Rebuild!

[RobDon]

Looks like I'm going to be tacking removing the cylinder head myself soon due to an internal oil leak and excessive oil consumption, anything worth watching out for? I've been reading the DIY guides on Vortex which have alot of good info for head removal and timing belt removal etc.

Looks like either my head gasket has gone or it's the valve stem oil seals, judging by the plugs:

http://i312.photobucket.com/albums/ll330/SonicBlueLeon/plugs1.jpg

As you can see plug No.4 is oily:

http://i312.photobucket.com/albums/ll330/SonicBlueLeon/plugs2.jpg

While the head is off I'll fit a new water pump with metal impeller, new thermostat, new timing belt kit, etc. I may have the head port-matched to the SEM before refitting too.

 

[h17och]

i know a good 1.8t head porter......probly the best

 

[DaNnY_LaD]

You need to removed..

Manifold Inlet & exhuast
Coolant housing
rocker cover
drain oil
remove timing belt makin sure its TDC

Then you need a m9/m10 ribe bit which are 13.99 from ebay...While its all off you might aswell change water pump to a metal impeller one as there only 20quid

 

[RobDon]

Yeah I'm gonna get the timing belt kit which has all the tensioners and the water pump with metal impeller.

Any reason why I couldn't fit a large port head if I could get one?

 

[Fl@pper]

did you run any compression checks yet ? or is it stripped ?

 

[RobDon]

Haven't touched it yet.

 

[DaNnY_LaD]

id do a compression test 1st then you nw were u stand..

 

[RobDon]

I don't have any gear to do a compression test. There is oil above the spark plug in no.4 cylinder which looks like the head gasket to me.

 

[DaNnY_LaD]

yeah it could be....

I desided to go with a large port head with Na cams...with my rebuild..

Il be running a sem mani and methanol too...

 

[IbizaAlex]

No point in going large port head. Small port will drive better with your setup. A ported small port will out flow a standard large port and give much better gains in power, torque, response and lag.

 

[RobDon]

Ok thanks for that, I think I'll just have the head port-matched to the SEM and rebuilt with new seals etc.

What do you think the problem is Alex? Oily plugs, heavy oil consumption - other than that the car runs perfect, no overheating, no oil/coolant mixing?

 

[IbizaAlex]

Is there much oil sitting ontop of the pistons? Did you mention it was more black smoke than anything else?

I found that the transition gasket was a very poor match to the ports on the head and the Sem itself. I took the dremel to it and matched it alot better. Was the one on your car made well?

 

[wild willy]

Looks like I'm going to be tacking removing the cylinder head myself soon due to an internal oil leak and excessive oil consumption, anything worth watching out for? I've been reading the DIY guides on Vortex which have alot of good info for head removal and timing belt removal etc.

Looks like either my head gasket has gone or it's the valve stem oil seals, judging by the plugs:

http://i312.photobucket.com/albums/ll330/SonicBlueLeon/plugs1.jpg

As you can see plug No.4 is oily:

http://i312.photobucket.com/albums/ll330/SonicBlueLeon/plugs2.jpg

While the head is off I'll fit a new water pump with metal impeller, new thermostat, new timing belt kit, etc. I may have the head port-matched to the SEM before refitting too.

Well within your capabilities Rob and a great way to get to know your motor. Head ported to suit the SEM sounds good too.

 

[wild willy]

I found that the transition gasket was a very poor match to the ports on the head and the Sem itself. I took the dremel to it and matched it alot better. Was the one on your car made well?

Very interesting Alex, i may dremel mine, but it didn't look too bad to be honest. I didn't notice if it was obstructing any of the original small ports. How much do you recon it would cost to get a small port head matched to a largeport SEM and gas flowed.

 

[Fl@pper]

I don't have any gear to do a compression test. There is oil above the spark plug in no.4 cylinder which looks like the head gasket to me.

might be worth considering acquiring/borrowing one

fair enough stripping the head off is easy enough and you can do the valve guides while it's off but check the bore on that one cylinder at least in case it's rings before you stick the top end back on

 

[RobDon]

Is there much oil sitting ontop of the pistons? Did you mention it was more black smoke than anything else?

I found that the transition gasket was a very poor match to the ports on the head and the Sem itself. I took the dremel to it and matched it alot better. Was the one on your car made well?

Mine looked ok, but I want to do away with it and just run a normal gasket between head and manifold, with the inlet ports enlarged to match.

I'll remove the plugs and see if I can see down there. I saw a couple of puffs of black smoke when it was on the dyno under load, nothing excessive though, but it is using alot more oil than usual.

 

[PhilW]

I wouldnt touch the guides as theyre pressed in, but you need to do a compression test and a leak down test to make sure its what you think it is.

 

[RobDon]

Could the oil issue be anything to do with adding too much timing or too much methanol going into the engine? Could it be the oil I'm using (too thin?)?

 

[RobDon]

I've ordered a compression tester kit, only £10.89 off ebay, so I'll do this and post up the results, what sort of figures should I be looking for?

I'm wondering if the oil I'm using is too thin, which is causing excessive blow-by and is being burnt off in the cylinders? Silkolene Pro S oil has 'Race' on it and does seem pretty thin, it is 5W30 though? Worth changing to VW specific 504.00 oil?

 

[PhilW]

Rob...

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showpost.php?p=2527468&postcount=2

Make sure its warm and you press the pedals.