Replacing the head gasket

  From: bill.martin@dsto.defence.gov.au
  Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled
  Subject: Re: '82 A1 diesel: head or gasket? & other questions
  
I may be a bit late with this advice and as I have never worked on a diesel VW I would double check anything I say, however I did spend 10 years repairing all sorts of diesels from 10HP pump engines to 10,000HP Ship engines, for what it is worth here is what I would do:
  1. Remove all the auxillary components untill you can see the timing belt and timing marks, DO NOT remove the belt at this stage, turn the engine over by hand until you have the timing marks all lined up as per the book, try not to turn the engine by the cam or pump pulley as that will put excessive loads on the belt, it may help to remove the injectors or glow plugs to take the compression load off the engine.
  2. Take a photograph or make a drawing of how everything fits together, if you are now confident as to how it all goes back together remove the belt and cylinder head, DO NOT turn the crankshaft, camshaft or injection pump during this operation as the valves can hit the pistons.
  3. If you have a blown gasket and the head is flat you are in luck, however my experience with overheated diesels here in Australia (we have extremely hot summers, therefore lots of cooked engines) would lead me to think that the head is cracked, look carefully between the valve seats and the glow plug and injector holes and any other thin casting section, if in doubt have the head crack tested, Also remember if the head is warped it is also possible that the cam bearing tunnel is out of line, check that the camshaft turns freely. Inspect the top of the block around the bolt holes and between the cylinders as well.
  4. To reassemble, make sure the marks on the crank and pump are in the proper place, while the head is still on the bench put the camshaft mark in the corret place and put the head back on, as always do not turn the crank or cam, with all the marks in the right place slip the belt back on and tension it, you are now home and hosed.
  5. Have a few beers, good luck.

How to choose head gasket thickness

  From: kriella@cc.umanitoba.ca (Steve Kriellaars)
  Newsgroups: rec.autos.vw
  Subject: Re: [W]A1 1.6L diesel head gskt
  Date: 15 Jul 1995 06:04:23 GMT
  
In <1995Jul13.220418.8691@emba.uvm.edu> apotter@moose.uvm.edu (Alexandra S. Potter) writes:

I have an '84 diesel rabbit that is leaking oil into it's coolant. I went out to buy a head gasket of the proper thickness - the one that's in it has three holes punched out of the flap. What I discovered is that the gaskets w/ holes are for the diesel A2 golf & jetta. My car should have a gasket w/ notches in the flap, not holes. It wouldn't be so bad, xcept the gaskets w/ holes don't seem to be available in the same thickness as the ones w/ notches. Close I'm told, but not quite. I am 99.5% sure that this A1 rabbit has a real A1 motor. I really want to put the 3 notch gasket on it. The difference should be slight enough that the valves shouldn't bother, but the compression will probably change slightly...
If you want the correct gasket for your engine you can figure it out this way:
  1. Measure the height the piston protrudes above the cylinder block at TDC. (Use micrometer or a straight-edge on top of the piston and insert feeler gauges between the straight-edge and the block)
  2. Use chart below to figure out which gasket you need.
      
      Piston Height(mm)   Gasket Thickness(mm)  Notches           Part #
       .43 - .63                1.3                2            068 103 383
       .62 - .82                1.4                3            068 103 383C
       .82 - .92                1.5                4            068 103 383G
       .92 - 1.02               1.6                5            068 103 383H
      
  3. Enjoy beverage of your choice while ordering part.
As far as I know, these values are correct but I would double check them with the nearest VW dealership. The part numbers might also have been updated since the time the manual was written. I replaced my head gasket ~50K ago with an after market (Reinz) at one third the cost of the VW one. My gasket was a 2 notch and came back with a cross-ref number of 068 103 383B which is different than above. Hope this helps you out. Also, if you are planning to replace the gasket yourself, an 84 needs a special tool to remove the head bolts. It's a 12 point ratchet bit, 12mm size. Locate this tool before you start out, sometimes hard to find. When installing the new head bolts, limit your coffee intake 4-5 hours before hand as the torque setting is high enough to break alot of peoples nerves!

