Bad News From the Block

[Quantum-man]

I guess the JB weld idea if failed would require another set of headstuds as they would be screwed.
Probably another block...I should take a pic of these cracks for yall, everyone likes a crack and a laugh, its the VW diesel comedy hour.

Why not put your glue in with your studs to get it to penetrate and then remove stud clean and then wax lightly then reinstall studs. Remove/turn slightly again if neccessary as glue begins to set...

[A1-2-A3]

Exactly Q-man. My procedure is just like you said. I noticed when I put the head bolt in all the way by hand oil would just squeeze thru the bolt hole to the coolant gallery on the block. I think what I will do is take some brake clean and fill all the headbolt holes on the block. Then take a clean headbolt and run it in by hand on each hole to hydralic the fluid into the crack if that hole has any, I know one hole has two cracks and one has one crack and maybe another one has a crack. There is no cracks to the outside of the block and all hairline cracks as all the integrity of the holes are pretty good the headbolts were all the same torque when I had to remove them. The brake fluid will hopefully clean the oil from the crack and later be usefull in the bond. Then I will make a misture of some sort of jb weld for cast, there is a couple brands on the market I want the highest strength and the highest working temperature. I need something that will have a low viscosity to penetrate into the hairline cracks. I will use the old headbolts to do this. Then I will run a thread chase to make sure the threads are clean. Let this set up for a couple of days and then install the headstuds with a high temp silicone or some sort of sealant. Then put a permatex copper spray on the block( to take up any inperfections from the surface one those areas of the hairline cracks install head gasket, install head and torque before the sealant is dry, flush the cooling system to take out the oil with cascade and replace the t-stat(seal will be destroyed from the oil in the coolant), retorque the headgasket warm and retorque at 800kms.
Think this might work? The worst thing is a crack traveling in the block and then creating problems. IF not all shoudl be good except another thing retorquing and disturbing the sealant. The headgasket I am using is the 65 dollar no retorque that says top on the gasket between cylinder 1-2 and the notches sit on the let of the oil drain. Its a german gasket that is great quality but I guess we still retorque no matter what parts we use? And what torque do we use on headstuds? WOuld I use factory 66? Or whatever the headstuds say to use? Anyways thats the deal. Thats the best farmer fix I can think of.

[82vdub]

I will run a thread chase to make sure the threads are clean. ...

Just to note, use only a thread chasing tap, not a thread making tap. A standard thread making tap will remove more thread material leaving your repair attempt with thinner and weaker threads. Good luck on your solution.

[A1-2-A3]

I got really nothing to loose, my bro want to make a electic car out of the body and I might go and get one of those passat tdi wagons on ebay that are around 25k, heck it would be over 38-40k here in Canada the same car, but I am kinda cheap and never had a car payment in my life and I like the fix er ups. Probably hard to find a 11mm 1.6 block eh? I think I seen a vw diesel ONCE at a auto wrecker a couple years ago. They chuckle when I ask about the old VW diesel.

[A1-2-A3]

Yep will have to get a set of chasers but probably could use just a old headbolt no?

[A1-2-A3]

What is THE best silicone to use on the threads or think thats a bad idea? Probably the high temp red stuff?

[A1-2-A3]

The worst part was explaing to my fellow techs at work why I only drove my car one day. I am the lead hand and take pride in my work and try my best to do all jobs with care. The only thing I did wrong was I didn't use studs. Poor desgin and had I known more about the weak point and a solution I would have done it in a heartbeat. I don't want any one else to go through what I did. Spread the word Vw dieselers.
Of course saying that on a online forum where everyone is all experts and everyone does no wrongs I can come under fire and you can say I musta done some shoddy work, but no one once said that, and I say thanks, pretty well manners forum. I know my manners have not always been up to standard on here and that needs to change as good help is not easy to find.

[Fatmobile]

I've torqued down alot of 11mm heads and have never had one strip out or crack the block.

I don't think it's because I do something right and am feeling really lucky right now.
I don't think I'll press my luck with stock bolts again if I can avoid it.

[hagar]

A1-2-A3 : a few fatherly words from a Rabbit Diesel lover. ----as bitter as that Crow may taste in your mouth ? - EH ? ---it is a good way to start..
I am convinced ---that you will become a Master "Hillbilly-TUNER" in time.

hagar was NEVER an Automobile or Engine mechanic----BUT Mother look at me now --no hands.

