1.6 gtd Blown Head Gasket

[smutts]

Yippee I have a blown head gasket, fortunately the coolant level light saved the day and I didn't cook the motor. 

Just been tearing down the motor with the usual hassle of all those hard to get at bits and pieces. Almost Renaultesque some of it. No suprises till I undo the head bolts. Reverse order of course. 2 foot breaker bar and a GOOD heave, but one bolt (the one nearest the gearbox and radiator was FINGER LOOSE , no broken bolt, no swarf from a stripped thread. It looks as though a previous muppet had forgotten to torque it. But then that means they forgot to do all the angle turns too. I cant believe the head gasket survived the 80,000 miles I have had this car with an undone head bolt.

So is there another reason for this 

[burnt_servo]

measure the bolt with a set of calipers . if there are any spots that are thinner than the rest , it is possible that the bolt got over stretched and over time lost tension .

[smutts]

Just got the gasket out in one piece, very suprised that it is the original 18 year old gasket, so I am stumped how one bolt decided to undo itself, amazed that this thing has hung on for 185,000 miles since birth in Wolfsburg.

Just to threadjack myself, the pistons are all beautifully unmarked, but to my suprise they have what looks to be inserts of a different metal in the piston crowns, interesting! 

Still has the honing marks on the bores, happy.

[maxfax]

I would inspect the block VERY CLOSELY around that bolt hole to make sure it isn't cracked.

X2 on that!

[smutts]

No cracks visible, so doubleplussed stumped.

[smutts]

Just enjoying the Great British Summer, which is fantastic for ducks, slugs and fish. Less so for fixing a car sans garage. I would hate to be selfish and steal all of everybodys rain, so please guys, help yourselves.

[smutts]

By the way Summer has been officially cancelled.
Finally got the thing together, and survived the 150 miles to Newquay and back. So happy. Less happy with the "rebuilt" injectors (by profeshnials ), one was not lapped properly methinks, so diesel leaking between the two halves. This gets boring fast. So diy diesel pop tester is my next project. Still saved £400 I was quoted on labour for the head gasket swap, but it does take time when one doesn't have any spare time or a dry garage. What do you Canadians do in winter?

[Patrick]

Plow a hole in the snowbank and put a tarp over the top.........

[smutts]

My last tarpaulin was last seen trying to get to Norway, It probably made it too.