Steve

P.S. Better check to see if you have the special 12mm star head bolts before you order the tool as someone might have changed them to the older 11mm hex heads when that last head gasket was put in.

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Steve Kriellaars
  email kriella@cc.umanitoba.ca
  www   http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~kriella
  data_acquisition_designer/C++_programmer/coffee_drinker
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  Article 75721 of rec.autos.vw:
  Path: rochester!cornellcs!travelers.mail.cornell.edu!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!news.graphics.cornell.edu!news.tc.cornell.edu!newsserver.sdsc.edu!news.cerf.net!usc!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!news.epix.net!usenet
  From: buck@epix.net
  Newsgroups: rec.autos.vw
  Subject: Re: Diesel Rabbit Cylinder Heads
  Date: 6 Oct 1995 02:43:58 GMT
  Organization: Your Organization
  Lines: 19
  Message-ID: <45255e$17u@guava.epix.net>
  References: 
  Reply-To: buck@epix.net
  NNTP-Posting-Host: wlboppp43.epix.net
  X-Newsreader: WinVN 0.92.2
  
  In article , don.detroye@mei.com (Don DeTroye) says:
   >
   >I have a 1984 Rabbit Diesel and I am getting traces of oil in my coolant
   >collection resevior on the firewall.  Also the coolant system is leaking
   >out prestone out of the pressure cap on the resevoir intermittently.  I
   >don't know if this is a head gasket problem or a cracked head problem. 
   >Seems to do this when it gets below 50 degrees outside.  The head has 215k
   >miles on it bu it was pressure tested at 178k miles. Has anyone had a
   >similar problem?
   >
   >Don.Detroye@mail.mei.com
  
  
    Might only be a head gasket,,you must remove the head to see..Look for
  cracks (small cracks between the valve seats are ok). There is a slight 
  chance of a internal crack..Use a good gasket,,and new head bolts..Don't 
  forget about the timing belt!!
  
                                                   Buck
  
  
  Article 75754 of rec.autos.vw:
  Path: rochester!udel!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!nntp.crl.com!decwrl!purdue!haven.umd.edu!cville-srv.wam.umd.edu!usenet
  From: jpiper@wam.umd.edu (James E. Piper)
  Newsgroups: rec.autos.vw
  Subject: Re: rabbit diesel???
  Date: Fri, 06 Oct 95 14:13:56 GMT
  Organization: WITS/University of Maryland
  Lines: 47
  Message-ID: <453dj0$8kb@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu>
  References: <452cj0$5d3@cocoa.brown.edu>
  NNTP-Posting-Host: servbldg167.umd.edu
  X-Newsreader: News Xpress Version 1.0 Beta #3
  
  In article <452cj0$5d3@cocoa.brown.edu>,
     fst@cs.brown.edu (Fabian Tillier) wrote:
  >Hi. I have a friend who blew his head gasket on his 81 diesel 
  rabbit. He 
  >offered to sell me the car for $200 or so. it has something like 
  120k miles on 
  >it. I was wondering if a blown head gasket is a big deal or not, 
  besides the 
  >replacement. Does it damage the engine, and will the engine need 
  more than just 
  >a new head gasket? I asked him if it had overheated, and he said no. 
  Also, it 
  >has those silly seatbelts that mount to the door and doesn't have a 
  lap belt. 
  >How hard is it to change thos to passive 3 point belts? Other 
  aspects of the 
  >car: it has a little rust near the front door pillar, mostly on the 
  fender, and 
  >the driver's door's hinges are a little weak. Is this a big problem?
  >Thanks!
  >
  >-Fabian
  >
  A blown head gasket may or may not be a serious problem.  You won't 
  know until you get the head off.  The most common cause (so says the 
  dealer) is overheating.  Overheating can cause the head to warp.  If 
  your head is warped, it is best to replace it with a reconditioned or 
  new head ($300 - $500 in parts).
  
  I also have an '81 diesel rabbit pickup, but with 300,000+ miles.  I 
  have had to replace the head gasket three times.  First time the 
  dealer did it ($400) and it lasted just beyond the warranty period.  
  The next two times I did it, costing a total of $25 for the gasket, 
  $40 for the tools to lock the cam and injection pump, and $25 for new 
  timing belts.  It takes me roughly 8 hours total time.
  
