Cracked head.

[Fulltimejunglist 0]

My car is currently overheating as appenrelty it has a cracked head, i got a quote on engine being put in (1.8 16v kr) which was £500 - 600 if i supply the engine and £1300 for them to put a new head in (Apparently a full rebuild)

 

My expertise are far from superiour which is why im asking for someone to install it for me, i want to drive it now not in 3 years.

 

Im aleady unsatisfyed by the enigine and its performane - Supercharger will eat my pockets (Have holes in them already) a VR would be nice but again id like to do it but would take me along time and alot of tools.

 

Repairing it seems the best idea and sticking with the fact its slow (Sorry to anyone who i may offend)

 

Anyone got any ideas on what i should do as im skint and need the car to work properly and not overheat every 15 mins... or somone who'd fancy doing me a vr conversion for a fairly decent price ? as you lot may think this is a better option.

 

Im not a pussy to do things myself, i love getting stuck in on my car, after all its my car and i love it so id obviously want to do it, i also have some mad plans for the future which will depend on me knowing how to carryout a conversion.

 

I lack tools, work space and knowledge but i generally work my way around that as i have done the majority of the work to all my cars my self.

 

Minus a drive shaft as i had 9 stiches in my elbow and couldnt bend my arm and a clutch on my mk1 as i again doubted my abilitys.

 

Id apprechiate any sugestions, cheers people.

:epicfail:

[Jim 1]

Cheapest thing for you to do I think would be source a good working head from a known good engine (I'd be surprised if you couldn't find for for £100) and just get it fitted by a good garage?

 

That is if it is just the head and not the block..

[Fulltimejunglist 0]

how much do you reacon it would cost as i got a quote on the head for 1300 for a new head to be put in.

 

And 5-600 for a new engine, if i find one.

[Fulltimejunglist 0]

Was at Nationwide autos.

[sixpotter 0]

Buy a complete engine and just swap it over, no messing around!

[boost monkey 0]

Where are you based?

[quicky1980 0]

£1300 for a refurbed head! :cuckoo: maybe for a gas flowed and blue printed one but to rebuild a 16v head wouldnt cost more than £200-£300 surely?!

 

Get a second quote on the head rebuild and fitting.

[Fulltimejunglist 0]

Sutton Coledfield...

 

I will try another quote, garages are all skanks.... thats the problem.

 

I cant find a decent machanic, the reaosn i dotn like sending my car to get done is because i generally am dis impressed by the work carried out or the price i pay for it to be done.

 

Cheers though.

[NewbridgeJob 0]

Sutton Coledfield...

 

I will try another quote, garages are all skanks.... thats the problem.

 

I cant find a decent machanic, the reaosn i dotn like sending my car to get done is because i generally am dis impressed by the work carried out or the price i pay for it to be done.

 

Cheers though.

 

Personally I'd go for the VR conversion. Loads more power and you can get an engine and gearbox for about £300-£350. I saw one on eBay the other week it may still be there

 

I believe Chris on here done a 16v to VR conversion so you should message him for advice and what else is needed for the conversion etc

 

£1300 for a rebuild is ridiculous in my opinion

[quicky1980 0]

I carried out the 16v to VR6 conversion. It can be done but lots of work. Lots of engine out there becoming cheap but also getting quite tired. Stick with what you've got or maybe do a 9a swap? If you want VR then buy the complete car, esp if you're not capable if doing the swap your self.

[Critical_Mass 10]

and dont go to nationwide.

[Fulltimejunglist 0]

I dont use them tbh i just asked them for a quote on what they thought it would be....

 

I use car care who are tbh, so rubbish i cant even explain it without using language which would without doubht ban me from this forum. Simplifyed into being usless.

 

Broken parts and stated they didnt use them and said they wont pay to repair them, no care taken on my freshly painted wheels, now scratched/chipped around the bolt holes.

 

Broke my mk1 door handles and told me they wouldnt have had to use the door when fixing the car, i laughed and said, obviously this means youve left my car open for the past week out side then? they obviously were stumped...

 

I hate garages as i cant trust them, my work is potentially fairly un trustworthy but alot cheaper so i generally do it myself.

 

Cheers people...

 

what work would need to be done for a cracked head and what would it involve, sorry if this is a long answer but my car needs help so i supose its my best bet other than spending silly money on the car i only bought for £800

[The_Dude 0]

1300 quid is ludicrous, but i reckon they are quoting you for a brand new head from VW. You should pick up a 2nd had one on here and get it rebuilt for about a quarter of the price.

And find a new garage, those guys sound like muppets.

[n3p 3]

If you're really desperate I have a sub 100k bare KR block and head you can have if you collect...taking up room tbh!

[Jim 1]

Maybe worth speaking to DG Autotech for some advice as they're not a million miles away from where you live. Just talk about the problem and ask their advice on the most cost effective way to put it right.

[Fulltimejunglist 0]

Cheers for both comments, i will have to see what places say and i wouldnt be able to come down and pick it up even thogh i much apprechiate it as my car is not working....

 

I will try and see what my friends etc can do for me...

 

Is it right you live in croydon?

 

Thanks very much for the responses, any advie is better than my own.

 

Aha, thanks.

[duckdown_hoodrat 0]

got quoted 300 to 400 for a head rebuild from a guy ive used for years here in bromsgrove. just would obv need a head

[kerrly 0]

2 options really, a second hand head can be bought for £100, a head gasket kit/bolts/water pump/service items add another £100 and you can swap a head (so long as nothing sheers/rounds/breaks) in a day without stressing.

 

OR

Find a second hand 2.0 engine for £2-300 and fit the whole thing which a "normal" garage would charge £4-600 depending on if you have service items replaced at the same time.

