Which diesel engine is this, and why would the thermostat have been taken out?

[Welsh Dan]

http://www.xen0phobiak.f2s.com/novaload/derv1.jpg
http://www.xen0phobiak.f2s.com/novaload/derv2.jpg
http://www.xen0phobiak.f2s.com/novaload/derv3.jpg

We went to look at a mk3 astra today that my dad is thinking of buying, with that engine in. We took it to another garage on the test drive and the guy there told us that the thermostat had been taken out.

The engine had been running for around 20 mins, sounded sweet by all accounts, but there was hardly any pressure when we removed the coolant header tank cap. The guy from the other garage said the worst case scenario was that the stat had been removed because the headgasket was on the blink, but there was no mayo on the oil filler cap or the coolant cap.

What do you guys think, and is that an Isuzu engine or a Vauxhall one?

Thanks.

[Saloony]

Thats the vauxhall one, and thats the only reason why you would remove the thermo. We had one where it had gasket gone, been squirting the cylinders for a while, took it apart, cracked head, and where the water got to it it had destroyed the cylinder walls and piston tops. See headgasket trouble on the vauxhall ones all the time, they didnt take well to having the turbo straped on.

[General Baxter]

thats the 50bhp lowblow lol

[Philsutton]

nice thats the ghey vauxhall lump

[John]

yep the head is probably scrap, source an isuzu td.

[Welsh Dan]

Thanks guys, we'll leave it where it is then :).