[Vwdiesel] 91 Cyl Head

[Val Christian]

My 16 yo daughter and I pulled the cyl head off my 91 Jetta this 
weekend.  I have a couple of questions for the group:

1. What are the favored mail-order/internet sites for parts, including 
gaskets?

2. Who are the known suppliers of new heads?  (eg Bowwow $780, 
Recycle Jack / Strictly Rabbit ($590 with cam, exchange but new))

Here are the highlights of the job:

-240K miles.  Warmed the engine up, and pulled the injectors.  Compression
was taken twice for each cylinder.  All readings 495 PSI +/- 5 PSI.  
Unbelieveable.  At least in my experience.

-Used oil sucker to get coolant out of the cyl head, prior to work begining.
Sucked though the "overflow" bottle, then popped a sensor at the front of the
block, and slurped it up there.  Less than 1/2 oz of total fluid escaped.

-Used the "klemfedderspreader" tool to pull the exhaust C springs
and it worked smoothly.  It should for the price of that tool.

-Broke a SK T-55 tool getting the cylinder head bolts off.  After using
some shock, and a new T-55 tool from Advance Auto, with a backup from 
Autozone (Ampro and OEM, respectively), the bolts came out OK today.
The SK tool twisted, and the socket cracked.  Local NAPA sells SK, but will
not warranty them, because the factory doesn't give them warranty credit.
I guess I'll think again about buying SK, after the failure, and 
the inability to get the replacement tool on a timely basis.

-Examination of the headgasket, suggests that there was a gasket failure.
We'll see what the machine shop has to say when they check it out.

-Except for sooty oil, the entire cyl head area, if wiped, appears 
extremely clean.  Absolutely no visible varnish.  3000 mile oil changes
in this puppy.

-Daughter did much of the wrench swinging.  Says actually working a wrench 
is boring.  I suggested that I use the downtime swinging the wrench to 
think of the next phase, or how I can do things smarter or faster.
She is quicker than I am to try using magnets to grab things.
By her account, we took about 5.5 hours pulling the head and doing the
compression check.  It normally takes me just under 4 hours, but 
I normally don't wait for an assistant to take things off, and I normally
don't break sockets.

Val