Head Gasket? What to do different this time?

jackfolstam said:

This barely got 15k miles. I did the original install in probably no less than 45F I'd guess. You're referring to the TTY bolts and not studs right? I'll measure the piston protrusion again just to be sure, and all four.

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You can bakr arp studs too before you thread them into the block. Just don't loosen the nuts. Just torque in sequence with 1/4 turns.



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maxmoo said:

The cat needs to be closer to the engine or else it won't get hot enough to work and will plug with carbon.

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Got it. I thought they just work better when hotter, not stop working entirely.

Also are you sure your cat was for a diesel and not a gas vehicle?

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Yeah my friend with the swap made sure of that.

Maybe excessive exhaust back pressure was causing a leak in your egr cooler, if you have one.

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Yeah I have an EGR. I have a spare too, from the junkyard. I'm going to drive it around and see if the coolant level changes.

I'll also turn it over by hand to see if I can still hear hissing at the coolant bottle.

My car is way too loud straight piped. I look on the forums for a muffler suggestion but most everyone says straight pipe is fine. It's either that the exhaust length, or hangars, or the car's insulation cause my car to be loud. I'm thinking about a glasspack.

The coolant still leaks, showing up on the lip of the bottle. I'm going to order a new MkIV one. Any differences between the low profile cap and the other? I know not to get the straight coolant level sensor vs the angled up one. Coolant level is about an inch under the minimum line, where I filled it to last post.

I also ordered an 18" glasspack.

Oil level seems the same so far.

From what I have read, after a period of time passes, and the glasspack fills with soot and no longer functions as designed. I don't know what a resonator would cost, but at least you only have to purchase once...

I have added about a quart of oil since the last post. I want to say its turbo but fear its blowby.

Glasspack didn't do anything the first day, has been down to 1.6D levels (similar to talking loudly to someone next to you in a loud bar) since the second day. Don't have to wear earplugs on the daily commute but choose to when going further than 20 miles.

I changed to a new MkIV coolant bottle and cap in the last 2 weeks and haven't noticed a change in coolant level or any leaks. Even with the fourth new MkI cap and second reservoir I still saw coolant leaks.

Tried to hammer mod tonight, started with 3.0 IQ at operating temp with minimum setting. 32740 or so gives ~1.0 mg/st. Any higher setting and it fluctuates from 0.0 to 4.0 and sounds terrible, idle goes up and down and misses.
Loosened bolts until fuel sprayed out then tightened a hair, hammered 11mm head pretty hard to the passenger side with engine running, no affect. Stopped engine, loosened until pump head was very loose, moved left to the stop, tightened down, started, IQ was still 3.0. Logs show full throttle, actuator 100% at ~34mg/st. Should I be trying to hammer mod? I thought hammering to passenger side increases IQ (lowers fueling, smoke)? If it's maxed out at 3.0 through VCDS and hammer mod is there any other option (besides putting the original 10mm back in)? Trying to reduce cloud of smoke on startup, and noticeable smoke at about first two throttle advances past that. Highly considering sending in my believe to be original injectors out to Kerma for testing and balancing.

I plan to do a hot compression test tomorrow evening. I think I forgot to mention I did a cold compression test before, but no one picked up on my numbers (400psi vsi 500)? Engine has had 10k miles since new rings/hone, crank/rod bearings, 198k miles before that with completely clogged intake, two GPs broken off in the head.

About the hammer mod, looks like I loosened the wrong bolts (aside from the triangle security one). Looking at the picture on DBWs page of where to tap the IP on the left, it appears I was trying to move the top lid when I'm supposed to be moving the lid with the section below it as well.

#1 and 4 cylinders are still leaking oil past the exhaust manifold gaskets on to the back of the block. Definitely the cause of the oil loss and smokey exhaust.

Could the clogged CCV have compromised the valve stem seals?

Chances of bad oil rings? How to check? Might pick up something in a bottle (BG, Auto RX) to hope for a quick fix.

Oil squirters directed at the cylinder walls rather than the bottom of the piston?

Blow by? Cold compression seems ok. Any know instances of blow by so bad oil is coming out of the exhaust mani?

jackfolstam said:

#1 and 4 cylinders are still leaking oil past the exhaust manifold gaskets on to the back of the block. Definitely the cause of the oil loss and smokey exhaust.

Could the clogged CCV have compromised the valve stem seals?
Not likely.
Chances of bad oil rings? How to check? Might pick up something in a bottle (BG, Auto RX) to hope for a quick fix.
Yes, Could be oil rings. If it is the additive will not likely work.
Oil squirters directed at the cylinder walls rather than the bottom of the piston?
Doubt it.
Blow by? Cold compression seems ok. Any know instances of blow by so bad oil is coming out of the exhaust mani?

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Could be blow by but I would also check the newly installed "rebuilt" turbo for any signs of excessive play. I'm not a big fan of rebuilt turbos personally.

So to sum up...the oil pretty much has to be coming from one of two places.....past the rings or past the turbo bearing....I would check the turbo first.

