Hi There

I am a new member and have been trawling through the forums to try to find info on replacing a motor/head gasket for an 86 Ducato Campervan.

My girlfriend and I purchased it cheap but after a basic service, and a few tours around town, it is not looking good with a possible head gasket issue (as told by the mobile mechanic).

Can anyone give me any advice about:
1. Is it worth trying to change/repair the motor?
2. Are the motors hard to get?
3. Can I get this done at a good service centre in London?
4. If all else fails, where is the best place trade this classic in?

Hope you can help out.
Thanks

yes head gaskets are a big problem.i wouldnt throw money into repairing it,but rather put some quality aftermarket head gasket repair oil into the engine,so the thickness of this stuff will seal the problem area temporarily.

1971 petrol engine is wet lined, and prone to head gasket failure eventually. Not too hard a job to replace, but care has to be taken not to disturb the liners.
Before getting it done though it's worth checking the thrust washer and block at the crankshaft end for wear, as the block wears here, and it's not worth fixing the headgasket if the blocks gone.
Spare blocks are rare as well, I'm afraid.

A bit aside of what your asking but we also have a motorhome with the 2,0jtd engine, does anyone know whether a 2.8 jtd can be fitted in place of it?.

teal said:

A bit aside of what your asking but we also have a motorhome with the 2,0jtd engine, does anyone know whether a 2.8 jtd can be fitted in place of it?.

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2.0jtd is a psa dw10 engine same as transit, citroen picasso, berlingo etc. etc. they have almost nothing in common.

You'd need to get engine, manifold, turbo, downpipe, gearbox, driveshafts, mounts, ecu, complete engine loom, radiator, fans, intercooler, air ducts, air cleaner etc. etc. even the fuel filter and fuel pipes are different to avoid immobiliser issues you'd be better off getting ecu complete with keys and immobiliser unit rather than reprogramming. You could do it but you'd have to buy a complete van to transfer everything from as aside from the big thing there will be millions of little platic clips etc.

Much simpler and if you're not doing it yourself much cheaper to sell what you have and buy another. If you really wanted to do that much work you could look out for a 2.8jtd van with a blown engine/gearbox and get it at a knock down price.