VR6 Head Gasket Blown.....

[Neil L. 0]

:( Driving home from work today experienced bad lose of power - so much so i thought the handbrake was still on - stopped at nearby filling station and checked oil filler cap and saw the dreaded white mush - certain head gasket failure!

Its a standard 1994 Rado VR6 (Sports zorst & K/N) - what are the recommended parts i should be looking at buying for repair other than the dealers oem items - eg Head Gasket, bolts, sealers etc.

What kind of cost am i looking at with/without parts for the repair and what timescale?

[dr_mat 0]

White mush is a regular occurrence in cold weather on a car that doesn't get up to temperature much. It doesn't indicate a failed HG. You may have other problems causing your loss of power. (One cylinder down you'd barely notice.)

[craigowl 0]

To check for HG failure, the following will help confirm:

1 - water droplets showing up against the oil on the dipstick

2 - dirty coolant in expansion bottle, with oily drops visible.

3 - Exhaust gases in expansion bottle - you may smell them or your MOT station can test for them with emissions tester, I believe.

 

There are others that forum members will know of. I am talking from the experience of it happening many years ago to a Polo 1.3 when we were on the Isle of Arran. :(

Never mind - AA Relay met us off ferry and took us and car to home at other side of Scotland . :D

[andy 0]

You really need a compression test to be absolutely sure, mayonaise in the filler cap can be caused by condensation. Head Gasket replacement is not a particularly more difficult job on the VR6 than any other engine. Assuming it does need doing, I'd just go for a complete gasket set, to include valve stem seals whilst the head is off and get the head resurfaced if necessary.

[Neil L. 0]

I can understand you all asking if it really is the HG - but i also lost about 1.5cms of coolant from the header tank when i first experienced the problem. I check the level every day and its held on the MAX mark for weeks now without me having to top up - a sudden lose of water albeit small again suggested a leak - also its the most mush i've ever seen on my filler cap!

However checking the dipstick revealed no white droplets at all! :?

I do get an eggy smell coming into the cab when i drive the car fast - could this be the exhaust fumes you're referring to? Most unpleasant! :lol:

Anyway the car will be going into the garage next week to be checked out - until then i think its wise not to use the car - what you all think?

[dr_mat 0]

I can understand you all asking if it really is the HG - but i also lost about 1.5cms of coolant from the header tank when i first experienced the problem. I check the level every day and its held on the MAX mark for weeks now without me having to top up - a sudden lose of water albeit small again suggested a leak - also its the most mush i've ever seen on my filler cap!

 

Relevant facts you forgot to mention! ;)

 

I dunno, 1.5cm of water loss isn't much really, and if your gasket was so bad you lost all power I'd expect rather more than that to have gone missing, and I'd also have expected you to cause an accident with the amount of steam coming out the back .. particularly in this cold weather!

 

Back to the subject of mush .. has the car been up to an oil temp > 100 degrees recently? For a good long period of time? This is a requirement for boiling all the dissolved condensation out of the oil in the head.

 

Eggy smell is catalysts..

[Neil L. 0]

As i did state the amount of coolant lose was small, however the vr was then driven only for say half a mile (home) before quickly turning off to investigate!

The point i was trying to make is that this was a sudden (and very unlike!) lose of coolant - that afternoon was checked and found tobe at MAX mark on header tank.

Im not 100% certain its HG but it seems that way to me - the power lose seemed a bit too much for a slight HG leak - which i would THINK it to be!

Is there any other way coolant can enter the oil other than the HG?

Its true the car has'nt been for a good run to clear condensation recently but still its easily the most whiteness ive seen on the cap which was covered!

You say the eggy smell is the cat - do you mean a fault or the NORMAL and expected smell it gives off?

[dr_mat 0]

Eggy smell is a poorly catalyst usually, but it could just as easily have been the car in front..?

 

I don't really understand now. You lost coolant, then checked again that afternoon and found that it had come back?!?

 

Coolant can enter the oil via the oil cooler too. But I've been round this loop - "oh no, mayo under the filler cap, must have a screwed HG", then a good long drive later having rebuilt confidence in the car and it's all gone - so you'll excuse me being sceptical.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

If the HG has gone, it will pressurise the header tank (a LOT) and also suck in coolant and burn it.

 

Your rear screen and bumper will have a nice pink (G12) coating, your temp guage will be off the scale and your power will be significantly down.

 

That's precisely what happened on my Golf 16V Turbo when it blew a gasket at 100mph on the motorway. It still drove 15 miles home like that. Not much water left though!

 

3.5 hours later I was driving it around again with a new gasket.

[Neil L. 0]

Suppose it would at 100mph mate! - I was going 30mph! :)

The coolant was checked few hours BEFORE the problem - and found tobe at Max mark and had been for previous weeks!

Still hoping its not the HG - Should know soon when my local garage is free! Not sure if i should drive to the garage or get it towed?

If it turns out tobe the HG, what replacement should i get - standard VAG or something a bit stronger? Also standard bolts?

[herisites 0]

Suppose it would at 100mph mate! - I was going 30mph! :)

The coolant was checked few hours BEFORE the problem - and found tobe at Max mark and had been for previous weeks!

Still hoping its not the HG - Should know soon when my local garage is free! Not sure if i should drive to the garage or get it towed?

If it turns out tobe the HG, what replacement should i get - standard VAG or something a bit stronger? Also standard bolts?

 

Are you running or plan on running anymore power in the future, and i mean proper power like supercharger or turbo not just shrick and cams etc? If you intend to stay standard then the standard gasket and bolts will be enough. If you are planning to go for some serious power then get a metal mk4 golf gasket and ARP non-stretch head and conrod bolts, your engine will be able to take some pretty serious power then.

[Neil L. 0]

No not going to supercharge or turbo it (but would be great :D ) - shrick & cams - well not sure yet (what power can you expect?).

Pretty much standard albeit i do like to put my foot down to hear the V6 :D - if standard gasket & bolts are fine then thats what i'll get - how about the metal one off the Sharan then?