loosing the will to live...

[Tomhorner]

As some of you know I have had, some teething problems with my s2 after putting the engine back together on my S2, I put fresh oil in today and a genuine audi filter and once it was warmed up still hardly any oil pressure.. also it seemed like it was "steaming" from the exhaust so I opened the expansion tank and the coolant just kept over flowing out.. I let it settle back down to half way started it with the expansion tank open then reved it, the water dropped then went back up when idling.. I then put the lid back on let it idle for 30 seconds or so turned the engine off then opened it again then it came out again so the expansion tank is pressurising. I presume the head gaskets gone? Could this affect the oil pressure? I have checked the oil and its clean still, I know im going to have to take the head back off I take it I will need new head bolts ect? I got the gasket of Quattro corner and the engine ran perfect before been taken apart.. Should I get the head skimmed? Find it strange its gone when its new and was torqued down correctly?

[cadiddy]

Is the cooling system properly bled? If there's still air in the system then it will pressurise as the air gets hotter and expands. Does the coolant smell like exhaust gas?

[twoqu]

Did you replace the head bolts when doing the gasket?

[Tomhorner]

I beleve it is, the smoke coming out the back and the amount that it was over flowing and how quickly it pressurised again.. Could a oil gallery be leaking on the head gasket hence low oil pressure?

[Tomhorner]

Yes I used brand new ones from Pete at Quattro corner.. must have spent nearly 2k with him now must be due a loyalty card

[S2central.net]

Sounds like a weird one... maybe wrong head gasket supplied or fitted wrong way up (not even sure that is possible from memory).

[mike74]

What's the temperature gauge in the car saying when its doing this, reading very high or normal? Thermostat in wrong way round?

[Tomhorner]

im going to double check the cooling system is bled correctly tomorrow, I checked the head gasket to the old one and it was the same size and holes ect.. made sure all the oil/water ways were clear, all was fine before I taken the engine apart, I didn't get the head skimmed but It was fine before not as if it over heated or anything and I haven't bothered on other engines and have all been fine..

[Tomhorner]

The water temperature is fine runs bang on 90 and the fan kicks in and out as it should.. the thermostat is on the right way.. and if its open its open?

[newsh]

What was done in the rebuild? Anything else changed?

Did you change the mains or big end shells? If so did you check clearances? Oil pressure depends on the pump and the clearance between crank and shells. As long as you have a good oil supply to the oil pump.

If oil and water were mixing you would have mayonnaise..

Did you take the sump pickup off?

[andy10v]

The cooling system can be a pain to bleed, I have unbolted the header tank, and raised it up when it has been a PITA.

[newsh]

Thats true, did you bleed the heater matrix?

[andy10v]

When you say hardly any oil pressure, what is the oil pressure hot and cold?

[Trist28]

Id be inclined to check the oil pressure sender, wires etc and maybe try another gauge before doing anything drastic. Also is the oil pressure warning light on too or are you just going by the VDO dial? Check all sender wires are on correctly (and on the correct senders)

From memory if you put the low pressure switch wire on the sender for the gauge it just reads around 1 bar of pressure... Or that is the case on old golf engines - I have audi VDOs in my mk2 Scirocco and have had similar issues many many years back.

Worth checking before wasting time on another engine rebuild!

[S2central.net]

Good advice there above - could be something silly.

Was the oil pump renewed or rebuilt - could the pressure regulator have been built incorrectly ?