Headgasket leaking!

[merlin's S4]

Found an oil leak this week coming from the back corner of the head gasket (Exhaust side) on my S4. The garage told me not to worry too much about it at the moment but to keep an eye on it and sort it when the Cambelt's due in a few thousand miles (currently 153k).
Do you have any tips or stuff that I should know about replacing the gasket on these cars and is there anything else that I should be looking to do while I'm at it? I've read something about paper and metal gaskets on this engine so has mine gone because it has the paper type or could it be something else? Also, is this job something that I can attempt myself or is it best left to the pro's?
Thanks again Guys!!

[audiman]

AAN 'should' have the steel type headgasket IIRC. But a few early ones may have slipped thro with paper gaskets. Mine used to driblle a tiny drop of water on the inlet side (a lot of 5cyls do). This wasnt a problem until i turned the boost up.

Basically the headgasket wont cure itself. But its uncommon for them to leak in that area.

There are a few things i would do if i was you. Timing belt, timing chain, water pump, headgasket, crank pulley, crank bolt.

These are some of the things that may aswell be done whilst its all apart, considering the mileage. Paper gasket is NLA, so it will get a steel one.

HTH

[merlin's S4]

Cheers Tom! How's that quote coming along for the cambelt? Fancy adding the head gasket to your list? A guide price will do for now, so I know how much to save or more likely, get my credit limit increased to!!

[audiman]

Im sorting out for you now, i tried to send you an email from work, but my outgoing mail server is messed up and i dont know what that means!!! LOL, im a mechanic not a computer wizard. Gimme a day or so and i will work out a cost of doing just the belt, and then a cost of doing the headgasket. Might be worth at the same time, replacing any broken exhaust manifold studs. Quite common for these to break as the manifolds warp over time and stress them.

But you wont know what they are like until the job is started.

[Ski]

howdy.

I have a 1996 coupe and mine came with a paper gasket :/

Mine started leaking a few months back and i was even conteplating selling it after the dealer gave me a quote.

Luckily I was introduced to Tim Cooper. He purchased a metal gasket "set" and replaced all gaskets. He fixed about 3 oil leaks and 1 water leak

[kwlw]

Interesting, I've also found some oil in exaust side back corner of my AAN (1996 year production S6). Are you sure it is not coming from some breather hose or smthng ? I saw it last sunday, but haven't paid attention, because just thought that oil is comming from the breather somewhere .

I will check my AAN on saturday. If it's head gasket , then it sucks .

Sau

[Mihnea]

Most of the AAN engines have the paper gasket, BTDT, even on 1997 model years. Looks like Audi have been cheap and haven't used the readily-available metal unit from the RS2 on the S4/S6....


HTH,

Mihnea

[kwlw]

Mihnea, what we should expect from this paper gasket ? I mean, what is limit of it (boost, rpm, hp, etc ?), and maybe you know into what usually turns this minor oil leak.

BTW, anyone has good/bad expierence with Elring metal head gaskets which are sold for a bargain here, and described as direct OEM gasket replacement.

Sau

[s4_rider]

I have the same on my S4.
One of those audi bugs.

[diesel des]

Elring is one of vw/audi OEM manafactures i believe. Should be good.

[audiman]

Elring is good stuff, should be perfect.

[Geir]

Mihnea, what we should expect from this paper gasket ? I mean, what is limit of it (boost, rpm, hp, etc ?), and maybe you know into what usually turns this minor oil leak.

BTW, anyone has good/bad expierence with Elring metal head gaskets which are sold for a bargain here, and described as direct OEM gasket replacement.

Sau

I would like to know that too.
Is 1,5 safe on this gasket or?

Geir

[Ski]

ive upgraded mine to metal as described above. i think its the elring too. Ive hammered mine on 280 bhp and it fine. i would assume it would take a LOT more since its made for the rs2.

[Geir]

i was refering to the paper gasket.
what kind of boost is safe with that headgasket?

[audiman]

Paper gasket on my 3B blew out at 1.5 bar. Its not a good idea to run much more than that