Hi everybody, I know I've talked this particular subject to death but I'm just wondering something. If the cylinder head was skimmed and crack tested, new bolts torqued down in the correct sequence and correct tightness and the egr cooler is not leaking. Could the problem lie with the block? I mean there can't be anything else can there?

 

Thanks,

Tom

A cracked block is incredibly unlikely.

13 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

A cracked block is incredibly unlikely.

Is this "Groundhog Day" again?  

1 minute ago, KenONeill said:

Is this "Groundhog Day" again?  

Can you see Bill Murray? If the answer is YES then probably.

1 minute ago, shyVRS245 said:

Can you see Bill Murray? If the answer is YES then probably.

No, but Andie MacDowell has just offered me a back rub!  

Just now, KenONeill said:

No, but Andie MacDowell has just offered me a back rub!  

Thought your sentence was going to end with BLOW JOB.

2 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

A cracked block is incredibly unlikely.

Yeah a cracked block is unlikely but doesn't the block surface have to be cleaned up before putting the head gasket on? I'm clutching at straws as to why I've still got exhaust gasses in the coolant.

Yeah, the block surface should be cleaned up before the head gasket goes on.

9 hours ago, TMB said:

Yeah, the block surface should be cleaned up before the head gasket goes on.

Thanks, if that wasn't done could that be causing the leakage?

I'd hope that you can be sure that a proper mechanic would clean up any/all flat surfaces before refitting a cylinder head. If not perhaps you have had a shoe repair place sort your engine?

23 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

I'd hope that you can be sure that a proper mechanic would clean up any/all flat surfaces before refitting a cylinder head. If not perhaps you have had a shoe repair place sort your engine?

Yeah well the thing is is that the place that did it gave me the impression after the job that anything will do and that they just rushed it. To be honest the other work they have done hasn't been upto par either so I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't clean the block. Would this cause the leak?

 

Thanks

The only way to solve this problem is to have the head taken off, have everything inspected and tested, then reassembled with a new OEM gasket and PD150 bolts.

 

The work needs to be done by a competent and independent specialist and thoroughly documented so that you can claim a refund from the original bodgers who almost certainly didn't do the job properly.

 

You can approach trading standards once you have proof, pressure from them should get you a refund but you may need to take them to county court to force them to pay up.

If this is the same car from a different thread i read about a short while ago, something to do with the coolant tank pressuring/suspect exhaust gas.

 

It has been far too long for you to be having this same issue and nothing has come of it. 

 

Please, take the advice you have on here. 

 

As for cleaning the block, it was skimmed surely as mentioned, so it would have been cleaned beforehand, and afterwards, if done correctly that is? 

 

Have it taken apart, components inspected and "Rebuilt" as per the advice above.

 

Yes its costly, but this is your car, gets you around and so on, so to keep it ticking surely is a must for you. 

 

Nobody is going to see you stung on here and sound advice is always given, many will say the same too. 

Edited 19 April, 20197 yr by 1Rapid

2 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

The only way to solve this problem is to have the head taken off, have everything inspected and tested, then reassembled with a new OEM gasket and PD150 bolts.

 

The work needs to be done by a competent and independent specialist and thoroughly documented so that you can claim a refund from the original bodgers who almost certainly didn't do the job properly.

 

You can approach trading standards once you have proof, pressure from them should get you a refund but you may need to take them to county court to force them to pay up.

Oh right, I wasn't aware I could redo the head gasket job again after I've used the car for a while because it meant skimming the head again and I'm already on the thickest HG available now. Is it still possible to redo then if I'm on the 3 hole HG?

 

Thanks

1 hour ago, 1Rapid said:

If this is the same car from a different thread i read about a short while ago, something to do with the coolant tank pressuring/suspect exhaust gas.

 

It has been far too long for you to be having this same issue and nothing has come of it. 

 

Please, take the advice you have on here. 

 

As for cleaning the block, it was skimmed surely as mentioned, so it would have been cleaned beforehand, and afterwards, if done correctly that is? 

 

Have it taken apart, components inspected and "Rebuilt" as per the advice above.

 

Yes its costly, but this is your car, gets you around and so on, so to keep it ticking surely is a must for you. 

 

Nobody is going to see you stung on here and sound advice is always given, many will say the same too. 

It potentially is the same thread, I do take people's advice on here and do as said. The cylinder head will have been skimmed but I doubt the block has because that's left under the bonnet as I understand it. Another reason for it dragging out is the stubbornness of the bodger, funds and lack of time to sort it.

 

Thanks for your input

18 minutes ago, Tomjones1995 said:

It potentially is the same thread, I do take people's advice on here and do as said. The cylinder head will have been skimmed but I doubt the block has because that's left under the bonnet as I understand it. Another reason for it dragging out is the stubbornness of the bodger, funds and lack of time to sort it.

 

Thanks for your input

Long day, sorry. I was on about the head skim, and the block cleaned. 

 

Hopefully you soon have a working car again.