  Each time I did the work, I had the head checked and it was not 
  warped.  I suspect that they simply fail as a result of use and the 
  high pressure in diesel engines.  If you are looking to do the work 
  yourself, the Bently manual is great and The Parts Place in Michigan 
  (810) 373-2300 has the specialty tools you will need.  Almost forgot, 
  I also had to buy the tool for installing the spring clamps between 
  the header and exhaust pipe, another $60 or so.
  
  Back to your question, at 120,000 miles, the car and engine are 
  young.  If it has been taken care of and the body is in good shape, 
  it sounds like a good deal.
  
  
  --------------
  
  Article 75946 of rec.autos.vw:
  Path: rochester!cornellcs!travelers.mail.cornell.edu!news.kei.com!newshost.marcam.com!uunet!in1.uu.net!news.erinet.com!ragnarok.oar.net!malgudi.oar.net!hyperion.wright.edu!alpha.wright.edu!news
  From: DWIGHT DEAN 
  Newsgroups: rec.autos.vw
  Subject: Re: Diesel Rabbit Cylinder Heads
  Date: 9 Oct 1995 16:51:19 GMT
  Organization: Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435
  Lines: 35
  Message-ID: <45bju7$g6h@alpha.wright.edu>
  References: 
  NNTP-Posting-Host: paladin.wright.edu
  Mime-Version: 1.0
  Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
  Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
  X-Mailer: Mozilla 1.1N (X11; I; SunOS 5.4 sun4d)
  To: don.detroye@mei.com
  X-URL: news:don.detroye-0410951231490001@dondiisi.diageng.mei.com
  
  don.detroye@mei.com (Don DeTroye) wrote:
  >I have a 1984 Rabbit Diesel and I am getting traces of oil in my coolant
  >collection resevior on the firewall.  Also the coolant system is leaking
  >out prestone out of the pressure cap on the resevoir intermittently.  I
  >don't know if this is a head gasket problem or a cracked head problem. 
  >Seems to do this when it gets below 50 degrees outside.  The head has 215k
  >miles on it bu it was pressure tested at 178k miles. Has anyone had a
  >similar problem?
  >
  >Don.Detroye@mail.mei.com
  
  	My brother once drove around all summer in a '81 Rabbit diesel with a bad
  radiator temperature relay, which turns the fan on and off. The car had 160K
  miles on it and the head had been checked and redone  only 3K miles before the
  engine died on him. He had overheated the engine and had warped the head by
  0.0011 inches(max. tolerance 0.0003 inches). It still ran fine until the
  weather turned cooler in September. Then you had to really crank the motor over
  for the engine to start. It would run unevenly for a few minutes and finally
  run smoothly with normal power. He had a lot of compression entering the
  cooling system and reservoir tank causing water to go out the cap. Your car may
  be doing something similar.
  	 You had to remove the head and have it checked for warping. Most diesel
  heads(ALL BRAZILIAN HEADS) that I have seen have slight cracks between the
  valves. I have heard that some AUDI's were bad about cracked heads but most VW
  head problems seem to be from the head being warped. The head gaskets
  themselves are leaky(mainly oil from around the return passages) but the
  diesels need a head gasket sealant of some sort. I once brought a parts car
  with only 95K miles on it that blew the head gasket after 3K miles. The gasket
  wasn't OEM and the people had not worried about using the sealer. I pulled the
  last head bolt out and the head fell off!!! So buy a OEM Gasket from a VW parts
  place. The Diesel Bentley manual talks about using a sealant called Hylomar on
  water-cooled diesel VW vans head gaskets. MOST later model Rabbits had a
  different head bolt than earlier models. The new head bolts CAN NOT BE REUSED,
  so take the old bolts to the store to make sure that you buy the right bolts.
  
