OUR VIDEOS GALLERY MEMBER SPONSORSHIP VENDOR SPONSORSHIP

User Tag List

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 16

Thread: ZD30DDTI Head Gasket replacement.

  1. #1
    Advanced Finezy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Geelong - VIC
    Posts
    62
    Thanks
    32
    Thanked 92 Times in 28 Posts
    Mentioned
    3 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    ZD30DDTI Head Gasket replacement.

    This post is directed toward anyone looking for some encouragement to get there hands dirty and save a ton of money.
    It may get a little long winded but I want to explain my symptoms very thoroughly.

    Up until 2 weeks ago my mechanical experience was limited to petrol engines.

    For 12 months leading up to now I have had an issue with an over pressurized cooling system (exhaust in the radiator). Local driving never saw an issue, highways and hills on the other
    hand saw coolant slowly vacate my overflow bottle.

    On Tuesday last week I finished work and went to my car, It took an unusual amount of time to start with a lot of chugging and hesitating before it fired up. It lacked power during my
    5 minute commute home and had very odd boost behavior. I managed to limp it home.

    The next morning I went out to diagnose the issue with the thought it could be a clogged fuel filter as it was over due to be changed, I turned the key and after 30 - 45 seconds of chugging and hesitating it started and idled extremely rough so i turned it off again. I replaced the fuel filter and it made no difference but whilst doing so I notice an odd noise coming from my intake.
    After pulling the intake down to the turbo and starting it, it sounded a lot like I had air going in and exhaust coming out of the intake. That cant be right.

    After speaking to a mechanic from a local workshop here in Geelong and explaining the issue with the cooling system he basically told me i may as well pull the top end down and I will no doubt
    find my problem, So armed with my extreme patience, an amazing attention to detail and a workshop manual I began doing so and after a few nights after work I had the head off and found this.

    IMG_1363.jpeg

    It was pretty obvious what my issues where now, No compression in cylinders 2 & 3 and running on 2 Cylinders so I rang back the same mechanic workshop and spoke to another mechanic about where to go next. This mechanic seemed hell bent on selling me a new head for "anywhere up to $2,200" plus labour to fit the cams and buckets, he was very un-willing to entertain the fact that my head was OK and "didn't want to charge me $250 to tell me its buggered". After talking him into it I told him I was on my way and when I arrived I was greeted by locked doors.

    I began to ring around looking for another mechanic who could do the tests and found Precision Motors in Moolap, Geelong, and I tell you what, their customer service was second to none.

    They took my head and they done the hardness test right there in front of me which was an old way of testing with a tool that basically consisted of a ball bearing in a glass tube. They Pressure tested the head hot and cold, they vacuum tested the valves, they machined the head (had to take off 10-thou due to a very slight warp) and they supplied me with a full top end gasket set with
    new bolts. It turned out my head was very usable still and my total repair bill was under $600 including changing my A/C bearing while I was at it.

    As daunting as these motors look they are actually very easy to work on, albeit time consuming. If i had taken it to a mechanic it would have taken a few days less but it would have cost me
    at least $2000 just in labour (I was quoted by the first un-named mechanic, upto 20hrs) and possibly got stung for a new head for another $2,500.

    Here is some more pics I took during the tear down and re-assembly.

    IMG_1346.jpeg IMG_1347.jpeg IMG_1351.jpeg

    IMG_1354.jpeg IMG_1355.jpeg IMG_1357.jpeg

    IMG_1360.jpeg IMG_1379.jpeg IMG_1383.jpeg
    2001 GU II ST, 3.0di, Auto, All NADS done, Nissan Snorkel, 50mm Lift, 35's....

  2. The Following 7 Users Say Thank You to Finezy For This Useful Post:

    AB (23rd October 2018), Hodge (23rd October 2018), innocent.bystander (11th May 2019), MB (23rd October 2018), MudRunnerTD (26th April 2019), mudski (23rd October 2018), threedogs (9th February 2019)

  3. # ADS
    Circuit advertisement
    Join Date
    Always
    Location
    Advertising world
    Posts
    Many

     

  4. #2
    Patrol God
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    6,599
    Thanks
    5,696
    Thanked 6,094 Times in 3,138 Posts
    Mentioned
    174 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Finezy mate, I love reading and hearing stories like this. Good job.
    Diving into the deep end sometimes pays off doesn't it.

    Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk
    2005 TD42TI

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to Hodge For This Useful Post:

    Finezy (23rd October 2018)

  6. #3
    Advanced Finezy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Geelong - VIC
    Posts
    62
    Thanks
    32
    Thanked 92 Times in 28 Posts
    Mentioned
    3 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    It most definitely does, As the sole bread winner in a family of 4 there is no way I would have afforded it if I went down the mechanic road. It would have ended up as another dead “grenade”.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    2001 GU II ST, 3.0di, Auto, All NADS done, Nissan Snorkel, 50mm Lift, 35's....

  7. The Following User Says Thank You to Finezy For This Useful Post:

    Hodge (23rd October 2018)

  8. #4
    Patrol God
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    6,599
    Thanks
    5,696
    Thanked 6,094 Times in 3,138 Posts
    Mentioned
    174 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Finezy View Post
    It most definitely does, As the sole bread winner in a family of 4 there is no way I would have afforded it if I went down the mechanic road. It would have ended up as another dead “grenade”.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    And now just imagine how many people out there would have actually handed over the large amount of cash ...
    I suppose some people out there aren't mechanically minded or hands on comfortable. Fair enough .
    But there are some out there who like to swing a spanner and yet would have seen the job you attacked as " extreme" . I am one of them.
    I'd have to think long and hard before tackling something like that ... Lol .
    Well done again.

    Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk
    2005 TD42TI

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to Hodge For This Useful Post:

    Finezy (24th October 2018)

  10. #5
    The master farter
    mudski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Eltham North
    Posts
    15,581
    Thanks
    8,665
    Thanked 11,242 Times in 6,418 Posts
    Mentioned
    459 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Your a brave man. Kudos to you....

  11. The Following User Says Thank You to mudski For This Useful Post:

    Finezy (23rd October 2018)

  12. #6
    Beginner
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    2
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    looking to do this on my 2005 STL ZD30, is there anywhere i can find a manual?

  13. #7
    Patrol Freak Mc4by's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Mandurah W.A.
    Posts
    1,400
    Thanks
    281
    Thanked 549 Times in 285 Posts
    Mentioned
    7 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    I get inspiration from guys like you who take a deep breath and dive in.
    As I lay there looking up, taking in the spectacular view that was the night sky and the multitude of stars I asked myself, where did my tent go?

  14. The Following User Says Thank You to Mc4by For This Useful Post:

    Finezy (3rd May 2019)

  15. #8
    Patrol God threedogs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Melb
    Posts
    31,636
    Thanks
    10,350
    Thanked 9,963 Times in 7,394 Posts
    Mentioned
    113 Post(s)
    Tagged
    2 Thread(s)
    Good work Finezy, did you remove the butterflies
    and block the egr, well done i had the tools and know
    how but body would never allow todo it
    @Finezy Question does it now run 2 or 2 degrees warmer now
    04 ST 3lt auto, not enough Mods to keep me happy, but getting there

  16. #9
    Advanced Finezy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Geelong - VIC
    Posts
    62
    Thanks
    32
    Thanked 92 Times in 28 Posts
    Mentioned
    3 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by threedogs View Post
    Good work Finezy, did you remove the butterflies
    and block the egr, well done i had the tools and know
    how but body would never allow todo it
    @Finezy Question does it now run 2 or 2 degrees warmer now
    It now runs at 76 degrees when cruising on an average temp day, when on the highway at 100 it floats between 78-86 depending on weather. I have taken it into the vic high country since and on a 44 degree day with a/c on and a long steep slow climb it manage to just click over to 100


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    2001 GU II ST, 3.0di, Auto, All NADS done, Nissan Snorkel, 50mm Lift, 35's....

  17. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Finezy For This Useful Post:

    mudski (25th April 2019), threedogs (26th April 2019)

  18. #10
    Patrol God threedogs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Melb
    Posts
    31,636
    Thanks
    10,350
    Thanked 9,963 Times in 7,394 Posts
    Mentioned
    113 Post(s)
    Tagged
    2 Thread(s)
    @Finezy have you updated your intercooler yet??
    04 ST 3lt auto, not enough Mods to keep me happy, but getting there

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •