felicia N-reg 1.3 glxi AFTERMARKET & SUPERIOR head gasket?

[RicardoM]

The engineer looked inside the port at the middle of the guide and said it was cast iron.

Ricardo...this seems to contrast with it being bronze so I tried to find Skoda's suppllier(s).

I didn't say bronze (copper/tin alloy), I said special brass(copper/zinc alloy). That is totally different.

 

Here is a view through the exhaust port. Worst case scenario, due to economy, that could be cast iron on your car, as it is on Favorit.

 

 

The removal of the guide - that is the easy part. Tap the hole from the top, screw in a proper screw then hammer punch the screw from the other side. It's a half hour job with a hand tied behind the back.

 

I will ask my Czech friend on his opinion. He is a mechanic, he buys parts for me then sends them by mail. It is a shame Skoda dealers and other importers play games with you when there's plenty stuff on the continent.

Edited 6 November, 2015 by RicardoM

[fpga]

Yes sorry...you did say brass.

Thank you for the detailed photo, howto and for asking your friend. Very much appreciated.

I must confess I was quite surprised at the lack of availability.

[Breezy_Pete]

I think I've found the source of the bronze/brass confusion. For reasons I can't explain, the non-cast-iron guides are described as 'manganese bronze' despite the alloy constituents being mainly copper and zinc rather than copper and tin. See here (scroll down to sub-heading "Valve Guides").

[RicardoM]

My Czech friend (Lugosy) told me that any machine shop for engines should have all the materials and tools to make valve guides. There are only about a dozen shapes of guides that cover all existing engines and there are catalogs available with the exact dimensions. The interior of the guide should be machined with a precision reamer. In your case to 7.98 mm.

[RicardoM]

[fpga]

Thank you both for all the clarification and information.

 

___only about a dozen shapes of guides that cover all existing engines

WOW

 

I've got the broken valve guide but it was too dark to take a good photo...Hopefully tomorrow....

Wondering how to check what it was made of...I grabbed my big magnetic screwdriver and...the guide "stuck" to it so....cast iron.

Looks like the UK got the cheap stuff :(

The engineer (not Gerry) machined the new guide from a bigger guide (longer and thicker) out of his box

i.e. he told me that when he has to order guides, whatever they are, he always over-orders a few for this type of job.

I just need to test that the liners aren't below the top of the block tomorrow and then the great reassembly can begin.

One thing I am wondering about is...is it best to put the head back on the block WITH or WITHOUT the manifolds attached???

I can see pros and cons both ways.

 

BTW that's a very clear video. Thanks.

Edited 10 November, 2015 by fpga

[RicardoM]

I just need to test that the liners aren't below the top of the block tomorrow and then the great reassembly can begin.

Prior measuring the protrusion of the liners, clean thoroughly any trace of gasket from the block. I don't expect any issue, your engine head gasket failed from a clear case of corrosion due to bad coolant.

One thing I am wondering about is...is it best to put the head back on the block WITH or WITHOUT the manifolds attached??? I can see pros and cons both ways.

I would install the head without any manifold attached. Take every precautions to avoid stripping any other bolt when mounting the exhaust manifold.

Edited 10 November, 2015 by RicardoM

[fpga]

Thanks very much for the advice and the valve guide shapes.

[fpga]

Not much done today i.e. it's been very dark and threatening to rain all day.

However, I did check the height of the liners vs the top of the block.

My straight edge was too big to fit easily so I used a steel ruler.

I couldn't really confirm that the liners were higher or lower than the block so (there wasn't much in it at all and I know the rulers out very slightly by comparison to the straight edge so.....I'll give it a whirl i.e. if I could see that the liners were lower....it would've been "plan B".

 

I also did the job I was least looking forward to i.e. getting the (many) tiny pieces of rotted/broken gasket and sludge from between the piston liners, at the bottom, in what are very narrow, but deep, spaces.

I tried several "tools" but the only one that really worked was a high tensile wire cavity wall tie (very stiff but springy for it's thin-ness) with one end bent straight.

