Headgasket - "While you're in there"

[edh]

After eliminating everything else (and sorting a couple of problems along the way) the car's off to Zentrum for them to take the head off. I hope it's just headgasket. Not getting any oil/water mixing, but have h/c in the coolant & lots of pressure!

What else is worth doing? The head was off about 30k/4years ago - valve guides & skim were done then. Belts & water pump were done Dec 05.

A new vac line kit came with the car - just as easy to put new ones on I guess?
Oil catch tank?

 

[chrisg]

Ed,

you might think about doing the various rubber coolant and vapour hoses around the head. Other consideration is the turbo, although you could readily do this at a later date just have to take the inlet manifold off.

C

 

[edh]

Thanks Chris - Turbo was also rebuilt in 2002, so should be OK

 

[Fen]

I'm probably the worst to ask as when my gasket went about 5 years ago now I managed to get the bill up to almost £8k while I was in there.

I did a head refurb, turbo refurb, all the rubber pipes and hoses replaced, Autothority MAF, TiAL wastegate, custom remap etc.

 

[zcacogp]

Not sure what they are planning to do as part of the job as standard, but cleaning and de-coking the head and having the valves lapped in is well worth it. Don't bother with fancy 3-angle seats or anything, just re-grind them properly. (Preferably by hand, with a short stick with a rubber suction cup on the end and a tub of valve grinding paste.)

It's ALWAYS worth it.


Oli.

 

[edh]

I'll give them a call tomorrow to see what the head looks like - I'm hoping it's still fairly clean after only 30k

Fen - the car's already too fast for me - I don't want to make it any faster [] I have asked them to inspect/replace hoses if any look dodgy