I know this thread is very old, but these boilers are still out there, this might help someone who finds themselves here.
I had a 552 heat exchanger develop a leak. My engineer removed the HE, split it and fitted new gasket and then re-installed it...job done sorted.
I do not live in this property.
Some time later I was there and found that the boiler was banging very loudly when at its maximum temperature just as the boiler stat woud click off.
Even though no longer lit, it would continue to bang for 5 to 10 seconds.
I had the boiler stat replaced, no effect.
I flushed and re-filled, no effect.
Probably tried some other things, no effect.
In desperation I concluded that the HE was scaled up and had hot spots causing the water to boil.
I got hold of a good quality second hand heat exchanger and called my engineer to come and fit it.
When the old HE was removed I noticed that the plastic insert 'water spreader' was smashed.
It had been smashed when the HE was removed for the original leak.
New spreader purchased and fitted, no banging, quiet as ever.
The heat exchanger has 4 water channels and without the spreader the pumped water will pass down 2 channels allowing the other 2 channels to boil as they have no flow.
andytw