How did I do it ? EH ? ---forums SO be thankful to coke and Fatmobile and JACK.

I have a MUST read list ----and I talk to Val Christian in Rochester NY every chance I get.

hagar.

[A1-2-A3]

Hillbilly tuning these old diesels is THE only way to do it. Special tools and the dial indicator setup will never be in my box. You can hear when its in time.
Fatmobile you probably will never have trouble with the 11mm stock bolts. I just have terrible luck with my home projects and they want me to stay driving the old ford. IF it can go wrong it always does. Too bad I didn't pick up on the weak point on these 11mm engines. I just never read about lots of guys swearing on the studs is the way to fly. I just read of guys not wanting them and going to the 12mm instead, being I have a 11mm block and head I didn't have a option. If the jb weld don't work I am going to take the block out and shoot it with a 7mm and then it will have some cracks.

[A1-2-A3]

Heres the pic of my crack between the oil and coolant ports. I sure hope jb weld works, I am still in misery of my findings. What yall think? There is another bolt hole that was a hairline that goes to one prot and maybe another hairline crack somewhere else. 600kms on the complete engine job. Arp headstuds are coming on tuesday and will have it on the road again next weekend and hopefully it works. Will let yall know.

[/img]
Heres my car that this motor is in I painted it 11 coats of tremclad with a roller and wetsanding, it still needs another wetsand, but I need it on the road, it saves me 200 a month in fuel when it is running. Google the 50 dollar paintjob thats exactly what I did.

[hagar]

chrischris and ALL : lets do it better THIS time ---EH. ?

hagar NEVER boil out VW blocks in caustic tanks ---I use solvent tanks. --- WHY ?

these little German marvels are Painted inside to seal the sand casting sand in place.

chrischris go out and get some --" Never-zees " marine grade. (I call it ever sleaze).
and if lucky get hold of some Zinc dust..

for a thread chaser ? we will use an OLD 1.5 L head-bolt.----preparing the "holes" is important --read my lips.

this was all writ by one finger on left hand.----much more to come.

hagar.

[A1-2-A3]

I had mine never seized and all that and I got the result you can see, took 70 pics and only got 3 to show the crack. My block was likely acid dripped when it was at the machine shop. Ok then I need to hire some termites to paint the inside of my engine no problem. That is one hell of a theory possible that weakened my block..?.?. Wow thats the only thing I learnt today thats pretty good. Still like whiskey and wife cooks good. That hagar is always thinking, boys do not ever forget that. I will repair this cracked block and run it 450,000kms or it will die in a unexplained fire and will drive the new clean diesel VW is offering this fall in Canada!! I will get a CRD sport wagon for my family.. Need this to last 2 years..

[chrischris]

Ok everyone.

I got the block completely stripped down. Can someone please give me a step by step of concerning my engine rebuild? This is my first time doing this and I seem to be getting a lot of conflicting advice regarding the proper parts to replace....

Do I need to have my cylinders machined, therefore requiring new oversized pistons? Does the crank need any work?

[82vdub]

If you can't machine your own block, crank and redo your heads or have the tools to very accurately measure the tolerances, here's what I recommend.

Take the block, crank and head to a good local machine shop. Preferrably someone that has a clue what a VW diesel engine is. Have them inspect these parts and tell you what work it needs to get it back in shape. Then, once you know what size parts you need and if you want to build this yourself, get the parts for your rebuild. That's the proper way I recommend people do this since most people can't do this work themselves.

By doing this you also get the following:

- a pair of eyes on your parts that do this work every day. They may notice something that you never would
- the proper tools to service the block and heads by someone that does this every day
- likely, you'll not make a mistake doing this work and having to disassemble and redo something.

When I do rebuilds, I absolutely always plastigage my bearings, and measure my ring gaps. No shortcuts, because I want to know. I also double and triple check the process as I build the motor. Yea, making sure things are torqued properly twice takes a lot longer, but the extra time I spend at this likely has saved me having to pull the engine and take it apart wasting more time, money and tons of frustration.

As far as what all needs to be replaced, probably bring it all to the machine shop and have them tell you what to replace. Most hard parts (rods etc) can be used over, if nothing is wrong with them.

You may also want to spend the extra money and have the machinist magnaflux the block to see if any hairline cracks show up somewhere that the eye can't see. That may save you lots of money down the road, but most shops don't do this process if you just dropped off the engine and picked a rebuit engine up. This seems to always be a sep that you must ask for.