[Vwdiesel] prepping block for head gasket tips

[James Hansen]

Will, I use these on every gasket surface, especially when using MLM or 
steel shim head gaskets on my race car motors.

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/3m7528.html

I just googled 3M roloc bristle disc, so you could see  a picture, no 
recommendation whatsoever for these guys, but the price seems good.
You'll prep maybe 5 blocks with one disc, so try to find one from a 
supplier such as acklands that breaks up cases and sells them individually.
They are EXTREMELY good surface prep, use with a die grinder (best is a 
90 degree one) and a roloc backing pad to match.
You want the white (v.fine) pad, it makes a very good gasket mating 
surface for most aanything, is very slow to cut on steel, mostly 
polishes, and is designed to surface prep aluminum, so it cuts very slow 
on steel.

Turn the crank so all the pistons are down a bit, stuff an oil saturated 
rag in each hole to catch cooties, and keep them from going past the 
piston crown to the top ring.  After polishing, clean clean clean.
run a tap down the head bolt holes, vacuum the holes out, blow them out, 
such them out with a soda straw, ANYTHING to get them completely 
perfectly clean or you can crack the block when the bolt encounters some 
foreign material.  Ounce of prevention saves a pound of "Oh shit!"
-james



Will Taygan wrote:
> first of all my shift key and caps lock aren't working atm, sorry for
> the punctuation...
> 
> 94 frankenjetta 1.6td - 85 or 86 engine - had 500 compression, blew a
> hose, lost coolant, overheated, now blows lots of bubbles into the
> coolant.
> 
> i tried retorquing, no luck.
> 
> i'm trying my 2nd ever head gasket - the first one was an utter failure,
> i think because i didn't prep the block well..  i was nervous about
> scratching it.
> 
> i'm pulling the head today, ordering parts and putting it back together
> next weekend.
> 
> any suggestions/specific products to use to prep the block
> 
> i'm bringing the head into the shop - 350 bucks high end estimate..
> we'll see...
> 
> are there any other repairs i should do while i'm in there
> 
> i'm in a buddy's garage, so i've got a heated space, but don't want to
> take too much time, especially since things were great - other than the
> standard oil drips - before the hose blew.
> 
> thanks,
> 
> will in alaska.
> 
> 
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