Cylinder head removal

[Dslbeet]

I have a 1999 beetle 1.9 ALH
Can the cylinder head be removed without removing the intake and exhaust manifolds?

 

[oilhammer]

Yes, but it is awkward and heavy to get out, especially on the NB. There is no "exhaust manifold" in the traditional sense. It is all integral with the turbocharger.

You'll also find you'll be fighting the turbo oil feed pipe doing that way.

 

[Dslbeet]

Thank you! I’m trying to get the cylinder head off to replace the gasket, I’m not quite sure how to attack the back side of the engine to remove the intake and exhaust. Someone already removed the egr cooler, and blocked it off. Does the intake have to come off first?

 

[03TDICommuter]

I just did this job. Removing the intake and turbo is not hard and I recommend doing it before taking the head off. You’ll be fighting the tensioner stud too.

 

[03TDICommuter]

Thank you! I’m trying to get the cylinder head off to replace the gasket, I’m not quite sure how to attack the back side of the engine to remove the intake and exhaust. Someone already removed the egr cooler, and blocked it off. Does the intake have to come off first?

Did you remove the cowling? (The metal ‘tray’ part between the windshield and the rear of the hood seal. It gives you a lot more room. You take the intake off first.

 

[Dslbeet]

I didn’t remove the cowling. I’ll get it out of the way now. Thank you!

 

[Dslbeet]

Should I

I just did this job. Removing the intake and turbo is not hard and I recommend doing it before taking the head off. You’ll be fighting the tensioner stud too.

remove the tensioner stud before removing the head?

 

[Vince Waldon]

Does the intake have to come off first?

FWIW this is the order I use:

From the top:

• small aluminum heat shield on the passenger side bolted to the exhaust manifold
• the intake
• the oil feed at the top of the turbo, will likely need a ground-down 17mm wrench as a counterhold.

From the bottom:

• lower turbo oil drain
• bottom turbo bracket
• exhaust flange

From the top again:

• the turbo/manifold itself, taking care not to lose the short spacers behind each exhaust nut and the tin piece that holds the small aluminum heat shield from step 1

 

[03TDICommuter]

FWIW this is the order I use:

From the top:

• small aluminum heat shield on the passenger side bolted to the exhaust
• the intake
• the oil feed at the top of the turbo

From the bottom:

• lower turbo oil drain
• bottom turbo bracket
• exhaust flange

From the top again:

• the turbo/manifold itself, taking care not to lose the short spacers behind each exhaust bolt

Perfect! Especially that small heat shield.

In regards to removing the tensioner stud from the head, no, it can stay on. Plus I don’t think you can get it out due to clearance without removing that motor mount. Fishing the head back in is a pain though to line up with the tensioner again. You’ll need help or take off the mount.

 

[Dslbeet]

Thank you so much everyone. Just dropped off the head at the machine shop. I couldn’t have got it without all of you!

 

[03TDICommuter]

Good to hear! What's the reason for pulling the head?

 

[Dslbeet]

Coolant pressure being forced back into the bottle. I changed timing belt and water pump, thermostat, radiator, and heater core. After all that it was still displacing coolant. When I pulled the head , the gasket was shot.

 

[Mongler98]

Coolant pressure being forced back into the bottle. I changed timing belt and water pump, thermostat, radiator, and heater core. After all that it was still displacing coolant. When I pulled the head , the gasket was shot.

make sure that your head is decked properly and the valves reseated properly.
make sure your block is nice and flat too! not difficult to check now.
typically these engines do not just blow head gaskets. the "head lift" effect of blowing out coolant is typically from an overheat or over stressed condition.
If your head IS wrapped, you must make sure that it is straitened and decked with the cam lobes strait otherwise when you clamp it down you could have cam issues or snap caps
don't let just any shop deck it! these are not your typical head!

 

[Dslbeet]

I dropped off the head at German Auto in Phoenix. They are tdi specialists. Everyone in my area says if I don’t bring it to them I’m an idiot. Lol. Should be a week before I get it back.

 

[Dslbeet]

I probably should have mentioned I just bought this car with 271k on it.

 

[03TDICommuter]

I probably should have mentioned I just bought this car with 271k on it.

So it was obvious when you saw the old gasket? Got photos of it ?

Just a baby. My Jetta I bought with 315K on it and sold it at 366K when I got my eGolf and I was commuting on the train/bus. Then covid hit and being on a bus/train was the last place I wanted to be commuting in, so I bought the beetle.

Good to hear you have a shop nearby that can do the work. I struck out after calling many many places. "We don't do heads, we send them to xyz", so I call xyz - "No, we send them out to abc", so I call abc, and they don't know what they're talking about. Frustrating.

 

[Dslbeet]

I’m kind of an idiot when it comes to adding photos, do you know how to add a photo?

 

[03TDICommuter]

I’m kind of an idiot when it comes to adding photos, do you know how to add a photo?

Yes, but it's hard to explain. I click on my userid, then click on a my username again on the popup, then I can access my photos, then albums, and when I view an album, there's a button to 'add media'. From there I can post another photo into my album and when I do so, it gives me a link to copy that I can then paste into a message.

Try this - click this link and see if there is an 'add media' choice towards the upper right. Choose add media and put it in 'member's albums'

Browse albums

forums.tdiclub.com

 

[Mongler98]

I dropped off the head at German Auto in Phoenix. They are tdi specialists. Everyone in my area says if I don’t bring it to them I’m an idiot. Lol. Should be a week before I get it back.

Then you are in good hands.

 

[Dslbeet]

Old head gasket https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?media/1ec58db8-fced-49cc-82e5-757e71b9ae5f-jpeg.144023/

 

[Dslbeet]

Got it all back together. It runs amazing!

 

[Nevada_TDI]

Glad to hear that!

 

[AndyBees]

Dslbeet ......... posting photos from your albums is easy. On the page of the Link you posted above, go down on the right side until you see
Copy image BB code: Copy that code and paste it in your Post. The photo will be linked and come up almost immediately!

Glad you got it going!

 

[03TDICommuter]

Got it all back together. It runs amazing!

Yay!
FWIW, I thought the Beetle would be a PITA to work on with the tightness under the hood, but surprisingly it isn't too bad once that cowling comes off.

 

[Dslbeet]

Going back together was a breeze! I couldn’t have done without this forum! Thank you to everyone! I couldn’t be happier right now.