a shed, cept I do head work, need to sort something for pressure testing, have a look ..... :) facebook.com/machineworkscaernarfon/
I don't have a 300 TDI but love watching your videos. In one of the earlier videos, you noted that the head bolts were looser than expected. Would you put this down to poor attention during assembly or something else?
When a head warps it stretches the stretch bolts and I suspect the gasket has been replaced without machining the head or bolts = it was bound to happen
@@BritannicaRestorations Mike. Thanks for the explanation and the education. What was the reasoning behind the concept of stretch bolts - sounds as if this was done deliberately but why - does it help limit damage in the event of overheating? I wonder if you could include something about this in a future video explaining what went wrong? Many thanks Simon
Yes I will do a follow up once we decide what to do, but the stretch bolts are used a lot on alloy heads to allow for expansion and contraction - think of them like very hard springs
@@peterpeterson9903 Yes Peter, I think it stopped at 4 hole. If I remember there was a 1.75 thickness but it didn't have any holes, probably due to being out of respected tolerance . I guess that would be equal to around 5 holes.
I’ve always wondered....when you get small holes or erosion like you have here, and the head is alloy and not cast, is there a reason it can’t simply be TIG welded? Especially if it needs skimming anyway?
Britannica Restorations Ltd Yeah, I know the skimming adds another dimension, but I meant in general as you never really see heads or blocks getting welded outside of emergency situation like when overlanding in the middle of nowhere.
...bloody hell, I've had bananas that were straighter than that head....fit 3 head gaskets and a can of expanding foam....job's a good'un....9 thou is a hell of a lot to remove as a bare minimum, I'll be very surprised if you don't end up junking that....what a bugger
yeah, skim the head flat .. then use 2 or 3 head gaskets to keep the valve to piston clearance .. i see nothing wrong with that, just going to get my stetson and horse
Hi, At first I must say that as a 110 300tdi owner your channel is a savier! Keep on doing what you like it seems to work graet! Second I was using the bearmach discount code you shared few months ago, thanks alot! It seems that the discount code does not work anymore:/ do you maybe have a new discount code? Thanks alot again!!!!
Mike, a follow up question. You mention in the video that you are concerned about the small parts missing from the head and are worried that they may be lurking somewhere in the bottom end doing nothing good. Surely, until you resolve this, there is little point worrying about the head??
Exactly Harvey! This customer has dumped a lot of money into this vehicle to keep it running and is at his wits end with this repair on top of all the other jobs - which is why I am pondering the right cost effective solution, but it is looking like a new head as I think there is too much to machine
@@BritannicaRestorations I have already said before this video to the owner, don't let anyone touch your Defender except you. I think my comments are justified by what we find in this video. I agree with the new head route. Do you think the loose head bolts may have caused the drastic warp.
The culprit is usually a radiator problem in the first place - I see it has been changed, but when a head has warped the stretch bolts 'give' and become lose - they should be changed, but I have and idea they lifted the head plonked on a gasket and used the same bolts - it was bound to happen
I was supplied with a Turner performance head to fit a few years back - I noticed they did some valve work but the casting looked untouched Performance - I never noticed anything spectacular - on a Tdi you have to go through the bottle neck of the turbo, so gas flowing on a small motor is limited
Cup O' tea (not Yorkshire Tea tho'/some organic rubbish) just woke up...out to the garage soon...and all this is due to a 'workshop' not doing the most basic procedures during head assembly....If it was me who did it I would almost understand (as 'Mr Incompetent' is always looking over my shoulder/giving me advise so I feck things up occasionally/hence why I am here) but a 'professional' garage????
Believe it or not when i was an appy i had to weld up volkswagen heads with aluminium welding (Tig)then it was reskimed my tutor wanted me to come work for him at home butt he died of an heart attack then one used spirits and a tungsten rotar burr and the new gasket to regrind the holes no one complained .other jobs was rewelding spead boat propellers.Just saying.
@@ammocraft yes i am Afrikaans not english, english is my second language sorry for not being perfect spellers like all of you anyone heard the fraze i am only human? and no i am not gonna look everything up in a book due to i think most of you know what i meant.
@@ScorpioxA1 Calm down, I wasn't having a go, merely helping someone else understand what you probably meant, as he obviously didn't know. Fucks sake...
