Re: 1984 Audi 500s

[William Elliott <William.Elliott@mail.mei.com>]

>>I had the water pump replaced then found
>>out that the fan was gone, and the head gasket was blown.  I didn't thing it
>>was worth fixing, the mechanic said at least $500 and then my rings might
>>blow due to a increased compression ratio.  If this is wrong please let me
>>know.

>I don't really understand why replacing the head gasket would result in
>increased compression. Especially increased enough to blow the rings. It is
>a common practice to machine the head to ensure it is flat, but it
>certainly does not increase the compression significantly. Besides, your
>'84 car probably has some miles on it and the compression is not as good as
>on a new car.

It's not the head gasket itself or even the slight increased compression due
to truing the head, it's the tremendous gain in compression from doing
the associated valve job, which I would do anytime the head comes off.

You had the answer yourself... an '84 car with high mileage will
likely have lower compression, partially from the rings and partially
from the valves.  Restore the valves to an "as-new" condition and
if you rings are weak, you'll have trouble. BTDT. Several times.

Of course you could just replace the gasket, but that doesn't make
sense if you're paying for the labor (a large portion of the bill.) 

Just my .02!

Bill Elliott
Lake Mills, WI