New oil leak head gasket?

[jbcollier]

Do you have the special tools for aligning the head properly?  Seriously, the head bolts alone do not line up the head properly.

[EuropaTC]

Do you have the special tools for aligning the head properly?  Seriously, the head bolts alone do not line up the head properly.

Hey, you've got me curious now John, what is the "special tool" to align these heads ?  I can understand that with a head gasket and what looked like a separate rubber one you need to be careful when seating the head but I've never heard of official tools or jigs to help the job along.  So now I'm curious what the French guys came up with. Any pictures ?

Brian

ps - I use some threaded bar about 9" long when seating the TC heads, they screw into the block and let the head slide down vertically and seat without moving the timing case cork gasket at the front. Similar problem to the Renault in a way ?

[blasterdad]

Hey, you've got me curious now John, what is the "special tool" to align these heads ?  I can understand that with a head gasket and what looked like a separate rubber one you need to be careful when seating the head but I've never heard of official tools or jigs to help the job along.  So now I'm curious what the French guys came up with. Any pictures

http://www.lotuseuropa.org/images/WorkshopManual/S2_Section_E_-_Engine.pdf
Section E Page 41

[jbcollier]

The distributor is secured and located in the head but the distributor gear is in the block.  If not lined up properly, the drive gear is put under stress and it can take out both the distributor gear and the cam.

Also, before you skimmed the head, did you check its thickness?  Yes, that is also in the manual.  Machine shops often just automatically skim a head not realizing you only skim a Renault head if it needs it, and then carefully with as small a cut as possible.

So now you know why so many Renault engines are found with their heads off.  Some bright-bulb, who considers themselves to be mechanically handy, does a quick head gasket change and head skim and ends up with a too-thin, warped head, leaking liners and a toasted cam.

I have been pulling wrenches for 35 years now and the first thing I did before working on my ruddy lawnmower was READ the manual.

[Grumblebuns]

If you can't find the head locating tools locally, Steve Veris makes reproduction tools. His ad is on LEC, for sale section.

Cylinder Head Locating Tools - Renault Engines - 1/3/13
 •Locating dowels and gauges for either wedge or cross flow Renault engines.
•T-handle and two (2) locating dowels for either head - $45.00
•U-gauge for wedge head only - $50.00.
•Dual diameter pin gauge for cross flow head only - $40.00
•Liner hold down fixtures, not pictured - $35.00
•Shipping via USPS 1st Class Parcel rates to USA, Canada and overseas
•Contact steve.veris@sbcglobal.net
 

[EuropaTC]

http://www.lotuseuropa.org/images/WorkshopManual/S2_Section_E_-_Engine.pdf
Section E Page 41

Interesting and quite a good detailed write-up. When I bought my manual you got the full S2 manual plus the TC specific parts which you use to replace the Renault bits, so I've never read that section. (TC engine). 

The locating dowels are pretty much what I use on the TC only mine look to be longer and  can be unscrewed by hand. The little "U" shaped tool is intriguing and obviously must be there for a reason but with no experience or an engine to play with I can't figure it just yet.

But having glanced through the section and the underlined instructions, it makes me wonder if the reason the engine leaked was down to it being incorrectly assembled by someone who's  "done hundreds of cylinder heads, this is no problem mate" ?

Brian

(and people used to tell me the TC was complicated ! )

[Gmg31]

Thank you all for your views and advice.  I managed to get her all back together today and running. 

[BDA]

Excellent!! I was worried.

[buzzer]

fantastic .well done. no leaks then 

[Gmg31]

There was a coolant issue, my re directing of the hoses over the air filter didn't work so I need to try again and go round the filter but that seemed to have been the only issue.  Awaiting new plug leads and hopefully running smoothly by next weekend.