:( Head gasket gone. Sell for parts or fix ? need help please

[daleyboy 0]

Maybe a bit harsh Wendy, but this is a forum of enthusiasts, with a passion and willingness to help and support each other, may come across a little over the top sometimes.

 

Breaking a C is close to all our hearts, because it means the end of the road for the relationship, and some of us are not looking forward to that prospect.

 

The man should just feel the support, and do the right thing in his own mind, whatever that is, but we have tried our best, and have the best of intentions.

 

Can we have a happy ending now ?

[VR6 0]

Can we have a happy ending now ?

 

We'll send the Toad round ;)

[daleyboy 0]

We'll send the Toad round ;)

 

I was hoping it wouldn't come to that..........

[Wendy 0]

We'll send the Toad round ;)

 

Happy ending with Toad - are you serious !!! lol

[Crispy Squirrel 0]

OK SO everyone let me just make a few things clear-

 

The news was vague - and I wasn't charged for the windscreen wiper fixed so it was free but what he did say was:

 

The head gasket has gone but it still runs- Expensive + chances are that there is damage done from overheating as my engine temp never worked-

as you've had no engine temp for a while it could mean burns etc further into the engine-

getting the engine temperature gauge up and running more £££

the coolant pipes/ thingy will need changing-

the heater matrix needs fixing to get heaters working again-

front body work - £200 best quote so far

 

all in all about £1000.

 

Ontop of that my gearbox will go soon, I can feel it! Clutch is **** ...

 

I'm a little annoyed that all of you assume that just because i'm contemplating saying goodbye all of a sudden re-values my role on here as an enthusiast! I've wanted a f***ng Corrado since I was about 15 !

 

I have NO... I mean ZERO mechanical capabilities and no where to carry out any work inside the hood...

 

I'm therefore still torn between giving up, and getting another motor saving up more money and getting another rado later in life...

 

Or reading what you guys post and taking it to a recommended garage while it still runs and has an MOT till aug'

 

 

So again... Any garages I can call around Essex area Northeast london (Romford,basildon, preferably)

 

Maybe declare off the road, save some money, get it all done in one BOOM ....

 

Please don't reply like I don't give a ****, this is not just a car to me she's my baby,

 

its not a vr its a valver + my finances are ****ed so this decision doesn't come easy! I was un-employed for 6months before my current job still lots of dept and **** floating about!

 

anyway, thankyou everyone so far for saying what i needed to hear. I know what i should do its just ****ing dumb in terms of ££££ thanks again.

 

so Garages? Second opinions from a garage would be great

 

---------- Post added at 6:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 6:14 PM ----------

 

PS when i said breaking I meant sell it so someone else can use it as parts, sorry, I was just panic typing yesterday

[captainredeye 0]

Ok it was me that pipped up about the vr, re wrote my original post and didn't correct properly so sorry for that!

Cash and space restriction your having i would suggest taking it off the road or selling as a none runner, it sucks but the way you have put it, it sounds like you need an engine and gear box overhaul and that wont be cheap!

[Critical_Mass 10]

gearbox could be just a new clutch though.

 

depends really if you need the car as a daily. if not and there's room for you to work, then take it off the road and do it gradually. failing that asa last resort id say sell it as a non runner. Im sure some of the helpful chaps, maybe ones in this thread ;) would offer to help to carry out the work with you and you can learn how to do it. i can hold a spanner and can do certain jobs - never done a HG before so i can appreciate how daunting it sounds. but once youve done it for the first time you'll have more confidence and knowledge.

[Crispy Squirrel 0]

gearbox could be just a new clutch though.

 

depends really if you need the car as a daily.

 

It was my daily yes. Now she's my dead daily that = train every day! -

 

This links back to me getting rid, saving up for a daily newish golf or something then getting a vr6 in a year or two! save up the pennies!

[pbradley98 0]

Sounds like you're not able to afford the cash to have it done professionally and haven't got the facilities to do it yourself - from personal experience a Corrado is never a cheap car to run as things are always going to need attention sooner or later on a 17+ year old performance car, so you may be best off selling as a non runner to someone who can do it up themselves and then put the proceeds to another C in the future once you've sorted yourself out.....

[EJ Taylor 22]

Corrado's are ****! cost to much to look after/ maintain, buy a nice little clio! trust me, the whole "VW reliability" thing... its all bull! old boy in my village has a Citroen AX it looks like it sank with the titanic and got dragged out the ocean 20 years later, but that stilll runs, he said to me other day it never cost him a penny... so im thinking clio or AX... haha... (just lightening the mood)

 

IMHO declare her of the road, if u have a garage, and get a old lil mk3 polo or sumit for few hundred slam it on some splits for a lil temp vw... and then get under the bonnet and have a go urself, will be a good little learning curve for you, and WHEN (not if) WHEN you finish you will feel a great sense of self accomplishment, and your general knowledge of the car will improve massively! as has been said, everyone of here would happily help u every step of the way :)

 

and wendy, i never noticed any of this thread as harsh or unfair, untill your comment stated it as that, i though it was just a group of people sharing opinions. fair point though.

