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t belt broke
by
TOW'D
on 24 Jul, 2010 08:30
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Howdy Gang,
The t belt broke on our '85 n/a Golf . The belt and all had less than 15,000km.
I don't know if it had anything to do with driving into deep mud puddles on our long driveway. The alternator belt would squeel when it got wet.
I pulled the head.
I can't get 2 of the lifter out of the head.
There isn't any adjusting shims on the lifters so it must be a hydraulic lifters--does that sound correct?
I searched but didn't find what I was looking for.
I have a valve spring compressor(big C clamp looking tool ) is there an adapter to get into the cylinder head to remove the valves?
If I understand correctly the notches on the head gasket tell how much the pistons extend out of the block -- this H/G has two holes/notches
any good links for me to read .
thanks
hank
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#1
by
Rabbit on Roids
on 24 Jul, 2010 11:02
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the head is most likely trashed..
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#2
by
theman53
on 24 Jul, 2010 11:14
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#3
by
OM617
on 24 Jul, 2010 14:53
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the head is most likely trashed.
Not true. It greatly depends on the engine speed at which it broke and how long the vehicle was kept in gear after it broke.
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#4
by
burn_your_money
on 24 Jul, 2010 15:44
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85 should be solid lifters but if there are no adjusting shims on the top then it is a hydraulic engine. If you can get those 2 lifters out without destroying the head you should be able to salvage it. I would focus on them before looking at valves. There is some info in the FAQ on homemade tools for removing the valve train.
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#5
by
745 turbogreasel
on 24 Jul, 2010 16:05
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If I understand correctly the notches on the head gasket tell how much the pistons extend out of the block -- this H/G has two holes/notches
There is no guarantee the right HG was used by the previous builder.
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#6
by
DCC
on 25 Jul, 2010 04:59
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the head is most likely trashed..
Not necessarily. In my case, when the damaged t-belt slipped out of the cam pulley, I was expecting a FUBAR head, but luckily replacing all the valves, cam followers and camshaft (it broke), did the trick.

In the OP case, I'll have the head tested, and the piston protusion measured.
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#7
by
jasonsansfleece
on 25 Jul, 2010 06:34
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Weld a bolt to the top of the stuck lifter then use vise grips to pull it out.
Worked for me,
Guy
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#8
by
Rabbit on Roids
on 25 Jul, 2010 11:32
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the head is most likely trashed..
im not saying its a definite thing, but any engines ive seen do this, the heads need replacing..good job, you 2 are the first i know that saved their engines after a belt failure.
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#9
by
wolf_walker
on 25 Jul, 2010 12:57
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I second the weld something to it or set it up to use a slide hammer to pull the lifter. If you are going to have a machine shop look it over, which you should, leave it be and let them deal with it. Otherwise get the lifter out, buy a new one and see if you can get it to move in and out freely, same with all the others. After that we can move on to the next thing to check.
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#10
by
DCC
on 25 Jul, 2010 15:24
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ive never seen a broken cam shaft because the piston pushed up on the valves.. idk what your smokin, but i want some..
Here you go. I posted this same pic on this very same forum before:
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#11
by
burn_your_money
on 25 Jul, 2010 19:09
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Sorry if this thread is a bit confusing now, I just deleted a bunch of posts that weren't contributing to the OPs questions.
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#12
by
TOW'D
on 25 Jul, 2010 22:26
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Just curious...what brand of TB and tensioner did you have?
There is a tools thread around here somewhere.
http://www.vwdieselparts.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=771
Not sure of the brand but we bought the timing belt kit from eBay along with a set of timing tools.
When the belt broke I was driving slowly in town
I pushed the clutch in and coasted to a stop and checked under the hood and saw the broken belt when I undid the top cover.
Thanks for the homemade tool link some good tools there.
I'll try welding and slidehammer trick
What would be a reasonable price for a good rebuilt head?
So nobody else gets a warning when signing in?thanks
hank
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#13
by
theman53
on 26 Jul, 2010 05:23
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Not sure of the brand but we bought the timing belt kit from eBay along with a set of timing tools.
There are alot from ebay...I was just wondering if it came from NC from a certain seller that is all. Good luck.
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#14
by
Wingaman
on 26 Jul, 2010 06:54
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