Engine Removal and Replacement

[Tricky69]

Rightio, I am now doing an engine change on my 2004 reg Galaxy TDi. I had an engine from the breakers yard delivered yesterday and have started work on it. It came with injectors, air con compressor, turbo, egr valve, etc, but will be using my own egr, turbo, alternator and compressor. While it's out, I will also be changing various gaskets, water pump and cam belt.

The engine which is currently in car is getting stripped back of wiring, hoses, pas pipework, etc. Gear change mech taken off, exhaust bolts removed, etc.

Still to get done is to remove the drive shafts, hydraulic clutch pipework and then to take the plunge in removing the front end to slide the engine out. When the engine/gear box are out, swap flywheel and clutch to new engine then mate up the gearbox.

Damn, there are so many pipes, wires, hoses, etc to one of these engines!!! Looking forward to getting it done, but am dreading the day when committed to stripping front end down as car is parked in a car park at back of house, so can't leave it in bits.

Any helpful hints or areas which may pose a problem?

Oh, will have a few bits for sale afterwards if anyone is interested!

[Orbis]

What happened to your engine? I thought the tdi's last forever if wel maintained

[Tricky69]

Orbis, I was travelling at 70mph across the Severn Bridge when out of nowhere the cabin filled with smoke, warning lights came on and instant power loss. Pulled over into the hard shoulder, got kids to safety then popped the bonnet. Loads of smoke/steam bellowing out of back of engine.

Waited for engine to cool down (namely when AA chap turned up) and topped up the water, only for it to leak out the back of the engine somewhere. Tried starting it, but engine spun quite freely with no compression whatsoever.

Engine was serviced about 5 months back, all fluid levels checked prior to starting the journey and car was running fine. It is due out the car quite soon and am in process of taking head off to inspect damage, but hazarding a guess something may have broke through the back of the engine. Mileage wise it was only at 128k.

[Chrispb]

May well be a con rod through the block which would give instant loss of coolant and oil, would tend to think cam belt failed causing this as you say the engine was running fine prior to this happening.

If your using your old turbo I would at least strip it down for a clean and inspection, same with EGR and inlet manifold.

[Tricky69]

Stripped the engine a bit more today and am quite surprised by what I found!

I took the head off and it is clear the head gasket had been blowing water out the rear due to the water staining on the turbo/manifold. However, the pistons are absolutely spotless! Seriously, I have covered around 20k miles since buying the car, but the tops of the pistons are seriously clean with no fouling whatsover and still have writing on them! It must have been worked on before my ownership of it, especially since there were many loose, missing or naff bolts. But, the inside of number 1 cylinder is marked like it has had rust bubbling up and has a small area of pitting. Bottom end still turns fine, so looks like I have a few spares to try and sell!

[johnnyroper]

Looks like once job is complete you will have a spare engine requiring head gasket to sell on to offset cost of the replacement.

[Michael Warnock]

any tutorials for this type of job was thinking of doing mine but not done an engine before as mine is overheating while going up hills or towing the caravan but drives perfect at all other times no oil in water or water in oil very strange one

[johnnyroper]

Yours is typical PD head gasket,mine was like that when I first had it. Head was fine just gasket failed.
Gasket set,head bolts,water pump and timing belt kit then thermostat and fluids should sort that out. Far easier than engine change

[Tricky69]

No tutorial as such, I'm just jumping in and getting it done! I'm stripping out as much as possible from the engine bay and have a replacement engine in my garage which I am building up with the best parts. Last stage will be to remove the block and gearbox, swap flywheel and clutch over, reassemble and then install the new lump.

While the replacement engine is out, I've put on a new cambelt (last night), water pump, tensioner, etc, sorted out the turbo for best parts (including a brand new actuator), cleaned up the egr valve, new injector loom, all new fluids throughout, etc.

I've got to be careful as car is currently parked in a housing association car park without insurance and on a SORN (it is deemed private land and not part of the highway), so can't leave it stripped down. When ready, I will remove front end, engine out, swap bits over, engine in and then front end back on all in one day so no-one reports it.

Agreed, so much easier removing just the head to replace the head gasket! Soooo many vacuum pipes, hoses, wires, sensors, etc. I know I will miss one of them on refit!

[johnnyroper]

Word of advise if you have replaced actuator best to set it up while engine is out or you could end up with limp mode.

Using a vac gauge rod needs to start moving at 3-5" and reach its stop at 18" vac.

While at it also worth checking stop screw while access is good,wind screw out so clearance between arm and screw,then wind in until touching and go one full turn. That should give optimum vane gap. Did my gal and Audi and it had worked perfectly.

[Chrispb]

any tutorials for this type of job was thinking of doing mine but not done an engine before as mine is overheating while going up hills or towing the caravan but drives perfect at all other times no oil in water or water in oil very strange one

Michael have you already checked your water pump/circulation.

[Michael Warnock]

Message to Chrispb sorry for delay in getting back to you but yes we have checked the water pump and fitted a new one and the old one was working well checked the aux pump to the passenger heater all OK but still over heating but only on hills was wondering if maybe a blockage in rad or something

[marcushamblin1976]

Headgasket.  Very common.  I reccomend using the 150bhp headbolts on replacement. 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[johnnyroper]

Have a quick check of restrictor in small bore return to expansion bottle aswell, but as said classic PD head gasket symptoms

[Michael Warnock]

Is it a necessary to get the head skimmed while doing this or just the head gasket.. Why I am asking is we are getting a new car after Christmas and don't really wan to spend a lot on this one

[Michael Warnock]

Further to my last reply I notice that some of the head gaskets have 2 or 3 holes/notches in the gasket I assume this is to show the thickness of the gasket mine has two holes would this mean that I use a two hole or do I go for the three holes to be sure as in the proverbial Irish man who wore two condoms to be sure to be sure

[johnnyroper]

When I did mine I didn't have a skim just examined it and used straight edge. It is clear where the leak occurs as you get some black stains between the bore and coolant gallery.
Yes get the same thickness head gasket unless you have a skim then you would get a thicker one to compensate for loss of material on head.