39 minutes ago, Tomjones1995 said:

Oh right, I wasn't aware I could redo the head gasket job again after I've used the car for a while because it meant skimming the head again and I'm already on the thickest HG available now. Is it still possible to redo then if I'm on the 3 hole HG?

 

 

 

The head must have been warped to have enough taken off to go up a gasket size, generally only a minimal skim is needed for truth and a clean sealing surface, if the head is still straight a minimal skim will be fine with the three hole gasket, if it's still warped then you'll need a new casting which would explain why it keeps leaking.

 

Edit: There's little point in me telling you this stuff since you aren't doing the work, you REALLY need to find an independent VAG specialist to help you, they'll have done hundreds of PD head gaskets by now.

Edited 19 April, 20197 yr by sepulchrave

11 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

The head must have been warped to have enough taken off to go up a gasket size, generally only a minimal skim is needed for truth and a clean sealing surface, if the head is still straight a minimal skim will be fine with the three hole gasket, if it's still warped then you'll need a new casting which would explain why it keeps leaking.

 

Edit: There's little point in me telling you this stuff since you aren't doing the work, you REALLY need to find an independent VAG specialist to help you, they'll have done hundreds of PD head gaskets by now.

No I am honestly doing things to sort it. As mentioned before, I ruled the egr cooler out and I've also had it sniff tested to confirm the exhaust gases were still there. I have tried a vag specialist but they put k-seal in and said the HG was fine (which it isn't) so now I'm using somebody else who seems trustworthy and would probably do the job, I'm just trying to get all the facts together Sep, I promise I'm not wasting your time.

 

Thanks again

Edited 19 April, 20197 yr by Tomjones1995

8 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

The head must have been warped to have enough taken off to go up a gasket size, generally only a minimal skim is needed for truth and a clean sealing surface, if the head is still straight a minimal skim will be fine with the three hole gasket, if it's still warped then you'll need a new casting which would explain why it keeps leaking.

 

Edit: There's little point in me telling you this stuff since you aren't doing the work, you REALLY need to find an independent VAG specialist to help you, they'll have done hundreds of PD head gaskets by now.

No I am honestly doing things to sort it. As mentioned before, I ruled the egr cooler out and I've also had it sniff tested to confirm the exhaust gases were still there. I have tried a bag specialist but they put k-seal and said the HG was fine (which it isn't) so now I'm using somebody else who seems trustworthy and would probably do the job, I'm just trying to get all the facts together Sep, I promise I'm not wasting your time.

 

Thanks again

Well, a proper machine shop will blue up the head face, touch on and run the fly cutter to see how much of the blue comes off. I'd expect to see slight distortion between bolt centres but pretty minimal.

My best guess is that they used a crap pattern gasket, or didn't tighten the bolts correctly, failing that there's a problem with the head casting either being cracked or warped.

9 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

Well, a proper machine shop will blue up the head face, touch on and run the fly cutter to see how much of the blue comes off. I'd expect to see slight distortion between bolt centres but pretty minimal.

My best guess is that they used a crap pattern gasket, or didn't tighten the bolts correctly, failing that there's a problem with the head casting either being cracked or warped.

Okay then so my next step is to contact my current mechanic who is competent and get him to take the head off again and send it away for inspection?

35 minutes ago, Tomjones1995 said:

Okay then so my next step is to contact my current mechanic who is competent and get him to take the head off again and send it away for inspection?

 

Yes, but why send it away, surely there must be a competent machine shop somewhere nearby?

17 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

Yes, but why send it away, surely there must be a competent machine shop somewhere nearby?

I don't know about competent but a nearby machine shop yes there is. Only the one though. Out of curiosity, I was told by the bodger when I wanted genuine parts that vw would not give me a 3 hole gasket because my car had a 2 hole gasket and they didn't want any lawsuit/ trouble with the courts by giving me a different sized gasket so he could only get me non genuine oem parts. Does that sound as stupid to you as it does to me?

15 minutes ago, Tomjones1995 said:

I don't know about competent but a nearby machine shop yes there is. Only the one though. Out of curiosity, I was told by the bodger when I wanted genuine parts that vw would not give me a 3 hole gasket because my car had a 2 hole gasket and they didn't want any lawsuit/ trouble with the courts by giving me a different sized gasket so he could only get me non genuine oem parts. Does that sound as stupid to you as it does to me?

 

Let's just say I would have had trouble keeping a straight face...

 

If he's cut corners on the gasket then there's a fair chance the head didn't get done properly and I'd be surprised if he used PD150 bolts either.

 

This job really needs redoing correctly, I suspected as much months ago.

14 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

Let's just say I would have had trouble keeping a straight face...

 

If he's cut corners on the gasket then there's a fair chance the head didn't get done properly and I'd be surprised if he used PD150 bolts either.

 

This job really needs redoing correctly, I suspected as much months ago.

Yeah we established it wasn't done correctly but I thought it could just be the bolts but I had ruled that one out when they gave me the correct torque figures when I asked them. I didn't realize it could be redone but now I know I will pursue that. I suspected that was a lie

 

Thanks again