Is that a good post? Recently replaced the headgasket over the holidays. Car is still smoking and still loosing coolant. Now the smoke is not as bad, but it is loosing coolant more now than ever. Think the head might be cracked. Oh joy!!!

Anyone have an extra I5 20V head lying around???

-JIMMY

I had a 7A head that I gave to a machine shop when I had them rebuild my 3B head. I stripped the valves and cams out of it, but the rest of the head was in good shape. What's left is the casting, bearing caps, exhaust valves, lifters, and valve cover.

I can try to get it back from the shop for you. Where are you located? If you're close to Dayton or Chicago, I can just give it to you.

Nathan Engelbert
83 UrQ DA900453
89 90q
91 200q20v donor
91 200q20v avant

And you know I'm in Chi-town. Didn't know you got 90q and I see 3B coming soon, ha?

They'll need some attention to ensure proper fitment of new cams.

and see if I can get the casting back. Then it's yours. If what cuatrokoop is saying about cams being matched to the bearing caps, if you're willing to trade me your stock 7a cams, you can have the ones that are in the head.

All this is dependent on the machine shop giving me back my casting.

BTW, where in C-bus? I've got a friend in Powell that has some parts for my dad's prelude. If you could pick them up and bring them to me, you can have the casting.

And the 3b is going into my UrQ. I'm looking to sell my 90 soon since I just got the avant, just have to fix some things up first and get a stock suspension to swap out my coilovers and sell them separately.

Nate

I will trade you cams but you will have to wait until i get the old ones out, cool?

-JIMMY

I'll call the shop. I'm not in a huge hurry on the cams, just have to have them once my 3b is back together, probably in a month or two still.

Nathan

I've heard of the cam caps being specific to the head that they are on, since they are bored in place. Unless it's a 20v thing? I've swapped many a 10v cam without doing anything special like that.

issues. The caps (and head), even with film lubrication, still wear as they are just aluminum. Before dropping new cams I'd check things out, but thats me. Chances are, the wear won't be enough to cause any problems, but you never know.

But you are right about the boring, definately do NOT mix and match between heads, nor would you want to take the 2nd cap and use it in the 3rd or 4th location, chances are it'll be off alignment.

But you are right about the boring, definately do NOT mix and match between heads, nor would you want to take the 2nd cap and use it in the 3rd or 4th location, chances are it'll be off alignment.


what the heck does this mean?

-JIMMY

I know the test is supposed to be done when the engine is warm and i plan on doing it then, I was just curious for the difference.

1. 175
2. 150(first time) 160(second time, after i tested all the rest of the cylinders)
3. 180
4. 185
5. 185

Kinda wierd cause i was planning on the back half to read low. Hmmm... I have also been wondering/hoping that just my head bolts are bad and if i replaced them i could prolong the head rebuild until a better time (when i have more money and am not working out plans to move to NY)

Thanks everyone for the help and input, really appreciate it.

-JIMMY

Those things are torque to yield, which means they stretch. That is why I told you to check them, as they can loosen up a bit ;-)

BTW, you may want to think about just getting new ones, you really cannot/are not supposed to reuse those bolts.

That means, each cap is specific to its location in the head, as well as to that head. That means, no mixing and matching.

They said I can have the 7A head back, so I just have to schedule a time to go down there and get it. The shop is in Cincinnati.

I ought to have it for you sometime either at the end of this week or early next week. I'm headed to Detroit this weekend for the auto show.

Nate

I have been seriously thinking of just getting new head bolts and seeing what that does. Doesnt seem to be a crack or a warped block (the car never overheated enough to warp it, to my knowledge) So lately i have been thinking and praying that if i just got a new set of head bolts that would solve my problem. Might just do that.

-JIMMY

I dont think i am gonna use ur cams, i am not sure when (if i have to rebuild the head) i would be able to give you mine back. But i am def. interested in the 7A head. Thanks a bunch.

-JIMMY

and that doesn't end up fixing it and you need to use my spare head, it may be smarter/more cost effective to go with head studs. IIRC, they're ~$125 whereas a set of head bolts runs around $70. I'm going to be picking up a set of studs for the 3b that I'm building for my UrQ.

Just a thought.

Nathan

Jim's right, click my sig and the email is on my site. I've had a large reduction in spam since I stopped posting my email address, it was getting mined or something.

I am refusing to pull the head in OH. So if i could install the studs with the head on I would do that.

Another question, why would head bolts stretch yet studs wont???

-JIMMY

tools. I don't have air tools anymore, however.

The factory bolts are manufactured differently, and use a different alloy, which allows them to be manu'd "cheaply" and installed easily by hand or machine. Think of studs as very high tensile strength bolts with a low tendancy to plastically deform (as in, permanent deformation).

I have yet to see two cams wear in the exact same manner, so therefore I would check the tolerances when installing a new cam into any VAG head, and try to correct it if at all possible.

Still havent done a warm compression test, was too cold out this weekend. Have to wait till the week or something.

-JIMMY

I do have a garage, it isn't heated, but I do have a (small) 1500W heater that will take the edge off. It always stays a good bit warmer than the ambient conditions however.

Would really appreciate the usage of a garaged if some one wouldnt mind. Still unsure about the pulling the head deal though, just a lot of work to do, AGAIN.

-JIMMY

Hmm, now do I get the stroker kit or a lift, decisions, decisions.

in Powell.

Lifts are nice to have, but not needed to build a stroker ;-)

Look a couple posts up for answer.

-JIMMY