Coolant T at the head thing - page 1 - IDI Engine - VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.

• Coolant T at the head thing by Smokey Eddy on 13 Mar, 2009 16:36
• The T with the two sensors in it that feed the top of the Rad and join to the water pump.
  
  How do you get that thing to seal without stripping the threads in the head? Either it's leaking from the sensor or that T at the head.
  
  I think the rubber ring might be too large or something?
  
  anyone ever helicoiled the block to finally get that sucker on there tight?
• #1 by theman53 on 13 Mar, 2009 16:48
• Looking at the head in the car, the thing on the right? I have never had a problem. I would either by a new gasket or make one. If you make one I have had some luck with the cardboard on beer cases cut to shape or silicone. shouldn't be that hard to seal. Take a look and see if it is warped when you take it off.
• #2 by the caveman on 13 Mar, 2009 16:52
• Those plastic flanges warp with the heat over time. Overtightening them also warps them. Buy a new one and while it's off, check the surface where the seal sits. It may be corroded. If so clean and dry the surface and fill it with JB weld or some other kind of good epoxy, sand flat . If the threads are stripped, helicoil it.
• #3 by Rabbit TD on 13 Mar, 2009 16:58
• Quote from: "theman53"

  Looking at the head in the car, the thing on the right? I have never had a problem. I would either by a new gasket or make one. If you make one I have had some luck with the cardboard on beer cases cut to shape or silicone. shouldn't be that hard to seal. Take a look and see if it is warped when you take it off.

  
  
  Yeah I've had to make a lot of gaskets since I got into this thing too.  I found that Autozone has regular gasket material in small rolls of different thicknesses and Tractor Supply had a nice little punch kit back in the leather section for saddles and stuff for just a couple dollars.  A punch makes it a whole lot easier and that is where you usualy mess up a home made gasket.
• #4 by Smokey Eddy on 13 Mar, 2009 17:01
• Home made gaskets is a good idea.
  I made one out of a washer for the oil temp sender that kept leaking.
  
  It's a brand new head so i think the plastic thing is warped. Thanks!
• #5 by Vincent Waldon on 13 Mar, 2009 17:07
• - they warp all the time
  - they're dirt cheap... get a new one *and* a new o-ring
  - tightening them down more won't help.. and in fact makes them warp more
  - make sure the sealing surface (the block) is flat/lapped
• #6 by jtanguay on 13 Mar, 2009 17:58
• i bet you could sand the plastic flange flat the same way you'd lap the injectors. use 1200 grit sandpaper to make it real nice and shiney.  if its super warped then you'll need a new one, unless you want to remove some material for the o-ring.
• #7 by theman53 on 13 Mar, 2009 19:22
• I didn't even realize that it is plastic and had the oring until I went downstairs and looked at mine which I thought for sure is a cast of some kind. Maybe the 1.6 is different than yours. If you have access to a belt sander you could get it real close to flat. Then use whatever to smooth it up. Since it has the oring and not a gasket you might not need to get it like glass. Silicone can be your friend sometimes. I have had amazing luck with a permatex "Right Stuff" and a Ford grey colored stuff that you can only get at the stealerships. They are like an adhesive and a gasket.
• #8 by Smokey Eddy on 14 Mar, 2009 00:24
• -dirt cheap from where?
  
  - augh so frustrating. That means dumping the coolant which wouldn't be such a big deal if i could find a clean bucket
• #9 by rallydiesel on 14 Mar, 2009 08:29
• Yeah, where do you get it? I have never been able to find the two sensor flange anywhere. The single sensor flange is easy to get but not the two sensor flange.
• #10 by sdwarf36 on 14 Mar, 2009 10:58
• That was the 1st part I had to buy when i got my Jetta. I found this place thru ebay. Turned into one of my favorite places to get vw parts. Been in the VW biz since flower power days. Knowledgable and a darn nice guy to boot.
  
  pelhamauto.com
• #11 by Vincent Waldon on 14 Mar, 2009 11:49
• Assuming I'm thinking what you're thinking (a leap of faith right there!) its a 037-121-144H and it's about 8 CDN bucks from the Worldpac-type suppliers.
  
  Unfortunately that link doesn't have a picture... but if you google that part number you might be able to find a reference somewhere to see if we're both talking about the same thing.
• #12 by Smokey Eddy on 15 Mar, 2009 22:05
• Yeah i like that site vince. But they really get ya on shipping. So you have to wait till you have a big order before it's worth it.
• #13 by cyrus #1 on 15 Mar, 2009 22:51
• AVR will have them for sure.  They weren't huge money the last time that I bought them.
• #14 by clbanman on 16 Mar, 2009 03:21
• 037-121-144H picture