Peugeot 205
Kim tries not to lose his cool as the 205’s gasket fails
After previous attention my low mileage Peugeot 205 was looking and driving much better, but, as mentioned last time, problems with the cooling system persisted, notably highlighted by illumination of the low coolant warning lamp. So, further investigations were required in this area, but first a few more minor ailments were dealt with…
Age, rather than mileage, had caused deterioration of one of my car’s steering rack ball joint gaiters, and although the joints were in good condition, split gaiters are MOT test failure points, so the gaiters needed to be renewed. The first step was to obtain replacement gaiters, and my local motor accessory shop came up trumps with a variety having different profiles, also varying internal and external diameters. I selected suitable new ones and it was then relatively straightforward to renew the perished ones. It is possible/likely that the ball joint pin will spin within the joint as you try to release the securing nut. To prevent this, apply penetrating oil to the nut/ball pin threads, and apply pressure from beneath the joint (as on the 205 the threaded end of the pin and the nut are uppermost), using a spare jack or, as in this case, a solid ‘lump’ hammer can be pressed against the underside of the ball joint. This effectively wedges the ball pin into its socket in the steering arm, thus allowing the nut to be more easily released. In almost every respect the car was now ready to be enjoyed, BUT the cooling system was the difficulty. It seemed to me that the system was being pressurised from within, pointing to failure of the cylinder head gasket, but I needed to be sure before removing the head. Fortunately, a pal of mine has a pressure tester, enabling a cooling system to be put under pressure to reveal any leaks, and he checked out my 205 (thanks John). A word of caution… the very act of putting a cooling system under higher than normal pressure can be the ‘last
straw’ if the head gasket or other components are about to fail. However, I was certain that the gasket was already leaking between the cooling system and a combustion chamber (or more than one), thus resulting in the pressurisation from within and resulting coolant loss. Applying the pressure tester confirmed my suspicions, with the system not holding pressure and coolant entering at least one combustion chamber.
Biting the bullet
So, the head had to come off, in turn meaning that the cam/timing belt would have to be removed (so I could renew this as a matter of course), and while the belt was out of the way, the cam belt-driven water pump could also be renewed, again as a precaution.
Before removing the cam belt, it is essential to align the belt timing marks (and/or make your own additional marks, using white paint/typists’ correction fluid). DO NOT rotate the engine while the belt and head are removed. Re-check the mark alignment on re-assembly.
The head was soon removed and it was discovered that the gasket was in a very sorry state, especially around cylinder No. 4, where it had completely disintegrated. The cylinder head and block faces were checked for straightness and luckily all was well in this respect.
With the engine re-assembled it started straight away and ever since has run perfectly. It is a smooth, sweet-running unit that doesn’t use or lose oil or coolant, and sips petrol.
In short, this diminutive Peugeot is a great modern classic and I am so pleased that I took it under my wing and rejuvenated it.
practicalclassics@bauermedia.co.uk