2003 Vauxhall Corsa Head gasket query

Tiny
STEFANBRYANS
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 VAUXHALL CORSA
  • 1.2L
  • FWD
  • MANUAL
  • 105,000 MILES
If my corsa is mixing water in with the oil and needing water and oil topped up every two days does this mean the head gasket is on it's way out and if so can the head be skimmed rather than replaced?
Thursday, January 9th, 2014 AT 11:17 AM

1 Reply

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,864 POSTS
Most likely the cylinder head gasket is leaking but the head doesn't necessarily have to be machined. First it needs to be cleaned up with an air tool and abrasive disc, and it has to have the proper "surface finish" for the new gasket to bite into. Next, it has to be checked for flatness. An engine machine shop can do that for you. Unless the manufacturer specifies differently, the standard is no more than.005 inches variation in any direction on a cast iron head, and no more than.002 inches in any direction on an aluminum head. I'm sorry I don't know how that translates into millimeters, but your engine machinist will know what is acceptable. They can also check the head for cracks. They use a feeler gauge and a precision straightedge to measure the flatness. .005 inches is roughly the thickness of two sheets of paper. If the head needs to be machined, they will leave it with the correct surface finish.
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Thursday, January 9th, 2014 AT 3:12 PM

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