WBX Cylinder head studs - just wondering...

Post by **"WEAZLECHIN"** » 03 Dec 2006, 16:05

so after 13 posts on this subject, you are not going to change them anyway ?????????????? what was the point of arguing the benefits of doing it in the first place.. bizzare!

Post by **toomanytoys** » 03 Dec 2006, 16:09

Dont read too much into the "horror" stories I also trolled off the net many years ago when i bought my 1st T25 without really knowing much about them.. my original 1983 engine lasted another 2 years of abuse (40k miles) before it started pressurising the cooling system..
since then I have become good friends with the wbx and its faults.. Currently building up a 2.1 (2.2!!!) engine for my syncro..
My syncro is a last biuld 1992 model and I have just put nearly 20k km on it since July.....
Its all age related really, not distance.. somewhere between.. 17 and 20 years is the norm for the head studs/ jacket gaskets to show a problem...

All you can do is change the coolant and check over all the hoses and connections to make sure all is as weell as it can be.. then deal with the inevitable when it happens.. could be 1 month or 4 years away....

Post by **veedweeb** » 03 Dec 2006, 16:22

"WEAZLECHIN" wrote:so after 13 posts on this subject, you are not going to change them anyway ?????????????? what was the point of arguing the benefits of doing it in the first place.. bizzare!

The original question, way back then was, "Is it worth changing them now?"

And the answer, so it seems, is "no"

So there we are. I put forward my thinking behind why I should change them, and then the thread took a turn towards Planned Maintenance and what constitutes it.

I know a fair bit about engines, mechanicals and so on, but I don't pretend to know everything. I've never owned or worked on a WBX engine before so I was asking the question based on working on other engines, where PM is a good idea in most cases.

It seems that removing the bolts is likely to cause them to snap, so in this case, leave it until it breaks id the best option.

Fairy nuff... that's what I'll do.

Post by **skell** » 04 Dec 2006, 20:31

iirc some head studs (later 2.1 engines??) are less prone to snapping.
I tore down a DG that had been sat out in the weather for yonks, was in a bad rusty way, but the heads both came off with no snapping of studs.
Definitely a gamble not worth taking though, if you snap one it's a lot of work or expense.

Post by **kevtherev** » 04 Dec 2006, 22:33

toomanytoys wrote: somewhere between.. 17 and 20 years is the norm for the head studs/ jacket gaskets to show a problem...

toomanytoys wrote:deal with the inevitable when it happens.. could be 1 month or 4 years away....

toomanytoys wrote: Dont read too much into the "horror" stories

not all doom and gloom then

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 04 Dec 2006, 23:00

If it doesn't leak, leave it alone.
The problem isn't that the studs corrode, it's the fact you can't get the broken pieces out easily.
If it doesn'tleak then leave it be.
If it does leak, then by all means pull the head off and inspect the studs (if they didn't break when you stripped it)
And, replace them if you can, but generally they are uber tight and not easily removed broken or otherwise.
To pull a healthy engine out, pull the heads off could be disasterous, and expensive.
If a customer comes into the garage with head troubles they always get warned that if anything breaks it's a new engine, simple as.
I don't mess about trying to remove broken bits, it's cheaper in the long run to put a new engine in that already has fresh head studs and the engine goes away with a european guarantee. easy.