Hi all, recently had the head gasket replaced by a local garage. On collecting the car I was told it had developed an oil leak from the new gasket near the turbo. He explained that he suspected that the block must have been warped as well as the head (which was skimmed and pressure tested !) He also said that it only leaked a small amount when you turned the engine off. The next day there was a 12 " diameter stain on my drive. So its a bad leak and it appears to be leaking all the time. I would appreciate any help to identify what the problem may be. I intend to take the car back tomorrow as we can't use it as it is. Surely its the garages responsibility to fix the leak ! It didn't leak when it went in !

 

It is their responsibility to check the block and head. But if it didn't overheat, I doubt it's warped. They messed something up.

 

Might be a case "you get what you pay for". Always good to do some research on a shop before you have work like this done. I would not have accepted the car or paid for the repair, until the oil leak was fixed. Hopefully the shop fixes the problem at no cost to the car owner. In USA disputes can be resolved by the BBB. Been there, done that. Good luck !

 

common leak cause is the turbo oil return line which runs from the turbo back to the block. Seems plausible to me they could have messed up its fit into the block or didn't do the cam (rear) seal correctly. there's also the roll on gasket which could have been incorrectly done for the upper head. Here's a great tutorial to see what's involved

Replacing The Head Gasket On A Volvo 850

 

Thanks ES6T. It transpires it had overheated and he did check the block for straightness but with a straightedge !!

 

Thank you. He was recommended by a very good friend who has a fleet of 7 vehicles maintained by him. I had no reason to question his authenticity. He has been to collect the car today to investigate further. Watch this space

 

Thank you, I will advise him to check that area. Very frustrating when you can't investigate things due to lack of access or equipment !

 

Excellent ! Could be a good mechanic with a honest over site .