 

I used this end to loosen and move the debris to the wider areas and then moulded a piece of blue tack to the same end (into a point) and pressed this into the crud to lift it up. I used a maglite with a focussing beam to get down into the gloom and guide my actions and find the pieces that were hiding. There were several.

Edited 11 November, 2015 by fpga

[RicardoM]

How about cleaning the treads of the head bolt holes in the block?

How about cleaning the head ports side where the new manifold gasket(s) will sit?

Grease all studs and nuts that will hold the manifolds.

[fpga]

___How about cleaning the treads of the head bolt holes in the block?

Today I went to the local pound shop and bought....

Some more of that penetrating oil (that loosened the broken off head bolt) and a fine copper wire brush to clean all male threads before whizzing the nuts up and down on them repeatedly.

Re the female threads that the head bolts go into...once I got my new head bolts I sacrificed one of the old (non-rusted) ones and made a thread chaser (like Wino suggested) i.e. I held the bolt in a vice (like this...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/141807278989?adgroupid=16885268106&hlpht=true&hlpv=2&rlsatarget=kwd-124272971586&adtype=pla&ff3=1&lpid=122&poi=&ul_noapp=true&limghlpsr=true&device=c&chn=ps&campaignid=270621186&crdt=0&ff12=67&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff14=122&viphx=1&ops=true&ff13=80) fitted to my window sill and used a tiny triangular file to cut a V. I'll be using that tomorrow.

___How about cleaning the head ports side where the new manifold gasket(s) will sit?

I already did a bit of that. I started using a stanley knife but it seemed like very hard work and quite risky to the mating surface so I tried an old London pattern screwdriver like this...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Toga-London-Pattern-Screwdriver-8-1-2-Total-Length-/151401585287?hash=item23403cda87. No damage was done and it was a LOT more efficient.

____Grease all studs and nuts that will hold the manifolds.

Good point...I used to have some in the garage. I'll get some if I can't find it. I was going to use engine oil.

Before checking the forum I'd been looking at what to use (with my penetrating oil) to clean the rusted cylinder/piston top and block top more thoroughly. I was thinking about a well-used washing up green scouring cloth and penetrating oil. What do you think of that?

Edited 11 November, 2015 by fpga

[RicardoM]

Before checking the forum I'd been looking at what to use (with my penetrating oil) to clean the rusted cylinder/piston top and block top more thoroughly. I was thinking about a well-used washing up green scouring cloth and penetrating oil. What do you think of that?

Use only a soft cloth or paper towels with WD40 or similar. Let it penetrate then wipe It will work great.

Below you have a method to keep the liners in place if you want to rotate the crankshaft and slightly oil with fresh engine oil the inside of liners to prevent rust and also to help at first engine start after assembly.

 

 

[RicardoM]

More photos from fpga.

 

The broken valve

 

Thread chaser from head bolt

 

Wall tie and bluetack

[Breezy_Pete]

Great work fpga, and Ricardo.

That thread chaser is a very nice piece of work. That level of care and precision gives me a lot of confidence about the outcome of this repair.

Vacuum cleaner is another useful tool to apply during cleaning operations; perhaps with a 'finer nozzle' adapter made from rolled card + duct tape? You can also get aerosol 'air dusters' for not too much money to stand in for a piped supply of compressed air, for blowing debris out of holes.

Edited 11 November, 2015 by Wino

[fpga]

___Use only a soft cloth or paper towels with WD40 or similar. Let it penetrate then wipe It will work great.

Thanks...will do!

 

Thanks also for the liner-securing method.

 

Thanks also for the Vacuum cleaner suggestion...I tried that but used an A4 plastic sleeve and it collapsed in a bit due to the suction.I got it to "work" by supporting the tube shape with my hand but card would've been better.

 

___aerosol 'air dusters'

That's a new one on me...Thanks for that and also for the encouraging comments.