 

I 2.0l conversion will be a significant change, idealy a ABF engine from a mk3 golf would be the better option as they are newer/often lower millage than the 9A engines that come in corrados and passats but these have a few added complications being a tall block hence the easiest option is the 9A. I built a 9A with KR head running on Kjet and it was good for 165hp and very different to a standard 1.8.

 

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY

 

How has the garage diagnosed a cracked head if they havent removed it already? Could the HG of gone or a seal/core plug in the head instead of the actual head failing?

 

For reference i had a 16v head rebuilt last year an had

- 8 new valves

- 16 new valve guides

- 16 new valve stem seals

- 16 valve seats cut an enlarged

- mild porting an polishing of inlet/exhaust outlets

- new cam chain

- new retainers/valve springs

 

That lot cost £240 CASH

 

 

dave

[n3p 3]

Yes I live in Croydon. Tell you what if you're really in need then I could probably split the head and mail it to you (at your expense). It's a little tappety from cold but otherwise fine and postage shouldn't be too much - would obviously benefit from a rebuild but I would advise a skim at the least which isn't expensive. From there on, off the top of my head you'll need head, manifold and rocker gaskets, stretch bolts, cambelt & tensioner, a torque wrench and a socket bit to fit stretch bolts.

 

Not the hardest job tbh, my mechanical knowledge isn't that great and i managed to do it! Just make sure you're methodical and do your homework.

 

I also agree with kerrly about the garage diagnosing a "cracked head".

 

Good luck

 

Nick

[Fulltimejunglist 0]

Thankyou very much for the offer mate,i think i will probaby have to take you up on that offer, would i be sweet using all the sae parts as the old stuff minus the bolts?

My engine was in nice condition tbh 89k fairly decent everything else, now it overheats every 10-15 mins and very fast when on idol, its utterly usless. I have no gunk in my oil cap, no smoke... Puurs... and it had a HG in 2008...

The garage said that their was oil or something like carbon monoxide coming from the coolent system and they said this would be due to a cracked head, told me to use this blue devil shit which, i was definatly not going to do....

 

If you could possibly give me an average weight and size and your address it would be helpfull please as then i could see what the postage cost will be...

 

Cheers for the advise...

 

Would it be a hard swap from 1.8 - 2.0, like loads of new parts needed etc?

 

Cheers.

[kerrly 0]

The garage said that their was oil or something like carbon monoxide coming from the coolent system and they said this would be due to a cracked head, told me to use this blue devil **** which, i was definatly not going to do....

 

Would it be a hard swap from 1.8 - 2.0, like loads of new parts needed etc?

 

Cheers.

 

my suggestion is to get a garage, not necessarily the one that did the first diagnosis to do a compression test and to sample the expansion tank for Co2.

 

But there are a few more things you can do yourself,

 

Are there any signs of oil and water contamination? If the oil from the head is clean and not watery and the coolant in the expansion bottle is clean and not full of oil then the head gasket ought to be ok.

 

It is possible that the oil cooler is beginning to fail an allowing traces of oily crap into the coolant system, in extreme cases i have heard of a few people shelling out for new headgaskets when it was the (much) cheaper oil cooler that was causing problems allowing oil an water to mix resulting in a horrible mess in the expansion bottle.

 

Another quick test , see what happens when the engine is running and the expansion lid is left OFF - check if the water is bubbling away and there is evidence of smoke coming off the coolant? If it appears normal do the lid back up and continue running engine, wait to see if coolant is forced out of the overflow on the expansion bottle. Also what do the coolant hoses feel like, if there head gasket has gone and the coolant system is being pressurised the radiator hoses will feel rock solid, if they are still squishy then things are ok.

 

see how you get on an let us know

 

dave

[n3p 3]

Thankyou very much for the offer mate,i think i will probaby have to take you up on that offer, would i be sweet using all the sae parts as the old stuff minus the bolts?

My engine was in nice condition tbh 89k fairly decent everything else, now it overheats every 10-15 mins and very fast when on idol, its utterly usless. I have no gunk in my oil cap, no smoke... Puurs... and it had a HG in 2008...

The garage said that their was oil or something like carbon monoxide coming from the coolent system and they said this would be due to a cracked head, told me to use this blue devil **** which, i was definatly not going to do....

 

If you could possibly give me an average weight and size and your address it would be helpfull please as then i could see what the postage cost will be...

 

Cheers for the advise...

 

Would it be a hard swap from 1.8 - 2.0, like loads of new parts needed etc?

 

Cheers.

 

It's a straight swap, you'll just need new gaskets, stretch bolts and stuff as mentioned. I would recommend doing what kerrly has suggested such as checking the rigidity of the rad hoses before committing to swapping the head over! Are you losing coolant?

 

Not sure about weight tbh, someone else would probably have a better idea but it shouldn't be too much.

 

Swapping to a 2.0 isn't really hard, but I clearly remember the total cost being a lot more than I had envisaged! New engine and gearbox mounts, endless sheared bolts to be replaced, new clutch (rude not to), cambelt, tensioner, etc, etc all escalated quickly!

[stretch. 0]

I had a score in the head along with a hgf between cylinders, no overheating issues though. It was professionally welded, skimmed flat, and pressure tested.

 

That along with a whole host of other work (Fuel lines, rattling pulley sorted, new dizzy, all gaskets etc) cost me £675 for the lot. Engine certainly works much better!

[Fulltimejunglist 0]

"wait to see if coolant is forced out of the overflow on the expansion bottle."

 

What does this mean?

 

My car does this and overheats but hadgasket done fairly recently.