Well, there goes the head gasket....

Just in time for christmas.  :mrgreen:

Was puzzled as to where my coolant has been going for the last week on my 16v cabby. Had to put a litre in it for every 50 miles or so… Thought it could be a leaky hose or a knackered water pump etc.. as the heaters were still good, didn't get hot or any of the other signs of a typical pop between cylinder and water jacket. No smelly expansion tank or mayo in the  oil cap.

Took it round a friends garage, where we poked around looking for the source of leak, found it up the back on the cylinder head below the exhaust, dripping out. Joyous.  

Then pulled the dipstick and yep, mayo on it. Weeeeeeeaaaaaaakkkk.

Any reccomendations for other parts to replace?

Going to do:

*headgasket
*timing belt / tensioners
*water pump

Merry christmas!

Ry

Ooops, move to tech I guess, not really a question just sharing with the world haha!

Makes sense to replace the cambelt and tensioner, and the drivebelt for the alternator/water pump. Also, get the head checked for flatness and skimmed. And look at the bores, to see if there's any wear there too. Optional tasks:

- Clean up and re-face the valve seats
- Valve stem seals
- Inspect and replace any dodgy tappets
- Replace water pump

If you do the above, its as good as a top end rebuild.

Good idea on the skim, forgot about that one. I'm used to iron blocks and heads that rarely need a skim.

Valve stem seals are another one I always forget to do when the head is off aswell.

I'm hoping the leak into the oilways hasn't been too bad, the only sign is on the dipstick, strange for there not to be any mayo up on the oil cap, more than one way to skin a cat, or things to go breasts skyward.

moved!

I'd personally replace the bottom end shells if u have been driving with mayo 4 oil!

i'v just had my gasket done and my head rebuilt check out my project thread it'l give you a list of all the parts and some pics of the work in progress  of the parts they replaced that should be done as standard when replacing the head gasket if their doing a proper job :wink:


you shouldnt need to replace the water pump!

i had…..

head/rocker/inlet manifold/outlet manifold complete gasket set
valve stem seals
valve seals
head weld & skim
head was steam bathed to de coke it
cambelt
tensioners
re-seated valves
oil/oil filter

other parts found faulty during work and replaced…..

carb flange mount to manifolfd split & replaced
cam timing guard & marker broken & replaced
seals inside inlet manifold split/shot & replaced

this all got done for just under £600 including labour and vat
i used a vw /audi specialist'sso you should be looking at between £500 to-£700 to get it done if thier doing it properly and changing all the the parts that should and can be changed as its being stripped back that far anyway, there's no point in paying to hav the gasket replaced and not changing other parts even if they dont need doing you'l only be paying for the parts and saving on labour it'l save you doing them later and paying another 5 or 600 quid to sort them if they should fail as they wernt replaced, i got 12 months warrenty on all the work and parts carried out, check my proj thread for a more detailed list and idea :wink: