head gasket level oil leak

[haybayian]

Hello vw friends,
I have a VW AAZ recently remaned which works well except for a small but annoying oil leak at the interface between the block and the head. I have retorqued the thing twice and it does not seem to make a difference. Would a different type of gasket potentially be the answer? If not what else do I need to do?

Thanks.

Haybayian

[Luckypabst]

Where is it leaking? Between cyl. 3 and 4 on the front?

[haybayian]

Where is it leaking? Between cyl. 3 and 4 on the front?

Thanks for your attention. The leak seems to be at the gasket between cyl 3 and 4 indeed. I believe that my current gasket is metal (FE) and I can see three small holes on the front side of it.

[Vincent Waldon]

When the engine was remanufactured do you know if the head and deck surfaces were re-faced?

Small warpages in these two surfaces often lead to localized leaks, particularly with the metal head gasket used on AAZs. If this is the case there's no real cure except to have the surfaces re-worked. 

[haybayian]

When the engine was remanufactured do you know if the head and deck surfaces were re-faced?

Small warpages in these two surfaces often lead to localized leaks, particularly with the metal head gasket used on AAZs. If this is the case there's no real cure except to have the surfaces re-worked. 

Hi Vince,
No I don't know that they have done that. Would a thick fiber gasket potentially help?
Thanks,
Haybayian

[Rabbit on Roids]

fiber gaskets almost always seal better, because they can conform and squish quite a bit better.

[burn_your_money]

I don't know of a fiber gasket for the AAZ. I wanted to use one when I did my headgasket since my head was slightly warped. I decided to just get the head machined.

[Rabbit on Roids]

even the super early AAZ's had metal gaskets? cause i know an aaz is just a diesel ABA, and the very first ABAs were equipped with a fiber gasket.

[Vincent Waldon]

I don't know of a fiber gasket for the AAZ.

Me neither... pretty sure they've been MLS since day 1.

[wolf_walker]

I put my first MLS gasket on this 1.6 with that spray copper crap all my euro shop customers rave about, first one I've had that does NOT leak oil SOMEWHERE between the head and block.
Time will tell though.

[Rabbit on Roids]

copper and aluminum together do bad things. like corrode each other VERY fast. ive always used the silver colored stuff instead of the copper stuff. copper would be good on a cast iron headed engine. but for aluminum heads, ive used silver floral paint. it works great. worked on my acura, and a few of my grandpas diesels.

[burn_your_money]

Yes I have heard that the early AAZs used a fiber gasket but AFAIK they are all NLA

[OM617]

copper and aluminum together do bad things.

ONLY if there is an electrolyte present.