Club 80-90 Forums

maxstu wrote: ↑02 Apr 2023, 16:44 Prepping for cylinder heads. Both sides going on tomorrow.
Hydraulic tappets lubricated and back in right bank, or pistons 1 & 2. All marked on their faces to avoid mixing up.

Piston 2 intake tappet





Final clean and wipe of head stud threads, top of sleeves and case mating surface, where the rubber seal sits, using meths and a clean cloth.



Head nuts cleaned out (again) with paper and meths and dried using a bulb blower.




And once more nuts tested on studs for smoothness. Then marked up with felt pen....purely for my own reference when tightening down through three stages of 10nm 30nm, and finally 50nm


Final wipe with more meths of cylinder head mating areas, including surface where head nuts sit.
Fit fire rings with a light coating of grease to hold both in place.


And then l noticed this small dink in the cylinder mating area.
Your views please?
Get some JB WELD in there and sand it back? Or is it out of the danger area?

Hi Stu,

That'll be absolutely fine although can always double check with Andrew just for further assurance if needed mate. 

Also Stu, unless you've already put them on, might also be worth brushing on some Hylomar AF on top of the new fire rings - no worries if not. :ok

All the best,

Justin.

Afternoon J,

I did use Hylomar AF on my previous DG rebuild. But decided not to bother as these heads are in excellent condition. Very shiny too!
I wish l had spent more time cleaning the block now.



Thanks to heaven both cylinder heads sport threaded posts for PAS. I forgot (again) to check before reassembling.

I must say this Clarke Pro 236 tool is the dog's danglies.
So easy to use. Especially with the five memory settings. Made it a doddle running up the head nuts to torque values. And a quick recheck again at 50nm......yet my Bentley manual states 45nm?



Will submit a full photo update later today.

maxstu wrote: ↑03 Apr 2023, 16:23 Afternoon J,

I did use Hylomar AF on my previous DG rebuild. But decided not to bother as these heads are in excellent condition. Very shiny too!
I wish l had spent more time cleaning the block now.



Thanks to heaven both cylinder heads sport threaded posts for PAS. I forgot (again) to check before resembling.

You’ll have to paint the block now mate to match it all in!

Just turned engine over on pulley bolt. It feel's very nice. Not too tight to rotate and wonderfully smooth.

Here's hoping!

Maybe too soon, but....

Maybe?

Will feel more relaxed once l've finished the third or fourth coolant bleed.

Out of interest, how long can a newly built WBX engine be run without coolant?

maxstu wrote: ↑05 Apr 2023, 16:22 Maybe?

Will feel more relaxed once l've finished the third or fourth coolant bleed.

Out of interest, how long can a newly built WBX engine be run without coolant?

I just stuck the front of the van on ramps so the air moved to the rad easier when filling the coolant on the break in of mine. If that helped me bleed it maybe just in my head   .
I wouldn't run it without stu, gets hot quickly and you wouldn't want to bork all your work

maxstu wrote: ↑05 Apr 2023, 16:22 Maybe?

Will feel more relaxed once l've finished the third or fourth coolant bleed.

Out of interest, how long can a newly built WBX engine be run without coolant?

Not long my man. Not that I've ever tried it.
Deffo give it a chance to cool off if it's taking an extended period?
 

Noted, mateys.

maxstu wrote:Maybe?

Will feel more relaxed once l've finished the third or fourth coolant bleed.

Out of interest, how long can a newly built WBX engine be run without coolant?

None minutes.

Sent from my moto g(30) using Tapatalk

maxstu wrote: ↑05 Apr 2023, 16:22 Maybe?

Will feel more relaxed once l've finished the third or fourth coolant bleed.

Out of interest, how long can a newly built WBX engine be run without coolant?

10 seconds max. Just enough to know that it fires on all four. In my experience.

Okay and thanks, Andrew.

Okay and thanks, Ian.

On the final straight and the finishing posts in sight. But firstly...

This forum has produced lots of engine rebuild posts in the past. And l have read most, leaving me in awe of the back-shed abilities of the contributors, to whom l am most grateful, as l am equally to the professionals laying down their tools and wasting valuable work time answering my numpty ramblings. Without their posts and PM's l would unlikely have taken the plunge nor have the confidence to go deep inside the cases.

In my opinion, the easiest readings, for an amateur such as myself, come from following Itchyfeet's offerings. Great photos and concise information....unlike my inane twitterings. I sorely missed his imput during this rebuild.

Yet each rebuild and rebuilder produces an alternative method for cleaning, measuring and assembling, even down to the torque settings. Some books give final cylinder head tightening at 45nm. Others' at 50nm. I chose the latter. Mix and use wherever works for you. There is no definitive guide. See at top for an example.

My thanks to all contributors on this post.

Time to fit rubber seal. Push rod covers with caps ready. Two types of sealant ready. Head nuts cleaned, dried and ready. New digital torque wrench ready, using three memory presets of 10, 30 and 50nm. I'm ready.



I'm reusing the original VW pushrod covers. They need extending to just over 194mm at these two points. This can be achieved by pushing around the corrugated parts like this. Rotate 90 degrees and push again. Then repeat at other end.



Preset length for tubes is 194mm. Don't be tempted to go any further than 196mm, otherwise the four tubes will hold the cylinder head too high, preventing the head nuts meeting engine studs. Ask me how l know!



Around the block add a 2-3mm bead of black sealant out the Victor Reinz engine rebuild kit.



Add the headseal and another 2-3mm bead of sealant



This is where a rotating engine stand comes handy.

With the engine back in a horizontal position, slide the cylinder head on to the eight engine studs and stop about 1cm from the seal. This gives enough room to add pushrods tube and slide the correct pushrod down the hole to stop the tube from falling away.

Two in



All in and seams sit upper most, according to one manual?



And set engine upright again. Just enough room to push on cylinder head and apply nuts. So stick to the 194mm length when reusing the original VW pushrod tubes.



More coming...

My method for tightening head nuts.
I've numbered the nuts for my own sake. Or refer to your manual for tightening sequence.

Earlier photo for reference.



Without using the yellow sealant at this stage, l add all eight cylinder head nuts, and in 1-8 number order l give each about three rotations by hand and using a socket to slowly creep the cylinder head towards the water jacket seal. At the same time check the four pushrod tubes are all properly seated.

Then with torque wrench set to 10nm tighten in number order. And repeat to 30nm in number sequence.

Cylinder against seal at 30nm (sorry about poor quality. No internal lighting on. l'm trying not to disturb bluetits nesting in box other side of garage window).



Finish by removing No1 nut. Apply yellow sealant, making sure it doesn't go on the thread, place back on the head stud and slowly run it up to 50nm. Then hold for five seconds to minimise springing back after release.
Repeat for 2-8 cylinder head nuts. Release No.2 nut. Add yellow sealant. And back on stud, torquing to 50nm. And so forth.

Adding yellow sealant to nut.



Once all eight at 50nm. I check again. And breathe!



That's my method.

Nice work Stu!! Not long now mate.