AAZ metal HG would you go one hole or two?

[Gizmoman]

New main and rod bearings are in and it spins sweet with a short handled ratchet.
Piston protrusion above the deck is
#1 .0315"
#2 .029
#3 .033
#4 .027

Bentley says .0260 - .0339 use a one hole gasket but they don't give a thickness and I'm finding variations between manufacturers for a one-hole.
PAYEN Part # BV850 Thickness [mm]: 1.53; Number of Holes: 1
GOETZE Part # 3002891010      Thickness [mm]: 1.45; Number of Holes: 1

Also, I'd rather use the GOETZE but there's no photo and I don't trust just the part number. The PAYEN part looks like the same one as the one I took off bit I've never heard of them.

Should I go with a two hole just to be safe or will the lower compression be an issue?

[wolf_walker]

Two.
It's common for people in a rush to just put a 3 on everything. If it's not crazy cold you'll probably not notice.  No opinion on Payen gasket, think the brit cat guys use em.  Also note a different between thickness and compressed thickness.

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[libbydiesel]

Those protrusion measurements are all clearly within the spec for the 1-hole gasket.  That is what I would use.  028103383BH   Given those two choices I would use Goetze (I am unfamiliar with Payen).

[wolf_walker]

Isn't #3 cutting it a little close?
I've never seen the spec get smaller with heat/wear.

[theman53]

They make it a range so it is safe. I would run 1.

[wolf_walker]

Mighty tight.


Seems like I ran into some variation in thickness across matching-hole HG's back when I was
fiddling with putting an AAZ gasket on a 1.6 a few years ago. 
I can't remember what I did but apparently it worked.
It was probably err'ing on the side of caution unless women somehow got involved. 

[745 turbogreasel]

I put a 1 notch where  the rebuilder had erroneously put a 2, and the customer said," I had no  Idea my car was supposed to run this well."
But this was an ALH, so YMMV. Picked up  almost 5 MPH on the local brutal hill.

[Gizmoman]

Thanks, I really appreciate the two perspectives - it's a tough call but I'm going with the one notch as it is within the spec and the engine should perform best at that compression ratio.

The cheapest gasket I can find is nearly 90 bucks. Does that sound correct? Jim Ellis and World Impex - both very proud of this part.

The Goetz listing I can find on Rock Auto shows a different part number and while it is much less, I don't trust that it's the correct part.

[theman53]

Myke W can get you one for around 65-70, shipped. It will come from Canada. Arizonaautohaus has the 2 and 3 notch but will not get you a 1 notch. The 2 and 3 they have are around 40.00
If Rock Auto shows a listing it maybe for the TDI as that is what AZ shows even for the AAZ engine. You have to put in the part # or call them. Even when I asked for the 1 notch they would not get it for me.

[Gizmoman]

Thanks theman53.
Is the the Myke http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=29808.msg261577#msg261577?
Based on that post, he doesn't sell parts anymore - I guess Nathan B took over?

[libbydiesel]

Whenever I am having a block bored for new pistons I measure the protrusion with the reconditioned rotating assembly, rods and *old* pistons and then measure the wristpin to crown height of the old and new pistons.  Then math tells how much needs to be milled from the deck to land solidly in the spec for the 3rd notch gasket.  This eliminates the need for finding the rarer and more expensive 1-notch and avoids the difficulty of finding out that the protrusion is below that of the 1-notch.  There are more problems caused by a too thick gasket other than the drop in compression and harder cold starts.  The VW engineers knew what they were doing when writing the specs for piston protrusion.

[Gizmoman]

Noted libby. An excellent practice no doubt, but one of the reasons I bought this block was because the bores were so good. The other was that I needed new rods with the more standard pin diameter - the rods and pistons came with the block - all in very good shape.

I'd much rather spend 100 bucks for a gasket if I have to - just wondering if there were a less expensive re-seller.