bollox - think my head gasket has gone

[habbers]

Hi All,

Had rad problems with my 2.1td, i think it had caused the head gasket to fail. There is a small amount of waxy cream coloured cr@p in the water tank, could it be anything else that would cause that?

The oil is clean so no water getting into the oil, more the other way around.

Assuming it has gone,
1) How can i confirm it has gone, it there a diy test?
2) how much would you recon on to fix?
3) is there anybody you would reccommend in northampton(shire) to do the work well and at a good price?3)
4) is the head likely to need a skim or just blue hylomar and whack it on?
5) is this a mother of a job, engine out or such like? - real world engine out not a stealership making money

[DaiRees]

Hmm, very odd, if oil gets into the water you usually get water in the oil too, so emulsion under the filler cap and on the dipstick. If the gasket goes between the water jacket and a cylinder you usually get pressurisation of the water system with exhaust gasses (hence this is checked using the "sniff test") which blows the lid off your expansion tank, or worse still blows a hose or even you rad, but this doesn't usually lead to oil getting into the water.

Any backstreet garage will have the sniff test kit (and will prolly test it for free hoping to get the job of changing the gasket), or you can pick one at a motor factors for not a lot, one of these.

[habbers]

I am not keen to spend any serious money on this car, its value is low andit could easily become a money pit.

I have purchased and used some K-seal and after 100 miles it seems fine, no leaks from the rad and no more emulsion in the tank or high pressure either

a few more miles will tell and this could be well worth £ 9.00!