Re: head problems, was hose failure

[Aleksander Mierzwa <alexaudi@kki.net.pl>]

At 23:50 99-09-20 +0100, mamn97@dial.pipex.com wrote:

>Anyway, I'm after some advice on what to do now I have the head 
>off. I'm guessing that I need it skimmed so shall I just take it to a 
>machine shop?

If the car didn't overheat excessively when the head gasket blew, chances
are the head is not warped. To check the head for warpage you need a steel
ruler and a feeler blade. A machine shop can do this for you.

>and should I have it crack tested? And do I have to 
>take the cams out etc.. to have this done?

Although the machine shop probably won't mind if the cams are still in
place, it's a good idea to remove them to avoid possible damage. You don't
need to remove valves, springs etc.

>Also, since this is the 
>first time the head has been off is it best to have new valve 
>seals/guides/springs? - (140k highway miles)

Depends on how much are you willing to spend, which, in turn, probably
depends on how long are you going to keep the car. Since the head is
already off and it has 140k miles on it, doing the seals guides and springs
would make sense and give you a peace of mind for at least another 150k+
miles. On the other hand, the VW engines are so robust they can often run
for 200k+ miles without the need to touch anything. AutoBild recently
decided to check how long a stock A2 chassis Golf with 1.6 engine can
really last. They acquired one with 250k km on the clock and all records
and started driving it extensively, doing all required maintenance though.
At 350k km they gave up and sold the car because the engine, transmission
and chassis were still not showing any signs of wear. The engine had never
been opened and even the guide seals were still OK. 

--
Aleksander Mierzwa
Warsaw, Poland
87 5KT