what to change with head gasket

Hi guys right got my new gti home its an 83 gti with 99k on the clock. took it to the garage and asked them to find the oil leek. turns out its a head gasket gone crap! so bought a gasket set 38 quid gsf and got it booked in at the garage 250 quid labour!!!

what should i also get done so far i think;

timing belt (cam belt)
auxiliary belt
head bolts

is there anything thing else someone mentioned a water pump is this a good time to do it. it there anything else i should do whilst engine is in pieces. Cheers kev

any help would be massively appreciated, also thinking about changing the ignition module as the dizzy cap has blackened a bit on rotar arm and 4 points on cap. where is the best place to order this part from? cant seem to find one.

Cheers kev

Change dizzy cap and rotar arm not the module. These don't last forever.

Could change water pump while at it but if you are may aswell go whole hog on water side ir thermostat, fan switch and flanges on head known for cracking.

Would be a lot cheaper to do this all yourself using a Haynes manual.

Hi mate, had to do mine last year.

I'm not an expert but I'd say while the head is off it's a good chance to check/replace any worn valve guides and valve stem oil seals, as well as maybe lapping in the valve seats. I've got a hydro head so also replaced the hydraulic tappets. These things all needed doing on mine as it was smoking like a b*****d and a bit 'tappety'. Yours may not need them done immediately, but guides/seals aren't too pricey and after all, when will you next have the head off.

Paul

cheers guys

cant find the flanges on the head known for cracking. any part numbers or links to websites please cheers kev

Granty said

Hi mate, had to do mine last year.

I'm not an expert but I'd say while the head is off it's a good chance to check/replace any worn valve guides and valve stem oil seals, as well as maybe lapping in the valve seats. I've got a hydro head so also replaced the hydraulic tappets. These things all needed doing on mine as it was smoking like a b*****d and a bit 'tappety'. Yours may not need them done immediately, but guides/seals aren't too pricey and after all, when will you next have the head off.

Paul

how would i know if its on hydrolic tappets or not? cheers again

also cant find valve stem oil seals or valve guides cheers kev

also does head need skimming?

When you take the cylinderr head off, the question to ask yourself is
 
 "Is there anything on this car that I cant be arsed to change"?

While you're in there you may aswell do it properly..  so get a full head set which will have every top end gasket, should also have new stem seals in there too..  when the head is skimmed maske sure they lap the valves in and fit new valve guides at the same time as skimming it..

Got an internal micrometer?  measure your bores, they miight want a hone and new rings. Big ends and mains? Oil pump?  the list goes on and on - but look at it this way - the more you look after it the longer it'll last!

 spend the money on doing it right and the car will love youi for it, a d reward you with many years of trouble free dubbing :mrgreen:   :mrgreen:

to check what tappets it has look at the cam caps. if they're all there its got solid lifters, if 1 is missing then its hydro