19 Renault 19 e6J Head Gasket Replacement

[Venerable19]

Hi,
Need to take the head off the old 19 (1.4 E6J 1991) - 350k miles - its done fantastic on one head gasket but no 3 cylinder not firing at all and water in the rocker cover so its defo new gasket time, looks fairly straight forward but anything to look out for ?
Venerable 19

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

..Looks like it's had a 'slight' oil weep for quite some time!

 

[Venerable19]

Thanks, Neal/DaveL - that's really helpful - didn't know about the 1.2 engine having the same head - and good tip about the part number - will check that out and let you know I did get a response from a breaker but he wants £270 - pricey for a head, says its been pressure tested, but even so - will check out the 1.2 options

 

[Adey]

might be cheaper to buy a complete engine and strip it. in the last year i scrapped a complete one of these id stripped. no help to you obviously but it was cheap to buy the whole thing

 

[Venerable19]

You're not wrong Adey!
Anyway, managed to get a 1.2 Clio head all cleaned up by an engineering shop, looks good apart from some marks one end but hopefully not too close to oil/waterways.
Question I have is - will the camshaft in this 1.2 work on a 1.4 block? Reason I ask is the 1.2 cam sprocket timing mark is different to the mark on the 1.4. I was planning to use the 1.4 sprocket on the new head, but not sure if that will work?
Any advice on how to retime appreciated

 

[Brigsy]

Use the 1.4 cam and sprocket, assuming it will be straight swap

 

[Venerable19]

Thanks, so the cams won't be the same in the two heads..?

 

[Neal R19]

In what way is the timing mark different?

I can see in dialogys that the cam has the same part number for the 1.4 R19 and 1.2 clio but for whatever reason, the pulley has a different part number.

The crank pulley is the same part number on clio as R19 as well after 1990.

That being the case, if it was me I'd keep the cam with the head and swap the cam pulley over.

 

[Venerable19]

Oh boy, thanks , Neal, same cam makes sense, the eng company that did the refurb didn't swap the cams so I guess that's consistent with them being the same. in which case why the different pulley?
I'll compare the difference in valve positions for the two pulleys at the weekend. Do you know if the mark on the rocker cover is always in the same place..?

 

[Neal R19]

Oh boy, thanks , Neal, same cam makes sense, the eng company that did the refurb didn't swap the cams so I guess that's consistent with them being the same. in which case why the different pulley?
I'll compare the difference in valve positions for the two pulleys at the weekend. Do you know if the mark on the rocker cover is always in the same place..?

Well I would have thought so, but on Dialogys the rocker cover part number is actually different so who knows?

 

[Venerable19]

Ok, spent all of Saturday installing new head, turns out there two marks on my old sprocket, so, basically, they were the same. There was also a stud missing from the new head so water poured out when I refilled it - had to find a suitable bolt to plug it. And then it fired up..! Big Relief.
Exhaust is blowing a good one where I had to disconnect to tale the manifold off, so a job for next weekend - can't really drive it till then, but so far so good.
I am shattered tonight...

 

[Venerable19]

OK exhaust done, deep breath - turn the key, and she fires up without sounding like the space shuttle, excellent, timing seems to be ok, idling at about 700/800. Can't drive too far as MOT expired in Jan but feels ok, so far so good. Found a hairline crack in the old head right where the exhaust valve was going rust-coloured - really hoping that was the issue, won't know till I can drive it some more - dang MOT...needs some welding..

 

[andybond]

Go on!

 

[Venerable19]

ok - bit of a problem, see what you think
New head seems to be good, no oil burning off in exhaust and water levels seem to be ok.
Plenty of spark at the plugs (new plugs & leads), plugs are dry when I inspect them - no fouling.
Engine idles fine on startup, will idle for 10-15mins no problem.
Take it for a spin and after 5 min or so, it will suddenly almost cut out, revs just die away despite throttle pedal depressed, if I lift off quickly it goes back to idling, but as I press throttle again it begins to die, so you have to lift off again, at this point there is insufficient drive to move the car, the only way to move it again is to slip the clutch savagely, pull the choke half way out, and continuously blip the throttle and drive along (horribly it has to be said) riding a series of 'blip-revs' . When I get home, it is idling ok again.
That can't be head-related can it...?

 

[DaveL485]

Sounds more like a fuel issue to me, like its going very lean.

 

[Venerable19]

It's me ( as per usual), timing marks on the belt not lined up...watch this space

 

[Venerable19]

Spent all morning taking crank pully off and checking belt marks line up etc - slightly off but not much, spot-on now. But car still behaving badly. Idles ok, starts off driving ok but within a couple of minutes any sort of uphill gradient causes it to pretty much cut out, only way to drive it after that is on full choke and rev like crazy - any suggestions very welcome. I did notice that the new head must have been used with an electric fuel pump as there was a blanking plate over the mechanical pump aperture. I removed this to attach my mechanical pump, I assume that the new cam would still work with a mechanical pump..? What 'sensor' does the car use to detect engine load..? Is it the vacuum pipe to the ignition module? This seems to be functioning as if I unplug it the revs start stuttering. Anything else..? I'm running out of ideas tbh

 

[Brigsy]

At a guess shit in the carb, or air leak somewhere. Did you replace all the gaskets on inlet manifold that have been removed ? All pipes on in the correct places ?

 

[Venerable19]

Just cleaned out the carb - wasn't too bad, nothing that would cause the problem - all the pipes are there - all clear, I used the same gasket on the inlet manifold - was in good condition, all tightened down, its just can't be an air leak - problem is too severe, really does feel like fuel just dries up, took the rocker cover off tonight and the fuel pump seems to be making contact with the cam lobe (see pic), I'm going to measure the new and old - see if there's any diff,
BTW, doesn't the new head look good...

 

[Brigsy]

Inlet gasket is one use really, i would bang a new one on myself. Check the lobe for fuel pump is the same on the new cam compared to the original

 

[Venerable19]

ok, I'll sort the gasket but it doesn't feel like that would be enough to cause the problem. Measured the pump cam lobe (old one) as 32mm diam, can't get onto the one in the car easily due to rocker, will try again tomorrow. Interestingly, (sad or what) the lobe is circular but at an offset, compared to the valve lobes which are elliptical. I'll also try engine on starter motor and see what level of fuel flow I get with pipe disconnected (using a bottle), that should also prove fuel pump operation