So my head gasket is done for...

[grannyA4]

What a bad day...I arrive at my friends house to play guitar hero and sure enough my oil light comes on so i go to add oil and just my luck my oil cap is milky white...Fortunately now i get to replace my head gasket with a 034motorsport gasket that will lower my compression!

I have a few questions because i plan on repairing it on my own:

1) Will i need any special tools to pull the head?
2) Does anyone know any good sites to visit to maybe help me through the repair?

Any input would be great. Thanks guys

[LEGO]

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ht=ROSATI+HEAD

[njm23]

that is pretty much everything you would need to know. You CAN get away with not removing the front clip if you are very careful, but it would be easier to remove it for your first time and safer (timing wise). You'll need the head bolt tool, can find them on ebay or possibly a local store like eppys had one for me. You will need new headbolts since there are one time use. And I would try and replace everything you can that is a wear and tear item that may leak like the plastic pcv breather tube off the block, make it easy while everything is apart rather than fighting with it when your car is together.

BTW why would you want to lower your compression? IDK anything about 034's, they make good prodcusts, but I have heard bad stories with some other cars (not audis in specific) about headgaskets that space out the block and head for lower compression

[grannyA4]

that is pretty much everything you would need to know. You CAN get away with not removing the front clip if you are very careful, but it would be easier to remove it for your first time and safer (timing wise). You'll need the head bolt tool, can find them on ebay or possibly a local store like eppys had one for me. You will need new headbolts since there are one time use. And I would try and replace everything you can that is a wear and tear item that may leak like the plastic pcv breather tube off the block, make it easy while everything is apart rather than fighting with it when your car is together.

BTW why would you want to lower your compression? IDK anything about 034's, they make good prodcusts, but I have heard bad stories with some other cars (not audis in specific) about headgaskets that space out the block and head for lower compression

thanks man, Yeah i found a few places that sells that tool so i should have no problem picking it up. As for the compression lowering, I thought it might be a good idea to drop the compression because I run about 19 psi on my k04, but im starting to have second thoughts on whether or not to just get a regular head gasket. What do you think would be a better option?

[dwi_gti]

i have 9.25 : 1 cr on a gt30 runing 20plus psi on 93 oct no problems, leave the cr.
low cr = low hp

[grannyA4]

Hey Njm23, How long did it take you to do your head gasket replace? and how hard would you rate the job. I know I can do it, i just want to know what to expect going into it

[Don Supreme]

---- Use a stock replacement headgasket...

You don't need to drop compression.... (Planning a BT upgrade maybe? -- you would need rods too).

[Kyle H]

did you do a compression/leakdown test to make sure it's the head gasket and not the oil cooler?

[ghost6303]

lower compression = able to run more PSI of boost, but less HP off boost. since you have almost maxed out your k03 already, you cant run more boost, so lowering your CR would only loose you power without upgrading your turbo.

[oldblu]

is the 2.8 the same?

[Kyle H]

is the 2.8 the same?

In what respect? The 2.8 is VERY different....

[AudiA4_20T]

In what respect? The 2.8 is VERY different....

yea in what way? lol they are both B5s thats about it

[oldblu]

that was very general. It feels like it's much easier to do the head gaskets on a 1.8 - what would I be getting myself into if I did them myself on my 2.8? How many things would I be taking apart? (Don't mean to thread jack) They're getting done in spring so it's between professionally, or myself

[Kyle H]

I think the only difference on the 2.8 would be that you have to take off two heads instead of one.

[oldblu]

I thought it was more involved than that. I think 2.8s are a kinda crowded which would mean I'd have to take things off before I get to the gaskets

[ghost6303]

in both engines you have to take everything apart. you may have to move a few more wires or something for a 2.8 but the main difference would be the fact that you have twice the heads to take apart. 2 gaskets, twice the bolts, etc. other then that its not much more involved then a 1.8t

[njm23]

WELL, since you asked. I had to pull my head off today actually. I started at 1pm, head was off around 3pm and I took my time. Granted i did not take off the front end of the car I just fiddled with the t-belt tensioner and slid to belt off the cam gear and makred where it was. F-ed up HG FTL, brand new head too. machine shop just called saying it was 100% flat, so install error?idk

Regardless, if you have done any work on this car it is a piece of cake, just analyze things before doing them and you'll have no problem haha. Should take someone who hasn't done it like 6-7 hrs to go straight through. You getting your head resurfaced or anything? How and why did the HG go? You just need your basic metric sockets and allen/hex sockets and the headbolt tool. May consider changing out the t-belt while in there if it has not been done in a while. make sure you remove and tighten the bolts in the correct order!

shoot me a PM if ya got any questions that go unanswered.

Hey Njm23, How long did it take you to do your head gasket replace? and how hard would you rate the job. I know I can do it, i just want to know what to expect going into it

[grannyA4]

WELL, since you asked. I had to pull my head off today actually. I started at 1pm, head was off around 3pm and I took my time. Granted i did not take off the front end of the car I just fiddled with the t-belt tensioner and slid to belt off the cam gear and makred where it was. F-ed up HG FTL, brand new head too. machine shop just called saying it was 100% flat, so install error?idk

Regardless, if you have done any work on this car it is a piece of cake, just analyze things before doing them and you'll have no problem haha. Should take someone who hasn't done it like 6-7 hrs to go straight through. You getting your head resurfaced or anything? How and why did the HG go? You just need your basic metric sockets and allen/hex sockets and the headbolt tool. May consider changing out the t-belt while in there if it has not been done in a while. make sure you remove and tighten the bolts in the correct order!

shoot me a PM if ya got any questions that go unanswered.

Thanks man, that helps a lot! yeah I think I'm going to change my t-belt as well as my water pump and thermostat since I'm in there. Another question for you regarding the T-belt; when replacing it, do i have to make sure that the belt is in the correct position or anything as to not screw up the timing?

[njm23]

well it isn't possible to put "the belt in the wrong position". Basically Just make sure your crank and cam gears are both timed correctly, then slip on the belt which ever way you find the easiest. The side that goes from the cam gear to the water pump then crank bolt should be taught even before you release the tension in the tensioner fyi. Look at a t-belt diy for a more detailed post with pics if confused on that.