ABY cylinder head replacement guide wanted

[Bibby]

I can't seem to find one on the forum. Not something I've ever done before but I'm going to take the car off the road and do it.

Despite paying a garage over a grand for a repair when the spark plug blew out, I'm still losing coolant and I'm convinced they've cracked the head, despite them saying they "pressure tested" the system and that it's fine... when it isn't.

Any pointers on this one would be appreciated, ie things like what I'd need to buy and replace etc, and how to do the work!

[volcano rs]

you will need head gasket set and a engine shop who could pressure test the head for you .but before all that why don't you get someone to pressure test your water system it might be a very small leak in your coolant system its cheaper than taking your head off

[Bibby]

I sometimes get whitish smoke from the exhaust that smells of coolant, usually when I restart the engine after a short run.

Also when I start the engine, it seems to misfire for a minute until it settles then it's as smooth as you like.

The garage had the car back after the initial rebuild because of the problems I've described. They had the radiator repaired as a pressure test they conducted found a small leak in it. They also assured me that the head and gasket were ok too, as it was initially suspected that the new gasket may have failed.

After the rad repair they then told me that everything was now 100% ok and charged me another £200. I was assured there was no leakage, no coolant loss and no white smoke.

Needless to say I haven't gone back. Rather than throw good money after bad, I'll do it myself.

[Jamo]

This may help

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthr...highlight=head

[Bibby]

Cheers Jamo, doesn't really give me everything I need.

Where do you start? Do you need to drain all the oil? How do you lock up the engine, find TDC? How do you refit the cams etc?

[volcano rs]

you won't need a locking tool if you're just taking the head off .if you are going to replace the belt then you'll have to take the main crank bolt off which is very tight .if you haven't done this kind of job before then you'll need someone around you to guide you or it could become very expensive mistake .

[twoqu]

Yea! Why not have a go at it yourself. At least you will know whats been done!
Did they pressure test the head?
Are you definately consuming coolant? Is the level dropping?
An alternative would be to get a reputable, competent garage (i.e, not a "specialist" beginning with Q) to test the cooling system for traces of combustion gases in the header tank. This is done chemically. That will flag up head gasket problems. Other alternatives would be a leakdown test. If it bubbles in the header tank ditto!
Even if these tests show nothing there is still the possibility that the head has become porous! The only reliable test for the integrity of the cylinder head is for it to be removed and pressure tested. I remember Steve H had a weep from a port.
So the question is do you want a definitive answer. If the answer is yes then a thorough investigation is necessary.
You have a massive resource in the Forum. Take advantage of it. You will have the satisfaction of a job well done! Even if your mechanical abilities are limited, heres the opportunity to get educated.
I believe you can source some reading material from Erwin (Audis technical dept). Rather than go through registering etc, perhaps someone can lend you the information you need and you can then gauge whether you are capable. Cleraly there are certain procedure that need to be followed in a sequence (head bolt removal being one of them!).
In my experience most people have the knack of removing things. Reassembly is a little more complicated. Nevertheless, if you are patient and methodical (remember Audi provides alignment marks etc) and not afraid to ask what might seem stupid questions, then go for it!

[twoqu]

Here you go!

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1564

So you can see that it might not necessarily be apparent unless a close inspection is made!

[Bibby]

Yerah, definite coolant loss!

I've no problems weilding a spanner either. I'm an aircraft technician by trade and now teach aircraft mechanical engineering skills.

Thanks for the link to that thread, very interesting! I'm not getting any water in the oil, or vice versa, so that could be the problem. Not sure if it would cause the misfiring on startup though.

I've got myself a runabout to tide me over so I can work on my car slowtime, or as quick as funds permit anyhoo.

[twoqu]

No prob!
So you have the aptitude. You have alternative transport. You have somewhere to do it. Get on with it then!
Seriously, if coolant is leaking into the chamber somehow then that might account for the temporary misfire. You are trying to start combustion not extinguish it!
So don't forget to start a thread, take some pics and ask questions. Unfortunately there is no way of knowing what was done and how well. It may well be that the head gasket is still intact but the coolant is finding its way in from somewhere else. Just need to be thorough!
Good luck!