Hydrolic or solid lifters???

[fillmore]

Does anyone know how to find out which kind of lifters are in my 89 diesel golf? My dad told me that *he thinks* the solid lifters were in the earlier diesel vw's and then they switched to the hydrolic lifters in the later models and thats what made them quieter? and i Know that my moms 86's engine noise is quite a bit louder than my 89's
also does anyone know what kind of head gasket i need for my car the one with 1,2 or 3 holes?

[MacGyver]

The switch from solid to hydraulic lifters was made in 86, I've seen 86 models with each depending if they were early or late build.

So, presuming your 89 is all original, it's hydraulic.

As for head gasket, you should be able to tell somewhere on the front of the head, you can see the # of holes in a potruding piece of the gasket...behind the injection pump area? Sorry can't remember if they're the same as my TDI or not :oops:

Just default to the 3 hole gasket & wind the boost up a few lbs to more than compensate :lol:

[racer_x]

Does anyone know how to find out which kind of lifters are in my 89 diesel golf? My dad told me that *he thinks* the solid lifters were in the earlier diesel vw's and then they switched to the hydrolic lifters in the later models and thats what made them quieter?

The switchover to hydraulic lifters was in 1986. Some 1986's have solid, some have hydraulic. You can tell by looking at the cam bearing caps. If one is "missing" it's hydraulic lifters. If there 5 caps on the cam bearings, it's solid lifters. Also, if you look under the oil cap and see cam lobes, it's 90% certain that it's solid lifters. The hydraulic lifter heads came with a plastic shield over the cam. It's not 100% the other way, though. I always install the plastic shield, even on solid lifter heads, so seeing the plastic shield doesn't necessarily mean solid lifters.

and i Know that my moms 86's engine noise is quite a bit louder than my 89's
also does anyone know what kind of head gasket i need for my car the one with 1,2 or 3 holes?

Look along the front edge of the block/head joint. There will be a tab of the gasket sticking out. Count the holes or notches in that tab and get the same number in your new gasket. And get new head bolts for the gasket change (even if you just changed the bolts, the ones in there now are alread stretched and should not be reused).

[coke]

Another way of telling is how many oil return passages are built into the head. 1 means mechanical cylinder head, 2 means hydraulic.