[GrahamU 6]

IMHO declare her of the road, if u have a garage, and get a old lil mk3 polo or sumit for few hundred slam it on some splits for a lil temp vw... and then get under the bonnet and have a go urself, will be a good little learning curve for you, and WHEN (not if) WHEN you finish you will feel a great sense of self accomplishment, and your general knowledge of the car will improve massively! as has been said, everyone of here would happily help u every step of the way :)

 

Not sure on buying a clio, yuk

 

Totaly agree with taking it of the road and having a go yourself, if you have no mechanical knowledge then it will be useful to learn for any future Rado ownership.

 

Before you decide to sell or keep, whats the rest of the body like, is it rusty at all, if the main bodys good then its worth keeping, mechanicals can be replaced with parts bought of here or ebay.

 

1200 is not a bad price but it is 20 yrs old and nothing lasts forever, my rado has a full service history but now I've had a good look over it I've found the last owner seems to have stripped most of the interior and left 90% of the screws in a tin in the glove box when he put it back.

 

Hang in there and have a go

[Crispy Squirrel 0]

On a scale of one to ten how hard would it be to fix the head gasket ? I have a friend who's offered to let me park it in a garage while I save money for fix or fix myself.

[VW_OwneR_85 2]

On a scale of one to ten how hard would it be to fix the head gasket ? I have a friend who's offered to let me park it in a garage while I save money for fix or fix myself.

tbh iv never had to do it but if i had to do it by myself with no help i could imagine how daunting it might feel, but they have the whole process step by step in a haynes manual {not corrado specific but mk2-mk3 golf}for the average joe so i cant imagine it to be that hard, i started out learning to diy to save money and to have fun + learn at the same time as i knew next to nothing about cars and i needed to change that, its a slow proccess even if your keen to learn but once your confidence gets built up you wont even concider takeing your car to a garage!

i agree with ej taylors comment, i would also get a second opinion from another garage about the head gasket being gone for what its worth.

also the best way to look at this is, you cannot realy make it any worse and its allways fixable! even if you have to source another engine , there cheap enough,

good luck and get stuck in! if your into rados learning to diy will pay for itself in the first month!! just think of the ££££££ saved!

[seanl82 23]

I had no auto mechanical knowledge when the oil cooler went on my mk3 golf, I was on the motorway at the time and didnt realise until my water temp was in the red. I checked oil temp on mfa straight away, and it was at the upper limit. I tried to make it from Exeter to Bristol (my destination), but only got as far as Taunton before it finally gave up the ghost. Massive engine temps, resulted in blown HG too so it was bye bye. I hired an engine crane, sourced a new lump for £50 and did it all myself, replacing loads and painting up the block like new! New clutch, lightened flywheel, new water pump, all gaskets and belts, and it all cost me less than the garage quoted me to skim the head and replace the gasket! Internet forums really are a massive wealth of knowledge, and I did it all with a haynes manual, and a forum, and some basic tools! Honestly, worth a go yourself, you'll grow in confidence with every step mate!

[Wullie 1]

On a scale from one to ten? How long is a piece of string. It's not too difficult to be honest. Basically its a metal jigsaw, but, you get a manual to tell you how to go about it. Start with the first instruction and go from there. The biggest problem you will come across is stuck bolts though taking the head off the only ones that might cause problems are the exhaust manifold. Plenty of WD40 and allow it time to soak. Cylinder head bolts are splined heads so you would need to get the proper bit for that. Also handy are a roll of masking tape and a marker pen to mark stuff you take off or disconnect, combine that with a camera, phone or digi to take pics before and after removing bits. If you do have a problem there's always this forum. The last time I did head work on mine, new stem seals, it took about three to four hours start to finish. First time I did a head was many moons ago and I was terrified. Wondered what all the fuss was about when it was back together and running the next day. I would suggest you go for it, you will be pleasantly surprised.

[Leonard 0]

Personally I would cut your losses and sell it on for spares or repair.

 

You have had at least had some fun out of it and you may get £600-800 pounds for it as it is. New owner may split it for parts but hey thats up to them. You have stated already that you would like a VR some time in the future so doesnt make any sense to me for you to throw money into your current valver. Get it sold, get a reliable runner for commuting and then buy a sorted VR if you still want one some time in the future when funds allow.

 

All best with everything

 

Matt

[Wendy 0]

Totally depends on your available time to commit to the job and desire to do so then..........

 

---------- Post added at 7:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 7:45 PM ----------

 

and wendy, i never noticed any of this thread as harsh or unfair, untill your comment stated it as that, i though it was just a group of people sharing opinions. fair point though.

 

It could have easily have just been me, no harm meant.

