Quote:
Originally Posted by Stryder
Hi all.
So I've just bought a 75 1.8t and the head gasket has gone after just 70 miles 
l have pulled the head off and found the liners have sunk level with the block and an MLS headgasket had already been fitted. (I'm assuming whoever fitted it didnt check the liners or didn't have the money)
I am planning to fit liner shims but have read/heard conflicting facts on which head gasket to fit with them.
Should I fit an MLS or Elastomer (blue type) with the liner shims? 
Also, I'm going to get the head checked but is it completely necessary to have it skimmed?
I wait with baited breath as I cannot wait to get it back on the road!
Cheers |
From an amateur.
You will find that liner shims are actually .004" thick (not .003") and in theory this equates to a higher stick up than given in the specifications. Doesn't seem to give any issues though.
If you have at least .003" stick up go with MLS, but use the best available from Payen. If you can tolerate the gasket going again in say 50k miles then go with Payens elastomer gasket which has reinforced webbing and seems to come in blue nowadays. perhaps the elastomer material has changed to stop it reacting with the oil and shimmying out from the joint, possibly longer life with it
It will be interesting to establish how the liners come out. If they have been hammered in to the block there will be a lip that forms on the edge of the block that makes them hard to remove without a decent drift/dolly. They will move about 2-3mm and then get tight as there is an undercut on the liner to allow it to be machined and to bottom out fully in the block and seal effectively. When they get to this stage the lip can shatter as you remove the liner rendering the block scrap, which it probably is anyway by that time, usually seen with liners when they get to lower than flush with block.