I presume someone has checked flatness of both head and block sealing surfaces with a good straightedge and feeler guages? Otherwise, there must be SOMEthing in the way, physically preventing the head and block from getting closer together. What happens if you simply lay the head onto the block without a gasket? Do they come fully together? Is it possible that timing of valves is wrong, so that you have interference with the pistons? Has the block ever been "milled", or the head "decked" or "shaved"? This could theoretically mean that the remaining holes are too shallow, so that the bolts are bottoming rather than compressing the head & gasket. Inspect the last few threads on bolts that were removed (I know it's unlikely...) just in case. Ron -----Original Message----- From: Steve Brunell <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Friday, May 18, 2001 4:01 AM Subject: Head Installation Issues
:Anybody had problems getting the head gasket to seal when putting on a newly :reconditioned cylinder head? My major $ 2.0 P&P head with Shricks will not :seal on my reconditioned 1.8L block and I have got multiple mechanics :shaking their heads on this one. I was and have been told confidently by :many that the 1.8 or 2.0L head gasket will work for this and that the heads :are interchangeable if you pull out the head gasket locating pins. My :Factory VW trained mechanic (and about 5 other VW specialist friends of his) :are shaking their heads in disbelief because the head gasket does not appear :to be compressing to the proper 1.65mm thickness after multiple head :removals and reinstallations using new head bolts and head gaskets. The head :gasket appears to be compressing to 2.1 mm after torquing all the head bolts :in the proper sequence. The torque wrench has been cross checked with :another. Is ther anyone out there how has been in this obscure situation :since something is clearly messed up here? Do I need to have the mechanic :buy yet another head gasket in the 2.0L size to try even though it :contradicts what I have been told by several experts out there? The obvious :problem situation after each attempt at installing the head is that when the :mechanic fills the coolant bottle he can see it weeping into cylinders :number 2,3, and 4. : :Any help would be very sincerely appreciated. :Steve : :_____________ :List Sponsor: http://www.netsville.com :To remove yourself from this list, send mail to [email protected] with 'unsubscribe a2_16v' in the body of your message :See us on the web at http://www.a2-16v.com :Visit the 16V Homepage at http://www.gti16v.org : _____________ List Sponsor: http://www.netsville.com To remove yourself from this list, send mail to [email protected] with 'unsubscribe a2_16v' in the body of your message See us on the web at http://www.a2-16v.com Visit the 16V Homepage at http://www.gti16v.org
