head gasket failure - confirmed

[tmb]

> I thought that something seemed familiar so I
> dug in the archives and  
> confirmed that you are indeed the person who
> upped their boost by  
> defeating the ecu safety by way of the zener
> diode despite the  
> collective wisdom of the list telling you it
> was a bad idea. Not two  
> weeks or so later you suffer a head gasket
> failure. Coincidence? I  
> think not. 

see that.  i like to call that an "assumption".

i recall you from way back in february when i
started trying to get my head around some of the
type44s design strengths and flaws.  you were the
one that accused me of being ricey and attacked
me for wanting to lower my car.

of the many things that were said in your email
reply to me, you said that you reserved the right
to laugh at me when bad things happened to me. 
well, bad things have happened to me, and they've
not been because i just jumped the gun and upped
the boost.  it was done in such a way that fuel
and air in proper measure were present at all
times.

i did NOT do the zener diode mod.  i asked about
it, and while i managed to get the resistors, i
still have yet to get a 4.3V zener diode.  it
sounds like a very good way of getting power, and
i'm sure that it would have worked fine. 
however, i went another route.  check the
archives.  i made mention of it before.

a friend of mine has been a vw/audi mechanic for
about 25 years now, and had much luck tuning the
10VTs back in the late 80s and early 90s.  my
digital gauge showed me that it was putting out
2.0BAR of boost, with some peaks at 2.1BAR before
the head gasket failed completely.

he drove his test car for 250,000km with the same
mods that i have in mine.  never ever did his
head gasket fail.  the car was eventually
scrapped because it rusted away.  i trust his
judgement implicitly because he has proven his
knowledge time and time again to me and to his
many loyal customers.

> A blown head gasket if the first
> symptom of an engine  
> experiencing detonation. Any chance one or more
> of the fire rings on  
> the removed head gasket is distorted?

the head gasket gave out where the head was
marred during it's reinstallation.  while a total
PITA, it's an understandable occurence because of
the weight and awkwardness of both the head
assembly, and the small area that it needs to be
fed into.

the cheque was in the mail on this one.  if 2
days @ 19psi didn't do it, then 30 days at 8psi
probably would have.
 
> As for installation of the new gasket, what you
> really need is tool  
> number 3450 seen here:
> http://www.zelenda.com/VW/page3.html
> It's an allen headed stud that screws into the
> block in place of a  
> head bolt and has a head that's  just the right
> size to fit the  
> oversized holes in the head gasket and head.
> Once you have everything  
> clamped in place by snugging down a few of the
> head bolts you then  
> remove the stud using the special allen driver
> included in the tool  
> kit. Without it there's really no way to make
> sure that the head  
> gasket is centered around all the cylinders.

i sincerely thank you for this information. 
however, my ARP studs are on their way, so i
think that this tool will not be necessary.

here's the thing, i'm here for information.  i
want to learn.  i want to know how large of a
smile a 10VT can paint on my mug.  if you can
offer info, then i thank you.  

however, if you feel the need to preface you help
with pointless attacks on me, then please don't
bother.  i have been more than civil the first
time you attacked me, and now this time.  do we
need to do this again?

jason
tmb

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