update on using STEEL SEAL

[suffolkadam]

Hi guys , just thought i would update you all on my use of steel seal , I've had the pressurising of the expansion bottle for about a year now , never overheated and i only use my gal at the week ends if at all. I've tried everything including tightening the head bolts a little, flushing the entire system, tried k seal ultra ,you name it I've tried it so as a last ditch attempt before having to lift the head i flushed the system and tried steel seal. followed all the instructions to the letter and it did seem to work for about 300 miles! then drove to the airport for our holiday and when i pulled up in the car park could smell the antifreeze. yes it pressurised up again and blew it all out. I've now been away for 2 weeks come home and have now bitten the bullet. head gasket time.
don't waste your money on the steel seal or other products of this nature cos they don't work!
SO WATCH OUT GUYS .i may be back on here later asking for advice, just looked through EGG'S post of "the big work has begun" and boy! he's had a time of it. I've started to strip it but had to give it up due to work so back on with it shortly.

[johnnyroper]

Good luck whipping the head off,I have done the job on mine and it's not too bad to do,couple of fiddly time consuming bits but nothing really difficult.
Let me know if you need any torque figures of injector seal change procedure (if you are doing them while head off) I have links to it saved from when I did mine.
Also if you do the injector seals I have the VW part for installing that you can borrow for cost of postage.

[suffolkadam]

Many thanks for the offer John . I've got it all but off now but had to leave due to work . Saturday is looking good to carry on..I've locked up the crank and cam but now need to remove the cam hub...sprocket is off but the hub now needs removing to get the back timing  cover off.? Also I have got access to the ford eids paperwork full engine workshop repair and diagnostic manual and it don't mention removing drive shafts? The way ford's do it is remove flexible exhaust and a couple of other pipes to the turbo and lift the head with the manifold and egr valve all in place enabling easier strip down on the bench.. Once it's off I was just gonna clean it up a bit and whack on the new gasket...what do you reckon. Should I do the injector seals? It's very dry and I have no leaks in the timing case at all. Shame really cos the cam belt and pump and tensioner was only done 6000 mile ago..

[johnnyroper]

I left my hub on when I had my head off,been a while but if memory serves correctly rear timing cover remained in place? I took hub off when head was on bench.
I didn't take driveshaft off either I removed pipe work etc off turbo,removed intake manifold and pushed turbo off studs and secured in place down back of engine with big cable tie.

Again I didn't strip head for skimming I used straight edge then cleaned and refitted with new gasket and bolts.

As for seals I chose to change mine as head was off anyway I didn't have a reason to other than they can fail over time so thought easier to do with head in bits rather than having to strip again... Although I need to do again as didn't use tools first time so caught a seal! Would have been better and cheaper leaving well alone! Lol

[lambretta man]

might well be worth having the head pressure tested whilst its off may not just be gasket
when mine came off it had taken a couple of bearings and injector seals with it plus pitted cam followers
see post can of worms

[johnnyroper]

The cam bearings,lifters etc are common in PD engines usually as a result of not servicing on time or using proper PD oil.

The injector seals are due to age and high fuel pressure degrading the seal.

The head gasket wouldn't take these out as well it's just something that can happen to these engines.

[suffolkadam]

right then everything removed etc head bolts out ready to lift but cant cos i cant get the cam vibration damper off the hub. i ain't got the special tool, any ideas?
i'm gonna drop in a see my mate in the ford dealers tomorrow see if i can borrow one.. tool no ts10052
overall it ain't been too bad but the rear timing cover is locked in behind the hub so its got to come off before lift!

[johnnyroper]

I can't for life of me remember how mine came off but I know I removed with rear timing cover still on and cam hub still connected.

Once tensioner and engine mounts are off is there not just a couple of bolts holding cover to block?

[suffolkadam]

it got the better of me last night so i got back on it and double nutted the idler stud and removed it checked everything else and then went for the lift. SUCCESS! The head is now off it came off with the rear cover still in place behind the cam hub. phew!
I'm gonna end this thread now cos this was supposed to be about the use of steel seal. I'm going to take some pics cos there's a few things that look a bit not right so ill see you all on the new thread.