  
  -----------
  
  Article 23531 of rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled:
  Path: rochester!cornellcs!uw-beaver!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!news.bc.net!torn!ccshst05.uoguelph.ca!ozymandias.cs.uoguelph.ca!not-for-mail
  From: drew@ozymandias.cs.uoguelph.ca (Drew MacPherson)
  Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled
  Subject: Re: Warped diesel head
  Date: 10 Jun 1996 14:25:17 GMT
  Organization: CCS, University of Guelph
  Lines: 35
  Message-ID: <4phb8d$ppi@ccshst05.uoguelph.ca>
  References: <4pde3v$jj9@news-2.csn.net>
  NNTP-Posting-Host: ozymandias.cs.uoguelph.ca
  X-Newsreader: TIN [UNIX 1.3 BETA-950824-color PL0]
  
  Terrance Lee (tyee@csn.net) wrote:
  : Yesterday I pulled the head off of my 1982 1588cc (non-turbo) diesel 
  : Rabbit LS and found it was warped--there's a 0.004 to 0.005 inch (0.102 
  : to 0.127 mm)  gap between a straightedge and the face in the middle.  
  : Haynes says to junk the head if it's more than a 0.004" gap, but a local 
  : engine machine shop says it's no big deal to shave it flat and put a 
  : thicker head gasket in the engine (the original head gasket was 1.4 mm 
  : thick, and replacement sizes exist in 1.5 and 1.6 mm values).  
  : 
  : I've never messed with heads before and was wondering if any of you 
  : esteemed mechanics out there had any opinions as to the best course to 
  : take, so I can keep this car going for another 244k.  Please mention any 
  : special peculiarities of this engine that I need to be aware of.
  : 
  : Thanks in advance.
  : 
  : Sean Geiger
  : sean@aeroastro.com
  
  There's one BIG problem with shaving a VW diesel head...  The pre-combustion
  chamber inserts have this annoying habit of popping out and bunging up the
  planer... :)
  
  Seriously, though, VW diesel heads are a throw-away when they're warped... 
  The pre-combustion chamber inserts, which are a light press-fit in the head,
  cannot be shaved...  I'd stay away from it BIG TIME...  Get a good head from
  a wrecker or a rebuilt from VW...
  
  ...Drew
  
  -- 
  | Drew MacPherson        | drew@oz.cs.uoguelph.ca                    |
  | Network Analyst        | http://oz.cs.uoguelph.ca/~drew            |
  | University of Guelph   | caretaker of the Massey Harris page:      |
  | Guelph, ON, Canada     |       http://m-h.cs.uoguelph.ca/          |
  
  -----------
  re: 82 diesel head gasket
  
  Robert Crawford (robertc@snowcrest.net)
  Mon, 7 Oct 1996 20:35:18 -0500 
  
        Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ] 
        Next message: Onebigduke@aol.com: "I need help with an overheating 2.0" 
        Previous message: Normand Gagnon: "Software to follow car maintenance" 
  
  
  >I am working on it now, I am takeing the head off and I have notoiced that
  >there two holes in the head (near the hole off to the side, next to where
  >the notches are)that are not in the head gasket (the bently book does not
  >show holes there ether).
  >Should I punch holes in the gasket to match the holes in the head?
  
  Well, I got it together and it ran. I didn't punch the holes out
  because I wasn't sure at the time that I was putting it together. If I ever
  have to replace the head gasket again I will punch the holes out. Leaving
  them pluged looks like it makes a hot spot between #2&3.
  
  One interesting thing is that after replaceing the head gasket and
  timing belt is that it now seems to be a lot quieter (it's still a diesel,
  but a quieter one).
  
  Of tools that I didn't plan on and had to go and get, I had to get a
  6mm alen on a 3/8 socket in order to remove the V pulley on the crankshaft.
  
  I also found that the easest way to get to the V pulley was to
  remove the muffler so now I need to get a muffler gasket. Yes, even with a
  torn muffler gasket it is still quieter than it was.
  
  Also, I am now able to add water the way the book says to, it
  dosen't splash (read, geyser) back at me out of the pressure tank.
  
  >
  
  Robert Crawford
  
  "This year will go down in history.
  For the first time a civilized 
  nation has full gun registration!
  Our streets will be safer,
  our police more efficient,
  and the world will follow
  our lead into the future!"
  Adolf Hitler...1935