So how about a rebuilt head..

[wolf_walker]

I have to pull my head soon.  Oil leak external from headgasket, never been off 300Kish motor that starts up fine in the cold and don't smoke.  Injectors nailing like heck, and a piece of I assume carbon came loose and made a HECK of a racket in the combustion chamber for about five minutes 20K ago.  Since then it's had a slightly funny idle, which could well be the injectors.  Father put new nozzles in them and did not have them pop tested, don't ask me why.

I plan to pour diesel in the ports and check the valves for leaking, if none is found, I'm going to clean it up and put it back on as it sits.
Sound like a plan?

If I find a tweaked valve or cracked pre-chamber, which wouldn't surprise me really, I have nobody around here I trust to rebuild it.
There are a ton of places online offereing rebuilt heads in the $250-$300 range.  Should I seek out a VW diesel specific place or can the others that rebuild them for all models be trusted do you think?

I need to get this motor going again for awhile so I can have time to rebuild my TD.

Thoughts?

[jtanguay]

maybe your best bet is to buy a rebuilt head, and ship your core.

[wolf_walker]

That may well be.  I'm unsure who to trust on a rebuilt head though.  There are a TON of places online that sell em.  The last cheap rebuilt TD head I got did not last well at ALL.

[burn_your_money]

Dave at PP rebuilds heads I think. I think he does a P&P at the same time too, but you'd want to talk to him about it of course

Is pouring diesel in the ports a good way to check the valves?

[wolf_walker]

I've been told so, don't know if it's better than using gas or just less likely to catch on fire.  Seems a reasonable way to do it though, if it don't leak fluid it ought not to leak air.

I also discovered nobody local carries a 12pt 12mm driver, so there goes pulling the head till after the holiday I guess..