RE: blown head gasket

[quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)]

In message <mailstart.1/7/99.4013.84.> gerard@dockside.co.za writes:

> Huh? White goo? Is this seen when you lift the oil filler
> cap from the valve cover, there is a splash plate over the
> cam (well, I think that is it since my backyard mech was
> fixing another 200 and he lifted off the cap to reveal the
> cam whereas on mine there seems to be a cover over the cam
> and under the valve cover), on my 200 the thing is a kind
> of cloudy white colour, looks real filthy.

I have this problem on the Passat.  The only other serious delta from
the norm on that engine is low dry compression in #3 (~8 bar - the rest
are 11 bar) and I've always thought it was blow-by chucking gas pulses
up the breathers.  A 3 bar delta between cylinder is out of spec, but I
can't be bothered fixing it since I plan to dump the car anyway.

Cam cover baffles just baffle me.  My MB doesn't have any - the Passat
has a large baffle spot-welded into the cam cover (it's the same head
and lifters, just a different cam) and I've seen engines both with and
without.  I've even seen baffles that completely cover the oil filler
hole, so you can't even _see_ the cam through the hole.

It's another issue like 'inlet manifold drip trays' - seems to be
random.

--
 Phil Payne
 Phone: 0385 302803   Fax: 01536 723021
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