I don't think this is caused by bad turbo bearings; could that send oil against the flow of exhaust? Loud video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0HTBhaKBxE&feature=youtu.be
Video description: oil bubbling past the exhaust manifold gasket at idle at cylinder #1.
I was doing a diesel purge and decided to look back there...intake manifold bolts for cylinders 1 and 4 are there. Didn't check the other two since the block is wet only under 1 and 4. Cylinder #4 was wet but not bubbling. Didn't have a helper so I didn't get to look during different throttle settings.

Valve guides/seals, HG, rings, or something else? All three require pulling the head. Any other options (besides drive more worry less)? How about a cracked block/head.
I drove about 500 miles over the week and oil level didn't seem to change. For the diesel purge I let it sit at idle with Basic Settings block 4 on cycling the pump. Checked the oil after and it moved a quarter of the way down in the range, so more leaking at idle? Or I checked the oil after sitting a while rather than right after running.

I put the catch can back on the valve cover, and ran the other hose to the ground. I put an OMI on it a while ago and had a silicone T for the breather, so I just took the T out.
Valve cover is not wet on the edges.
EGR has a layer of oil and dirt on it. It used to be a very fine layer, just barely discolored, but now it's a little dirtier than that.
Cam seal is not leaking, pulled the valve cover off and the TB backing plate bolts off that hold it to the head and looked behind it, dry.
Vacuum pump has a new seal and is not leaking.

Checked the oil in the morning, was right at the full line. I think I was too worried before and checked it right after it ran.

IQ per cylinder after LM DP is: 0.05, 0.25, -0.50, 0.05

Checked the exhaust four times while running today, didn't see any bubbles but did see the white smoke on startup. This makes me think valve seals/guides since it emits a cloud of smoke on startup and only a little haze for the first mile, as if sitting causes the build up in the exhaust. It definitely smells like burning something other than diesel, when idling or going down the road, just no noticeable smoke. What is the minimum amount oil needed for a runaway?

I found two other threads with the same issue. One guy pulled the head but didn't report his findings; he was certain it was rings or guides. The other stopped posting before pulling the head.

Has anyone ever heard of a piece of intake//EGR buildup coming loose and destroying an engine? Either getting between the piston and valve, stuck on a valve seat, or take out a turbo? Because now I worry about a chunk taking out my turbo.

If it were bad oil rings but not compression rings it would not show up in a compression or leak down test right?

Can you tell with the head on the car how much play is too much for the valves in the guides? I'm guessing there should be no perceptible play if they are sitting on top of a piston at TDC and I try to wobble the valve stem. I'm going to borrow the valve-spring-removal-with-the-head-on-the-block-tool tomorrow from a friend.

At idle, oil pressure will push oil out past the seals on both the Turbine and Impeller sides. It's just a fact....... even with a brand new Turbo. The seals in a Turbo are not rubber. They are metal expansion rings just like on a Piston. Thus, with virtually zero back pressure at idle, the oil pressure will push oil past those two seals.

As for a "piece" of crud breaking loose and being ingested by the engine, yes! Yes, it can and does happen. In fact, I am of the opinion crud chunking off has results in more engine failures than we think. Then, the failure is blamed on some other concocted reason.

If the Intake Manifold has ever been removed from the head, the Intake Ports of the head need to be cleaned. Crud build-up from the EGR all the way to the valves in the head is fairly evenly distributed. There's a "bridge" of crud from the Intake Manifold to the head. Once the Intake is removed, the bridge of crud is broken. Thus, the haggled edges of crud in the Intake Ports of the Head are perfect for creating turbulence.... Also, the crud in the head ports is far more brittle due to heat...

Take a look at these pics and come to your own conclusion. Both pics are of the same head. The Intake had been cleaned 11k miles previous to this catastrophic failure, cruising at 70 mph (sadly, the job was done by a TDI guru).

AndyBees said:

As for a "piece" of crud breaking loose and being ingested by the engine, yes! Yes, it can and does happen. In fact, I am of the opinion crud chunking off has results in more engine failures than we think. Then, the failure is blamed on some other concocted reason.

If the Intake Manifold has ever been removed from the head, the Intake Ports of the head need to be cleaned. Crud build-up from the EGR all the way to the valves in the head is fairly evenly distributed. There's a "bridge" of crud from the Intake Manifold to the head. Once the Intake is removed, the bridge of crud is broken. Thus, the haggled edges of crud in the Intake Ports of the Head are perfect for creating turbulence.... Also, the crud in the head ports is far more brittle due to heat...

Take a look at these pics and come to your own conclusion. Both pics are of the same head. The Intake had been cleaned 11k miles previous to this catastrophic failure, cruising at 70 mph (sadly, the job was done by a TDI guru).

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Darn, another reason to pull the head I guess.

I did, however, put in new valve stem seals again on cylinders 1 and 4, this time using the old school plastic valve sleeve protector things. After a month now, the only smoke I see on start up is that when I park in a particular spot: the only unique thing about this parking space I can think of is that it is on a slope, with the car pointed up or down.

I do want to replace the exhaust manifold gaskets now since they are probably compromised by the oil, would this be worth risking a piece of crud breaking off and getting into my turbo? I was thinking I would just use a different manifold instead of cleaning the one that's on the car.