We have none here - those that do have them want £2000 for a used - shipping from the UK is horrendous and 9/10 you are buying a motor that needs a rebuild anyway
And that is the problem - people buy these expensive 110's from Europe expecting them to be indestructible, but the cost a fortune to fix as they are Europe's cast off Everything has to be imported - there are a few parts sellers here but they come and go - online shopping killed it for me, but I still have my accounts with the big 3 for spares So that is why I build engines and transmissions as no one understands them or has parts I would never buy an engine on the floor - to me they are scrap price as they always need something doing, but as I am in Canada with 'pockets of money' they think I am an easy touch - sorry
@@BritannicaRestorations three hundred quid here with a weeks warranty , 300s seldom need much other than the new belt tensioner and gasket kit 200s less , but as you say shipping would be evil ah well , keep building them , mind id not like to pay for that either
Just got to bed and saw you uploaded part 4. Now watching in bed. Thankyou mike, these uploads have been so consistent. Great to follow.
several years ago I took my 110 into a place to have the head and valves re done at 250k miles. as i had nothing better do to and knew the owner (wanted to keep the bill low and helped to teach the apprentice how to use a manual) I chipped in on the man hours for the job. The head went off to be dealt with by the shops usual machinist whilst we dealt with fitting new big end bearings, when the head came back I couldn't believe (and was glad I was there to deal with) it was full of swarf from re cutting the valves. The work shop were going to just bolt it down but I'm an anal twat and inspect any job and pick holes. I hate it when people are amazed by the projects I put out and all I can see is the floors and failures in my work. At least I was there to remove all the swarf from the head before it got bolted down!
Watch AvE tear downs and brand new products from China are covered in factory swarf.
It makes your finger nails curl.
With you on this one.
@@harveysmith100 I've been watching his stuff on and off for a while, quite a contrast to Mike's videos. Do like how deep he goes into things.
@@harveysmith100 Daft question but how bad would it be if the swarf was accidentally left on and it was then bolted down? Absolute nightmare in waiting or just aesthetics?
@@Retro-Future-Land The swarf would get ground down, mix with the grease and turn into an abrasive paste.
The tool will work just fine but it isn't going to last as long.
Worst case is, bits of swarf don't get ground down and end up blocking something they shouldn't or get into the bearings. They will trash a bearing very quickly.
Good Question
@@harveysmith100 Damn, ok next question is, are we still casting our own engine blocks in the UK? Or do they all get done in the land of Corona Chan?
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Hi Mike, could you show us the plate and how you attached and sealed it ..... thanks ...
ua-cam.com/video/e6vKuFcE0I0/v-deo.html
@@BritannicaRestorations Thanks Mike, like you I'm a guy in a shed, cept I do head work, need to sort something for pressure testing, have a look ..... :) facebook.com/machineworkscaernarfon/
Lol you can fit a pencil between that straightedge and head!
I don't have a 300 TDI but love watching your videos. In one of the earlier videos, you noted that the head bolts were looser than expected. Would you put this down to poor attention during assembly or something else?
When a head warps it stretches the stretch bolts and I suspect the gasket has been replaced without machining the head or bolts = it was bound to happen
@@BritannicaRestorations Mike. Thanks for the explanation and the education. What was the reasoning behind the concept of stretch bolts - sounds as if this was done deliberately but why - does it help limit damage in the event of overheating? I wonder if you could include something about this in a future video explaining what went wrong? Many thanks Simon
Yes I will do a follow up once we decide what to do, but the stretch bolts are used a lot on alloy heads to allow for expansion and contraction - think of them like very hard springs
Hi Mike very well done as always very great help many thanks Eliot
Looks like it has a 3 notch gasket already so I would have them skim it and stick 4 or 5 notch on
But you still will need to cut the vales back - the gasket thickness is for piston height
None of the reputable manufacturers (Elring) make anything greater than a 3 hole gasket and as far as I know no one makes a 4 or 5 but I may be wrong.
@@peterpeterson9903 Yes Peter, I think it stopped at 4 hole. If I remember there was a 1.75 thickness but it didn't have any holes, probably due to being out of respected tolerance . I guess that would be equal to around 5 holes.
I’ve always wondered....when you get small holes or erosion like you have here, and the head is alloy and not cast, is there a reason it can’t simply be TIG welded? Especially if it needs skimming anyway?
Yes you could TIG the holes, but the head is needing at least a 0.012'' skim and It is already beyond tolerance
Britannica Restorations Ltd Yeah, I know the skimming adds another dimension, but I meant in general as you never really see heads or blocks getting welded outside of emergency situation like when overlanding in the middle of nowhere.
IF in an emergency situation yes you could repair and use the head again - but it would be a 'get you home only' repair!
It's one of those head supplied from a banana republic.
