12mm head gasket on a 11mm engine? 1.6D mech (blown, again)

[8v-of-fury]

Well if you were to drill the head out to 12mm.. how could you use the 12mm bolts on a 11mm block? something ain't right there to me, unless I am missing it h-core lol.

[rabbitman]

Well if you were to drill the head out to 12mm.. how could you use the 12mm bolts on a 11mm block? something ain't right there to me, unless I am missing it h-core lol.

This looks closer to you-
http://westernmass.craigslist.org/pts/1531140892.html
looks like a 12mm mechanical shortblock, cheap.  Questionable ad.  But you could run a drill thru your 11mm headbolt holes, add some studs and have a 12mm engine.  Another gamble...

Add a 12mm block and poof!!!

[8v-of-fury]

hah, I did miss it h-core. lol sorry bout that guys.

but is the diameter of the hole and depth of the bolt what deciphers the two?

[Rabbit on Roids]

This looks closer to you-
http://westernmass.craigslist.org/pts/1531140892.html
looks like a 12mm mechanical shortblock, cheap.  Questionable ad.  But you could run a drill thru your 11mm headbolt holes, add some studs and have a 12mm engine.  Another gamble...

there isnt as much iron around the bolt holes as a 12mm engine. its still not going to be as good as the real mccoy.

[Vanagoner]

Yeah, I didn't write that one very well.  I meant get a 12mm block and drill out the head you have. -EDIT- craigslist posting gone

IMO, It got really discouraging to work on a cracked 11mm block.  

[ldeikis]

Vanagoner

I understood what you meant--buy a 12mm block and drill out my 11mm head.  I think it sounds a bit too franken to me, though--drilling out engine parts without a press isn't my style.  And I don't have a press.  Or even a garage.  Or even a tree and a come-along to swap engines (I assume rabbit engines go in/out through the top, not out the bottom like a beetle?).

I'm leaning towards pulling the thing apart again in the cold, since as LibbyPapa pointed out--if I buy the studs and then the thing is cracked, I just pissed away $130.  Since I just lost my stupid job I'm not hard up to be driving anywhere, if the car sits outside tarped a few days while the parts come, I'll be fine.  Better than spending the money on useless studs, anyway.  Are there any good tips on how to get those huge c-clips off the exhaust header/manifold without a lift and the proper tool?  I'm prepared to buy or borrow the tool to reassemble, but I'd love to dive into this asap as we're having a hot snap for the next two days (30F as opposed to 15-20 during the days).  It looks like I can access the left one through the engine compartment, and maybe just pry it off with a thin drift or something?  What about the other side?

Ugh.

Thanks for all the help so far.

Luke

[truckinwagen]

the motors on a mk1 go in and out easiest from the bottom(the frame horns are above it, so it will drop out the bottom no problem)

as for the c-clips, take a old style muffler clamp apart. thread the nuts onto the u-bolt, and then put the stamped plate on backwards.
that way it can be used to expand the c-clamp for easy removal and installation.
should have a pic to show you, but I dont.

-Owen

[ldeikis]

Got it.  Thanks.  I'm going to borrow my girlfriend's car early tomorrow before she goes to work and run to the store for the clamp and some scrap cardboard to lay on, plus try to find a .600" OD socket to lock the pump up.  It's supposed to be a balmy 32 tomorrow so with some luck I'll have it apart by afternoon and be able to see if it's cracked or just a lame gasket and/or gasser bolts. 

Think me luck.

Luke

[ldeikis]

So how should I flush the block/heater core/hoses out once it's back together?  I have access to hot water in a hose, so I was thinking I might just turn up the hot water heater to scald and then flush it with plain hot water.  Soap seems risky.  It's not super nasty since I stopped as soon as I saw the contamination--there's a film of funk in the overflow that I washed out in the sink as best I could, but I don't know how to clean the rest out.

So I got it all apart.  When I went to unthread the feed from the glowplug bus, the whole center threaded out of my #1 glow plug.  I guess that one probably needs replaced    Probably also explains why the car was harder starting when cold since I was in there last--I'm thinking I must have damaged that guy when I was removing/installing the bus last time.  I'm thinking to do all 4 while it's nice and easy.

Cleaned the block up nice and pretty and it is NOT cracked to my eyes, which are pretty good usually.  Block also seems acceptably straight.  

On the other hand, when I went to loosen those tripe squares, they were a LOT looser than I expect head bolts to be.  I won't try to put a number on it, but it was pretty easy to break them loose.  I'm confident they went in correctly (used a SnapOn clicker that gets calibrated somewhat regularly).  Interesting side note:  They're exactly the same length as the hex heads I pulled out of there.  I thought gasser bolts were supposed to be shorter???

So I'm ordering an ARP kit and a 3 notch 11mm gasket from Autohaus.  Hopefully the weather and the mailman cooperate and I can get the little guy back together soon.

Thanks again.

Luke