[Crispy Squirrel 0]

Ok so i've sent my friend and fellow corrado owner who's going to let me park the car in his private garage and I wrote this:

 

"How would you feel if I bought a Haynes manual, some new tools, some jacks, and we use my car a learning vehicle for Corrados ? The guys on the forum are really pushing at how I should just give it a go doing it myself! "

 

So if I get the go ahead:

 

Where and what haynes do I buy?

What tools do i need?

Car jacks or engine crane etc?

 

This will be a weekend project. anything else I need?

 

I'm actually pretty excited! I love fiddling with **** and fixing stuff, I just will forget where to put it all back!!

 

 

Thanks to Wullie for his wise words... and seanl82 I'll let you guys know the score!

[seanl82 23]

Glad you've decided to do it mate! You'll need minimum 2 axle stands, trolley jack, hire an engine crane or buy one if you prefer, torque wrench, multi spline socket set, clutch alignment tool, and lots of basic tools. Not sure which manual you'll need. Passat workshop manual iirc. It will tell you in there of specific tools you need. It also gives good tips on how to fabricate your own tools for certain jobs so you dont need to buy expensive stuff you will never need again! (hopefully!). I'm sure someone will be along if I've missed anything. Good luck mate, and look forward to the outcome!

[EJ Taylor 22]

Ok so i've sent my friend and fellow corrado owner who's going to let me park the car in his private garage and I wrote this:

 

"How would you feel if I bought a Haynes manual, some new tools, some jacks, and we use my car a learning vehicle for Corrados ? The guys on the forum are really pushing at how I should just give it a go doing it myself! "

 

So if I get the go ahead:

 

Where and what haynes do I buy?

What tools do i need?

Car jacks or engine crane etc?

 

This will be a weekend project. anything else I need?

 

I'm actually pretty excited! I love fiddling with **** and fixing stuff, I just will forget where to put it all back!!

 

 

Thanks to Wullie for his wise words... and seanl82 I'll let you guys know the score!

 

ha sounds like me., love taking stuff to bits, not so great at putting it back together again! lol

[davidwort 0]

just my 2p

start by taking the head off to see what the damage is, for that all you need is a few sockets and a spline tool for the head bolts, I'd also go underneath the car with a long socket extension bar or two and undo the six nuts that hold the exhaust manifold to the downpipe, rather than attempting to undo the manifold to rear-of-head bolts, that way you can lift the head off complete with the exhaust manifold, much easier.

If the head/block seems OK visibly and with a straight edge (steel rule) to check for the head face warped, then whip the gearbox off to see what's going on with the clutch, you need another spline tool to remove the driveshaft bolts from the gearbox flanges to remove the gearbox from the engine, otherwise it's just unclipping the gearshift cables, speedo drive, reverse light switch and the big bolts from the box to the block.

Providing you have something to support the engine available (a 60 quid engine support beam that you could sell on afterwards would be a good buy) then all this investigation work will cost you very little, before you decide whether repair is viable.

 

sort of engine support beam I'd go for:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-300Kg-Engine-GearBox-Support-Lifting-Beam-ES300-/370257339487?pt=UK_Lifting_Moving_Equipment&hash=item56350ea45f

Edited July 16, 2012 by davidwort

[Crispy Squirrel 0]

Glad you've decided to do it mate! You'll need minimum 2 axle stands, trolley jack, hire an engine crane or buy one if you prefer, torque wrench, multi spline socket set, clutch alignment tool, and lots of basic tools. Not sure which manual you'll need. Passat workshop manual iirc. It will tell you in there of specific tools you need. It also gives good tips on how to fabricate your own tools for certain jobs so you dont need to buy expensive stuff you will never need again! (hopefully!). I'm sure someone will be along if I've missed anything. Good luck mate, and look forward to the outcome!

 

So I got a friend who's going to go halfs on me on the Corrado Manual (yellow) any idea where i can source one?.

 

So to get to the head gasket do I need to get an engine crane and pull the exhaust off, or can I just access the headgasket from taking the head off ?

 

Obviously being a complete novice I don't really want to explore just yet.

 

davidwort Made it sound a bit less intimidating!

[Southie 10]

The yellow corrado Bentley manuals are usually on amazon for around £50 But that only covers the G60 and Vr6 engines

 

The purple passat manual (sorry cant recall the years) covers the 2.0l 16v 9a engine

 

I think I still have one from when I had a 16v I'll have a look tomorrow, if I do, you can have it for the cost of postage

[Southie 10]

Your need to take the exhaust manifold off yes, but no need for an engine crain for just taking the head off, an extra pair of hands would be useful tho

[Crispy Squirrel 0]

The yellow corrado Bentley manuals are usually on amazon for around £50 But that only covers the G60 and Vr6 engines

 

The purple passat manual (sorry cant recall the years) covers the 2.0l 16v 9a engine

 

I think I still have one from when I had a 16v I'll have a look tomorrow, if I do, you can have it for the cost of postage

 

Thanks alot mate. I'll send you an extra tenner ontop of whatever it costs for some beer.