[Vwdiesel] Head gasket question

[Doyt W. Echelberger]

Mark suggests a kerosene-dribble test, and points out that the head 
flatness needs measurement.....both of which makes a lot of sense to me. 
Very helpful. Still interested in other replies.

With the head off, I can get a flatness reading from a machine shop. That 
still leaves the cracks as a factor. Maybe a crack leak could be plugged up.

Permatex makes something that might work, other than the "low pressure" 
notation in the product description.

                 Permatex® Hi-Temp Metal Repair Compound

"Makes long-lasting repairs to high-temp, low pressure exhaust leaks from 
the exhaust manifold to the muffler. Gets stronger with heat up to 2000°F. 
One-part, water-based ceramic is safe and easy-to-use."


Maybe I could work this stuff into the cracks and then peen them, and have 
a shot at getting the leak plugged up?

Compression in a cylinder certainly isn't "low pressure."

Maybe something else or some other approach exists....epoxies?   Anybody 
know anything about soldering-brazing-welding for this situation? I'll bet 
somebody has tried anything I can think of, and can tell me what happened. 
I don't want to buy another head.

I do have a naturally-aspirated 1.6 running in my 84 Rabbit that would drop 
into the space vacated by the TD. Or, could I just swap the heads? Does my 
TD head have anything special that would make such a swap unwise?... like 
high-temp valves, different cam, different passage locations...?

Doyt