...bloody hell, I've had bananas that were straighter than that head....fit 3 head gaskets and a can of expanding foam....job's a good'un....9 thou is a hell of a lot to remove as a bare minimum, I'll be very surprised if you don't end up junking that....what a bugger
I reckon it will be best with a new head
yeah, skim the head flat .. then use 2 or 3 head gaskets to keep the valve to piston clearance .. i see nothing wrong with that, just going to get my stetson and horse
👍👍
Hi, At first I must say that as a 110 300tdi owner your channel is a savier! Keep on doing what you like it seems to work graet! Second I was using the bearmach discount code you shared few months ago, thanks alot! It seems that the discount code does not work anymore:/ do you maybe have a new discount code? Thanks alot again!!!!
Thanks!
I was not aware the code is no longer working - maybe because the LS 110 project is on hold
Mike, a follow up question. You mention in the video that you are concerned about the small parts missing from the head and are worried that they may be lurking somewhere in the bottom end doing nothing good. Surely, until you resolve this, there is little point worrying about the head??
I later found it after the video when I washed off the head in the parts washer!
With all of those oil leaks, I would pull the motor and take care of them too.
You only do what the customer can afford.
Remember, he has already paid for a new head gasket two years ago.
Exactly Harvey! This customer has dumped a lot of money into this vehicle to keep it running and is at his wits end with this repair on top of all the other jobs - which is why I am pondering the right cost effective solution, but it is looking like a new head as I think there is too much to machine
@@BritannicaRestorations I have already said before this video to the owner, don't let anyone touch your Defender except you.
I think my comments are justified by what we find in this video.
I agree with the new head route.
Do you think the loose head bolts may have caused the drastic warp.
The culprit is usually a radiator problem in the first place - I see it has been changed, but when a head has warped the stretch bolts 'give' and become lose - they should be changed, but I have and idea they lifted the head plonked on a gasket and used the same bolts - it was bound to happen
@@BritannicaRestorations Good information. Thanks Mike
Could I ask you what's head gasket you best recommend for a series 2a diesel ,copper type??
The copper seals pretty well, but I have seen them blow
New head turner performance!?
I was supplied with a Turner performance head to fit a few years back - I noticed they did some valve work but the casting looked untouched
Performance - I never noticed anything spectacular - on a Tdi you have to go through the bottle neck of the turbo, so gas flowing on a small motor is limited
Cup O' tea (not Yorkshire Tea tho'/some organic rubbish) just woke up...out to the garage soon...and all this is due to a 'workshop' not doing the most basic procedures during head assembly....If it was me who did it I would almost understand (as 'Mr Incompetent' is always looking over my shoulder/giving me advise so I feck things up occasionally/hence why I am here) but a 'professional' garage????
I think they just treated it as another head gasket fail, replaced the gasket only
Dooomed I tell ye it's doomed, far too much to skim off.
Yes even if you TIG the damaged area there is too much to remove
Believe it or not when i was an appy i had to weld up volkswagen heads with aluminium welding (Tig)then it was reskimed my tutor wanted me to come work for him at home butt he died of an heart attack then one used spirits and a tungsten rotar burr and the new gasket to regrind the holes no one complained .other jobs was rewelding spead boat propellers.Just saying.
What do you mean by a 'spread boat propeller'?
Woof I would guess that was supposed to be “speed boat prop”.
@@ammocraft Yeah that makes sense.
@@ammocraft yes i am Afrikaans not english, english is my second language sorry for not being perfect spellers like all of you anyone heard the fraze i am only human? and no i am not gonna look everything up in a book due to i think most of you know what i meant.
@@ScorpioxA1 Calm down, I wasn't having a go, merely helping someone else understand what you probably meant, as he obviously didn't know. Fucks sake...
why not just slap an engine in it , here they are still humble money. unless they are rare there.
We have none here - those that do have them want £2000 for a used - shipping from the UK is horrendous and 9/10 you are buying a motor that needs a rebuild anyway
@@BritannicaRestorations good grief
thats worse than crazy , the only bit that seldom needs repaired is silly money too , why oh why etc
And that is the problem - people buy these expensive 110's from Europe expecting them to be indestructible, but the cost a fortune to fix as they are Europe's cast off
Everything has to be imported - there are a few parts sellers here but they come and go - online shopping killed it for me, but I still have my accounts with the big 3 for spares
So that is why I build engines and transmissions as no one understands them or has parts
I would never buy an engine on the floor - to me they are scrap price as they always need something doing, but as I am in Canada with 'pockets of money' they think I am an easy touch - sorry
@@BritannicaRestorations
three hundred quid here with a weeks warranty , 300s seldom need much other than the new belt tensioner and gasket kit 200s less , but as you say shipping would be evil
ah well , keep building them , mind id not like to pay for that either