Edited 11 November, 2015 by fpga

[RicardoM]

fpga says:

I cleaned up the block surface, pistons, liners and the four front-most stud threads i.e. nearest the headlights, that take the nuts, then it started raining which you can see traces of on the second piston in from the left.

For somebody working outdoors, he did a great job.

 

More photos he took below.

 

Block after cleaning

 

Head bolts and nuts in template

 

Using a ratchet ring spanner helped

[fpga]

Thanks Ricardo.

I'm waiting to use the thread-chaser but It's pouring down at the moment.

Hopefully later.

As you can see the block top didn't escape the corrosion entirely but on balance it seems better to leave it in the cleaned state rather than try to remove metal and get it wrong. The cylinder tops look relatively unaffacted.

[fpga]

In between the showers I managed to chase all the head-bolt holes and get most of the rubbish out which was mainly confined to the holes at the corners of the block,

Hard to tell whether the crud removed is gasket, rust or both.

Today it's just...give everything a final cleaning with petrol and drying ready for reassembly.

I also need to go and get some oil.

While I'm at the shops I thought I might try an air duster.

Letting my fingers "do the walking"...

I've just seen that Poundland are doing 200ml air dusters for....£1.

This contrasts with Screwfix's £6.99 for 150ml can.

Guess where I'm going .

Back later.

Edited 14 November, 2015 by fpga

[RicardoM]

More photos from fpga. Getting closer.

 

The thread chaser in action...

 

... and debris extracted.

[fpga]

The head went on yesterday....after lots of further cleaning (Photos later).

When initially finger tightening the head bolts I forgot a washer...so removed the bolt again and was surprised how much crud was on the threads.

By contrast my chaser had ran clean on each one so that's something to check.

 

I checked all of them and found crud on 3 or 4. I also didn't finger tighten the bolts that hold the rocker gear i.e. I just placed them in the holes to act as guides which let me better position the rocker gear bolts and lift the rocker gear up and down to locate the push-rods into the gear.

Re the 90 degree head-bolt tightening...I wacked up the torque and used the ratchet to postion the wrench to point to the back of the car. I then stood on the passenger side of the car and pulled the wrench towards me so that the handle was at right angles to the side of the car i.e. using the car's sides as a set square.

Today I need to clean the manifold faces and fit the manifolds.

 

Not sure what that little pipe that passes through the exhaust shield goes into???

i.e. when I removed it I had to do it blind.

 

Before realising that my gasket set included those for the thermostat housing...

I created a masterpiece using a cereal box and X-acto knife so...I should've checked first

Edited 16 November, 2015 by fpga

[RicardoM]

Not sure what that little pipe that passes through the exhaust shield goes into???

i.e. when I removed it I had to do it blind.

A photo would help.

[fpga]

When cleaning up the exhaust manifold...I noticed a fair-sized threaded hole and the pipe that goes up through the exhaust shield fit it perfectly so hopefully...that's "the one". I've got quite a few photos (including one of some "mission-saving" equipment) and just tried to send them but my ISP service is down. Hopefully later...

Edited 16 November, 2015 by fpga

[RicardoM]

fpga sent me 18 photos. I will post only some of them. The rest will be part of an upcoming guide about a DIY engine cylinder head job. Getting very closer.

 

Head gasket on. Engine oil inside to prevent rust.

 

Head on, no bolts for rockers yet

 

Rockers on. Torquing the bolts

 

Exhaust manifold faces cleaned

 

Manifolds gasket on, exhaust manifold on

 

Exhaust manifold to downpipe

Edited 17 November, 2015 by RicardoM

[fpga]

Thank you very much Ricardo.

Any tips re doing the tappets?

[RicardoM]

Jack the front right side of the car. Engage 5th gear. Spinning the right wheel clockwise by hand will rotate the crankshaft.

Loosen all locking nuts on rockers and unscrew the setting screws so that you can rotate the crankshaft all the way 2 turns.

Then follow the instructions in Skoda Workshop Manual that I sent you, chapter 15-6. It is a little by little approach in 2-3 stages till all valve gaps are set according to specs.