Head gasket job time

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

I have been losing a cup or so of coolant (low coolant light would come on) every 400 miles or so without finding any external trace of coolant leak (G12). I was about to buy a coolant vapor exhaust gas analyzer but before I did that, blew the head gasket yesterday. I was on the hwy and noted the temp gauge creeping up past its normal middle position to the 3/4 position, pulled over and noted the expansion tank was empty but the low coolant light never came! This was on a new expansion tank from Autohausaz less than a year old!
Added water but it keeps blowing out. Got the car towed.

So what am I faced with? What kind of damage? Are good used 1V (92 Ecodiesel) heads hard to find? Who is a good head rebuilder?

[theman53]

You could take your head off and just inspect it. If it is flat and ok otherwise put a new head gasket on.

[Luckypabst]

Rimco is a great shop. If the cam bore is still in spec, they can skim the head with no disassembly required. I had no issues dealing with them via UPS and I think they charged $75 for the service.

Chris

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

Drained the coolant and cranked it over and it turned a rev and "stuck" so I did not try any further. Pulled the injectors and it cranked freely with coolant spraying out #4 cyl. Hope nothing is bent. What's the best way to check? I am going to take a cold compression test and see where they're at. I had done a compression test previously so there is something to reference to.

I checked out RIMCO's website and it seems they are more air cooled and gasoline oriented. I searched their pdf catalog of services and did not find the word "diesel". What's up with that?

[Luckypabst]

They do service water cooled engines... And I bet diesel's don't constitute enough of their business to take the time to actually put it on their website. But yea, they've been the go-to shop for air cooled engines for a few decades now.

Chris

[Mark(The Miser)UK]

I have been losing a cup or so of coolant (low coolant light would come on) every 400 miles or so without finding any external trace of coolant leak (G12). I was about to buy a coolant vapor exhaust gas analyzer but before I did that, blew the head gasket yesterday. I was on the hwy and noted the temp gauge creeping up past its normal middle position to the 3/4 position, pulled over and noted the expansion tank was empty but the low coolant light never came! This was on a new expansion tank from Autohausaz less than a year old!
Added water but it keeps blowing out. Got the car towed.

So what am I faced with? What kind of damage? Are good used 1V (92 Ecodiesel) heads hard to find? Who is a good head rebuilder?

If you added water too quickly with a completely empty expansion tank, it is possible you made life worse. 
If there was some water left in the pipework then you won't have created "He who shall not be named"

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

It was not completely dry and not critcally hot, maybe down 2 to 3 quarts, plus the fact that the exp bottle drains into the bottom of the engine, not directly into the head so it's not bad IMO.

Here are the cold compression numbers, which look good.

#4  500 psi
#3  540
#2  495
#1  496

Compared to numbers below (approx 4,000 miles ago before the head gasket blew, on a warm engine with a different compression tester setup), I don't think I bent anything. Do you agreee?

#4  450  psi
#3  460
#2  400
#1  475

[silentdub]

Those numbers look good. If you had a bent valve you would have almost no compression at all.

I am betting just a gasket for the most part.

I would be sure that you drop the pan and ensure that there is no coolant laying in there. Coolant on rod bearings are a known disaster.

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

Should I do a leakdown test before pulling the head? I do not have a leakdown tester and would have to buy one.

[rabbitman]

I just pull the head and check everything for cracks and flatness. I doubt you bent anything either, just to be sure you can measure piston protrusion above the block and see if one is way different than the rest.

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

Do the valves have to come out to check head flatness? i.e. do the valves stick up above the deck? I did not overheat the head that badly but who knows how badly it was overheated in the 180K miles with the previous owner(s)? Anyone do a DIY pressure test? How about using dye to look for cracks?

[Luckypabst]

Valves are recessed. They don't need to be removed to check flatness or to surface the head.

Chris

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

Block cleaned, bolts holes degreased with brake clean and blown out with compressed air. 4 guide studs in the corners.



3 hole Victor Reinz on deck


Hood pulled vertical. Head/exh manifold/turbo assembly ready to go in.



With right foot where the air cleaner is, and left foot on the window sill (between wipers), I lowered the head onto the deck without straining and it went in smooth. Head is torqued. Notice the white dots at 9 o'clock? Those are nail polish markers so that I do no screw up the angle torques.

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

I did the 1/4 turn torque sequence after bringing engine to operating temp a few days ago. Took it for an 80 mile drive today and everything went well. No coolant loss, no oil leaks, no more fuel leaks from the IP (o wonder my fuel gauge dropped so fast, the IP was   leaking about a drop a second.)

Engine is smoother and more powerful. I can really notice it going up hills that used to slow the car down but not anymore. .

Hopefully I'l see an increase in mpg also.

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

I've got 350 miles on the new head gasket and  engine is doing great! Smooth and powerful but most importantly no leaks! Another 650 miles then the final 1/4 turn torque. Keeping my fingers crossed.