Peugeot TU engine head gasket - anyone done one?

Howard

Howard

Howard

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My girlfriend's 207 1.4 8V (TU engine) is displaying the apparently common head gasket oil leak symptoms (I think the 1.1 engine along with the 1.4s in the 106 and 206 were susceptible too?) and I fancy having a crack at changing it and doing the cam belt at the same time as a bit of a challenge to myself.

Has anyone done one of these engines? What do I need to know? Is it simple for someone who is not scared of a spanner but who doesn't have a massive wealth of experience?

It looks pretty easy in principle because of the simple and accessible engine configuration; Remove stuff, remove rocker cover and cam belt, lock the timing, undo head bolts, lift off head, clean off old gasket, apply new one, bolt head back on to the correct torque and in the correct sequence?


I was going to set aside a couple of days when the weather improves to tackle it.

It's a horrid engine and to me, the 'TU' stands for 'Totally Useless', but hey ho. The rest of the car is fine.
 
Howard said:
The rest of the car is fine.
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Incorrect, it's a 206. :p

I've only worked on the 205's GTi engine and the 306's 1.9d engine but provided it is just the gasket that's at fault it really is a simple job on those cars.

Lock head and crank positions, take head off, clean up head and block, apply gaskets (inlet and exhaust too), fit head + new head bolts, new belt(s) & tensioner.

Might as well do a service too, you'll need to drop coolant anyway and oil if they've been mixing so new plugs and filters isn't that much more.

The only thing to worry about is how far gone the gasket is, if it's drinking coolant and getting hot then the head itself will need checking and potentially skimming. If this is the case, on a 1.4 206 it might well not be cost effective to repair it given how common and cheap they are.
 
Howard said:
My girlfriend's 207 1.4 8V (TU engine) is displaying the apparently common head gasket oil leak symptoms (I think the 1.1 engine along with the 1.4s in the 106 and 206 were susceptible too?) and I fancy having a crack at changing it and doing the cam belt at the same time as a bit of a challenge to myself.

Has anyone done one of these engines? What do I need to know? Is it simple for someone who is not scared of a spanner but who doesn't have a massive wealth of experience?

It looks pretty easy in principle because of the simple and accessible engine configuration; Remove stuff, remove rocker cover and cam belt, lock the timing, undo head bolts, lift off head, clean off old gasket, apply new one, bolt head back on to the correct torque and in the correct sequence?


I was going to set aside a couple of days when the weather improves to tackle it.

It's a horrid engine and to me, the 'TU' stands for 'Totally Useless', but hey ho. The rest of the car is fine.
Click to expand...

Typically a very easy job. Get the Haynes book of Lies and work through it.

I will usually skim as a matter of routine.

If it has been oozing oil for some time the coolant hoses may have been perished by the oil and may need replacing so you will need to check them. Also, it is a good idea to replace the big "O" ring that seals the plastic hose manifold that screws into the back of the block behind the water pump since these can become perished too and it is an easier to do this with the head off.

To clean the oil out of the cooling system get a couple of bottles of "Forte Bioclean/biodegreaser" It does the job a treat and even smells nice ;)

(Unfortunately Forte products are only generally available to the trade so you wont be able to get it at Halfrauds however there are E-bay sellers)
 
InvaderGIR said:
Incorrect, it's a 206. :p
Click to expand...

Incorrect, it's a 207. :p



Thanks guys, confirms that it's not rocket science then. I will take my time and do everything properly. It isn't exactly ****ing oil out - the oil level isn't going down, but it's enough that I'd want it sorted if it was my car.
 
Oh it's a million times better than the 206. The 206 is a terrible car in every possible way that I can think of. The 207, apart from only having seventy three horsepower, is perfectly acceptable as far as small cars go.








Aside from the electrics, that is.
 
I have the 16v model of the same car, with a wee bit more horsepower (95). I wonder how much of a job it will be to change, as it is showing signs of the head gasket leaking :(


I am really surprised Peugeot didn't recall the cars for this problem. It's just like the problem with Megane II's where the heater resistor cable melts and catches fire, it could cause a serious accident/injure someone.
 
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It is my understanding that the issue is specific to the 8V units, although if there isn't much difference in the block/head design other than another cam shaft and some more valves, I suppose it could be the case too.

What signs are you seeing? Oil leak? Where?
 
Well, when I took it to the garage for its MOT, they mentioned that all 207's are susceptible to the head gasket going.

Not an oil leak as such, except that is does drink quite a bit of oil, and I am finding that I have to add a bit in every 6 months, half a litre or so, so I think it is leaking through and being burnt off. There is also white gunk in the oil filler cap, but I haven't cleaned it, so I will do that tomorrow, drive it for a week and then see if it reappears.

The issue is, is that this engine was built by BMW, and I think it was used in the Mini so you would assume it would be indestructible :p
 
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Well the issue with the TU (8-valve) engines is that the head gasket fails in the front left corner and there's an oil gallery nearby and so the oil seeps out. Let it get too bad and it'll probably develop into full-blown HGF, but usually it isn't so much in the "classic" sense of HGF symptoms. In this case there's no white smoke or emulsified oil to be seen. For now. I hope.

My research has not let me to believe that the issue is pertinent in the 16-valve variants.

If you're adding half a litre of oil every 6 months (how many miles is this?) then I wouldn't have thought the head gasket is the issue here, more that you've either got a slight leak somewhere or it's burning it. Then again I don't think I'd worry unless you're only doing 500 miles every 6 months :D


In regards to your comment about recalling them, Peugeot were doing free repairs outside the warranty period AFAIK. In my case though, the car is 6 years old with 65k miles on the clock.
 
It has got 30000 miles on it. For a 2008 car, its not bad. I I think it is just burning it, so I will just sit and watch.

I would contact Peugeot personally and see if they will do it as it is a known fault.
 
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The oil-way that travels from the block to the cylinder head is sealed with an O ring that is part of the head gasket.

This tends to go hard and loses effectiveness over time

The oil is at a much higher pressure than the coolant so the oil tends to leak into the cooling system (But not the other way round) filling it with sludge which eventually interferes with cooling and will rot the rubber pipes etc but other than that many people can (And have) driven for years with this problem without it getting particularly bad.

(I have never seen a case of the oil being "Dumped" into the cooling system! I dont imagine it has "Never" happened, but I have never heard of it happening)

When buying an older TU engined car it is always worthwhile unscrewing the coolant cap and rubbing ones finger round inside to see if it feels greasy. It is not a reason to walk away, but should rather be treated as a negotiating point. Especially if you can do the job yourself.
 
The last time I did a head gasket on a Tu would be circa 15 years ag, can't seem to recall it being a major ache just remember and be careful removing the head not to disturb the liners try shimmying it to the side rather than lifting it straight up and off
 
I sold a low mileage 207 1.4 16V last year that in the last 18 months had the head gasket, crankshaft oil seals, radiator and water pump replaced at various stages. That was the second time for the radiator as well!

I did some searching when the head gasket oil leak appeared and it appears common for both 8v and 16v engines. Even the dealer admitted this was common and given another customer was dropping their car off for the same fault when we collected ours, it certainly appears to be. Peugeot wouldn't contribute to any of the costs.
 
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