grillage

Here's what mine looked like when I got the heads off.

As I recall I just wiped off whatever funk there was on top of the cylinders.

Passenger Side


Driver's Side



I thought I had bad valve stem seals because I kept getting one spark plug fouled every couple months. Oil would build up all over it until it could no longer spark. Then I thought about doing the port and polish of the heads and the IM and so I bought a spare set of heads from a guy in Chicago who had cleaned them and had them tested. This being my Daily Driver it was important to have as little down time as possible and I knew I could probably sell my heads once I was done for close to the same as I bought the new ones for. (I paid $200 for the new, sold mine for $100 - so I paid $100 for the luxury of taking my time with the P&P procedure -fine with me.)

The offending cylinder was the closest to the bumper on the drivers side. the replacement of the heads didn't fix this problem so I am under the impression that I have a bad oil ring in that piston and have decided to live with it by dealing with oil consumption and carrying a spare plug for when the plug in the car gets fouled.

Here's what My heads looked like compared to the "new" ones

Lago Blue

Please see my post re: MMO to Griillage on the 12v forum. Would this also work on the ridge as you could wipe some directly onto them and leave it there overnight?

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho...ght=carbon+MMO

hubturn

I'll give the Marvel Mystery Oil a try and see what it does. Then it won't be a mystery. Can't hurt, and if VAP is recommending it, it for sure can't be bad. This job has taken on a life of it's own. I'm betting at some point I will have wished I would have just pulled the engine and done everything possible.

mlinder

I'm at the same place you are in a head gasket job! I have the exact same question. I have everything disconnected from the coolant pipe, but can't figure out how to slide it back!

I can see the other side once I removed the thermostat (I was going to replace it anyway)

How do you get the coolant pipe out from the engine block/water pump?

The parts diagram shows some kind of o-ring.

Thanks

hubturn

I am assuming you are referring to the coolant pipe that bolts to the rear of the heads. I placed a screwdriver handle between the rear of the head and the pipe and levered it rearward. It moved easily and yes, there is an o-ring at the front of the pipe that might as well be replaced. Since the pipe is in the way of the drivers side exhaust manifold, I disconnected the big radiator hose and the oil cooler hose, removed the bracket that holds the connectors close to the valley pan, and since I have an EGR valve, I disconnected it from the exhaust manifold (a PITA). I also removed the oxygen sensor since I knew it would come out easily (previously replaced it). Then I rotated the pipe vertically to allow removal of the drivers side head. This was about the only thing that 12v.org and Bentleys failed to mention, so it was a bit of a surprise. I'm waiting for hoses to replace since I'm in there.

GuyllFyre

After doing the valve cover gaskets and valley pan flattening and gasket, it turns out I still have a pretty bad oil leak and the only place I can see that it might be coming from now is the head gaskets.

This looks like a beast of a job and I'm not looking forward to it.
I'm starting to hate this car.

GuyllFyre

Guy I got the car from says that the head gaskets were done about 8 months prior to me buying the car. I got it in November of last year, so it's less than 2 years ago.

What's the opinion that I can pull the valve covers and retorque the bolts to fix it?

I don't want to have to do this job and I can't afford to pay someone and I also can't afford to be without a car for any length of time.

hubturn

Where are you seeing the oil? While my head gasket job was not specifically for oil leaking, if the valley pan job associated with this fix doesn't end my oil leak, it is probably the rear main seal or upper oil pan gasket. I don't relish either.

GuyllFyre

I'm seeing the oil around the head gasket and top end areas.
I did valve cover gaskets and valley pan gasket and I'm not seeing any oil coming from the valve covers now but of course, the oil pools around the valley pan area and can't really get a good view under the intake.

I've just degreased it again and am out there with it idling and am trying to see where the oil is coming from with a flashlight. It looks like it's coming from the head gasket around the alignment pin areas near the front and back but I can't really tell as it's not leaking fast enough to show me the exact location.

grillage

A lot of people have had to do the Valley Pan fix more than once. Me included.