[Vwdiesel] TDI head prognosis

[Shalyn Shourds]

Well, the long beleaguered 2000 TDI is back in my garage after I hassled 
the shop for a week to get it back and after I handed a tow truck driver 
$82.  Means that I can actually get it fixed instead of letting it 
collect a surprisingly thick layer of dust in the back corner of a 
shop.  After that little timing belt "difficulty", one of the mechanics 
honed out the lifter bore that was scarred up and dropped a liter back 
in it declaring that he'd put it in his car, no problem.  Naturally, the 
first thing I did when I got all the parts back in a cardboard box in 
the trunk was take the head to a real engine machine shop.  They told me 
they wouldn't even take my head as a core, it was so torn up.  Said the 
lifter wouldn't hold oil pressure and that they couldn't fix it.   This 
is more in line with my expectations.  So, unless someone knows of a 
genius machine shop with a really awesome guarantee, I will be in the 
market for a used head.  Anyone seen a TDI head laying about?  One price 
I got was $695 rebuilt with a $300 core charge, which I would have to 
pay, sounds like. 

I wish I had a digital camera so I could show the damage around. 

Treat treat treat.

-Shalyn