Head gasket installation help

Hi all,

I recently undertook installing a new head gasket to replace a leaky one. I followed the Bentley exactly, and yet I still have what I believe is a small set of air bubbles coming into the coolant expansion tank. I also see a small bubble of oil or two, and the coolant looks a little brown to me. I'm not too sure on the color, I've tried to capture in a video:
https://youtu.be/C55JeKUIlDA

What could I have messed up? This is my first time ever doing a head gasket so I wouldn't be surprised if I made a mistake. The oil doesn't have any evidence of coolant in it, and the oil cooler is new. Thanks for any help!

Collin

Also, the head was redone by franko6.... So I'm ruling out a warped head. Frank told me the head was not badly warped and in spec. I'll also profess im not sure if the block warped or not

Was there still coolant in the block when you installed the head? You will need to flush out the system and remove the old coolant. Get the VW coolant not the green stuff from the autoparts store.

i use the super gunk stuff, its not the $3 or $4 stuff you can find, can be harder to find, and flush (hot, let cool 1st) with water 2x.

Pull a coolant sample and have it analyzed, it's pretty cheap. While you can buy a home exhaust gas tester for cooling systems, I have not found it reliable on the TDI's.

Get a coolant pressure tester and see if the system leaks down. If it does, look for the leak. If you can't find it, have the oil analyzed for coolant. You'll have to do this with the engine off but then run the engine to get an oil sample.

I'd do this before pulling the head.

Did you install the head bolts dry or lightly oiled?

If dry, the bolts may not have fully stretched and aren't clamping properly.

-Todd

Todd, I didn't do this...do you use motor oil? What kind of oil?

As an aside, I tried to put the head back in tonight and, umm, missed. There are some small scratches in the head. Are these catastrophic?

I decided to pull the engine out to get the head on correctly. I'm hoping I didn't jack it up too bad.

I'm still learning that is for sure....

CollinGVT said:

Todd, I didn't do this...do you use motor oil? What kind of oil?

Click to expand...

some sets of bolts will come with some kind of anti-seize, i prefer the permatex stuff. or you can use 5w-30 syn oil. or thinner, just like he says a light coating.
the block threads may want cleaning(first).

Use motor oil, not anti seize. Just a light coating of any motor oil on the threads, washer and under the bolt head. Alternatively, I use ARP Ultra Torque.

If you cleaned everything well, you may have heard a lot of cracking as the bolt head was gripping the washer. If so, you may be able to reuse the bolts, since they technically never fully stretched. This is going to be your call...

Your block should already have alignment pins, but I have old head bolts that I cut short and used as alignment dowels, in the past. Once the head is on, loosely thread in a couple new bolts and pull the dowels.

Cut a slot in the top, so you can unscrew it and retrieve with a magnet.

-Todd

ToddA1 said:

If so, you may be able to reuse the bolts, since they technically never fully stretched. This is going to be your call...

Click to expand...

no way you need new bolts, your generalizing, once they start to stretch, maybe (some) more they are probably/certainly done. in any case/-debate, he has stretched them too far; at this point.
prefer "light" motor oil & a syn at that. 5w-30 syn, valvo or castrol would do. (i use permatex stuff, its ok, and a thicker oil, how is that any better than a real good permatex).

Please don't pull the motor... That's overkill in my estimation. As Todd mentioned, use dowels or cutoff old head bolts to align it.

I'd talk with Frank06 about your scratches... He'd have the best opinion on that issue.

I had oil in coolant on my PHOENIX, and Checking the oil cooler first... It looked fine, so I replaced the head gasket. Turned out to be the oil cooler after all, but it only leaked intermittently!

I was at least happy to see my cylinder walls were clean and head surface was in good shape.

Regarding the bolts and block threads.. With the head off, run a good clean bolt all the way down each hole, after blasting the hole out with compressed air, and make sure they all, go down to about the same amount of turns (9?) if you find one hole uncooperative take a thread chaser and clean that hole up before reinstalling the head.

Good luck and keep us appraised!

Regards,
Steve

tbones said:

(#2: ) Please don't pull the motor... That's overkill in my estimation. As Todd mentioned, use dowels or cutoff old head bolts to align it.
(1: ) after blasting the hole out with compressed air,

Click to expand...

1: using brakecleen shop air and a rag or such will clean the holes/threads. prolly ok from there.
#2: ^^ man your trying for overkill, 1 your having problems putting a/the head back on, ?pulling motor? thats A LOT more work, both to get correct and for little bother. point: putting a head on/head work isnt *that* difficult. not only are you having problems, and inexperienced, but more work, not to say *That much more work. ----:|
keep us updated, we can help. dont do more work than necessary, or reasonable, not so say more than your ->capable of.

the reason for pulling the motor is because the head is hard to get on there correctly at the 50 degree angle the engine sits at. point well taken though...I can give it another try.

its really too much for most men, even a big man, takes 2, goes easy. just takes some patience for the line and it kind of 'pops' in place.

Cut some old head bolts to make alignment dowels, done!

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