Turbo vs NA Cylinder Heads

[Turbofan]

I'm planning on replacing my HG soon (with an AAZ and some ARP's) and I'm anticipating tgat my head is cracked in between the valves for several reasons. If I'm right, I'm contemplating replacing the head with a rebuilt one. I have a hydro head on my '86, and while I was checking prices, I saw that there were turbo heads too (presumably from the Eco's?). What's the difference? The valve composition? Is it a worth while swap? I have a VNT 17 (cold side from an '02 Saab 95) if I recall. No gov. mod yet. Stock injectors, 1.9 IDI camplate.

On a completely separate note, anyone have any experience with HID kits? I found one that is a bi-beam kit, and includes projector lamps that (I think) will fit my Westy front end. Maybe I should just get some tried and true Euro-beams instead.
Thanks for the help!

[theman53]

cracks are normal. TD heads had sodium filled valves.

No idea, but H4 with relays is plenty good.

[Turbofan]

Thanks. I think the specs are for nickel sized cracks or something? Maybe I can just have them welded. A rebuilt head is like $450, and I know that'll more than pay for a valve job. I'm cheap anyway, so I'll probably go that route.

I'll probably go the H4 route too.

[wdkingery]

HID's are fantastic; seems you already have a vendor, or i'd turn you on to one. i have some in my mustang, and i'll never go back. i'd like to do the jetta, but .. hell the damn thing doesn't even run right now! but HID's.. especially in a projector i would imagine would be the bee's knees. also, spring the extra coins for the bi-beam. when you hit them highs it's a wonderful thing

[mystery3]

HID's are fantastic; seems you already have a vendor, or i'd turn you on to one. i have some in my mustang, and i'll never go back. i'd like to do the jetta, but .. hell the damn thing doesn't even run right now! but HID's.. especially in a projector i would imagine would be the bee's knees.

If you run hid's in a non-projector lamp you are an idiot, not only will you blind everyone else but the scatter will be so bad that you likely won't see any further than with a proper bulb.

As for the head, I'd just have it pressure tested to check if any of the cracks are bad.

[billybobf]

I agree with the pressure test,

I want to make my own pressure test plate for the diesels, flat plate, neoprene, some block off plates and HELIUM. pressure testing with helium is 4 times more likely to show a leak... or will show the same leak at 4 times less pressure then compressed air... just a helpful hint

not certain on the math and numbers. but I used to test chemical lines and the smaller helium molecules would take flow more bubbles from a pin hole then just shop air, and on a regular basis showed pinholes that shop air did not show.

[Turbofan]

Good stuff guys, thanks! I don't think the machine shop I use pressure tests with helium, but I'll razz them about it next time I go in! Ha! When I first did my VNT swap I think a combination of back pressure and boost did in my head. My clutch used to slip on the highway, now it doesn't at all. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and find out that it is just some funky head gasket problem, but I'm still averaging 41 mpg, and since I'm not pressuring up the coolant, and my oil is clean, I tend to doubt it. Only time will tell.  Once I finish prepping my Lemons car, I'll have time to pull the Golf apart.

[wdkingery]

If you run hid's in a non-projector lamp you are an idiot, not only will you blind everyone else but the scatter will be so bad that you likely won't see any further than with a proper bulb.

yes, yes all of these things. you aren't truly able to see any further, altho where the light does shine is much brighter, and i'm sure i piss off every car i pass, both day and night. i'm sure of it.

[R.O.R-2.0]

If you run hid's in a non-projector lamp you are an idiot, not only will you blind everyone else but the scatter will be so bad that you likely won't see any further than with a proper bulb.

yes, yes all of these things. you aren't truly able to see any further, altho where the light does shine is much brighter, and i'm sure i piss off every car i pass, both day and night. i'm sure of it.

Jeremy just put HIDs in his non-hid housings..

[billybobf]

Hey, back on topic for JUST a second, can you get replacement sodium filled valves? I know when I had my old ford pickup and we rebuilt the heads we put in new guides and standard valves due to cost.

Also, can you put the sodium valves in a mechanical head?

[theman53]

Yes, and yes, IIRC TRW makes them or at least 3 years ago I found them, search is your friend.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Hey, back on topic for JUST a second, can you get replacement sodium filled valves? I know when I had my old ford pickup and we rebuilt the heads we put in new guides and standard valves due to cost.

Also, can you put the sodium valves in a mechanical head?

most definitely, im running an 84 Jetta TD head on my 83 Vanagon engine, and it has sodium filled valves..

[Toby]

How do you know? Or rather how can you tell they are sodium filled exhaust valves? Any that I have ever seen had rather large valve stems. It would be kind of hard to get a 8mm valve stem to have much strength and still have much sodium in there.

[745 turbogreasel]

They  have a different dish in the face.

[Toby]

And what makes you think the different dish means sodium filled? I have done heads on 4 and 5 banger TDs and never seen a sodium filled exhaust valve on any of those, nor have a ever seen the sodium valve warning in any Bentley manual either. So what year and model supposedly have the sodium filled valves? Every sodium filled valve that I have ever seen had a big stem and was marked as such, and the manuals had the sodium vale disposal warning as well.