Head gasket fail - advice needed.

[whitbytom]

I picked up a Golf recently with suspected HG failure, with a view to fixing it up and pressing it into use as a cheap daily. I've removed the head this evening, and the head gasket has definitely had it, and it seems to have damaged the head with it.
Number 3 piston has blown out into a water gallery, and the break seems to have eroded the alloy of the head where the gases have escaped. I'll let the pics do the talking:




The gouge is less than than 1mm deep, but it's right where the metal portion of the HG sits, so I'm guessing with a new gasket this will blow again pretty much immediately.
So bearing in mind this is a short term, dirt cheap smoker, my dilemma is this: Do I put a skim of chemical metal in there and whack the head back on, or do I strip the head and have it professionally skimmed?
Would chemical metal hold? Also does anyone have a ballpark idea on how much an engineer would charge to skim a head?
Cheers - Tom.

[RetroMat]

I have used a high temp chemical metal on a mates astra, this had similar damage near the water ways. 10k later its still fine, if its only a cheap daily go for it ;D

[autohausdolby]

I have seen chemical metal used successfully in these circumstances - I'm mentioning no names ;D

£30 is the charge to skim a stripped head round here, but you'd be lucky to loose all that. I'd just get a used head/engine

[whitbytom]

Cheers for the replies guys. As this is a budget smoker I think I'll take the easy way out. If it blows (which knowing my current run of form it undoubtedly will) then I'll bite the bullet and strip it down and have it skimmed.

I dug out my tube of chemical metal, and the instructions sheet says it'll only stand temps up to a maximum 160 degrees C, and constant around 100. As it'll be getting a good bit hotter than that I'll need something similar with better heat resistance.
I've found some stuff called 'Quiksteel' which looks like it'll fit the bill nicely. I'll have a look for some next week, as it's my birthday I'm unlikely to get to the motor factors today!

[DavidB]

Skim won't work, . Chemical metal will, but if you can get a head, I'd do that.

[Darrel]

Ive used quicksteel before and its been perfect. Just wait for it to set properly and use a very flat sanding block to sand it back smooth. It will hold. Ive done this on many old Skodas and the repair is pretty permananent.

[BenzBoy]

Spend your birthday money on another cylinder head. ;D I know its just a cheap clunker but I think if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing properly. Unless a head from the scrappy is megabucks 'course.
You'd be pee'd off if you chemical metalled it, replaced the HG and the thing still didn't seal.

[Rich]

Yah, new head. I would say chemical metal but then I remembered that Golf heads are not exactly hard to come by (provided its a Mk2 ) - I have 2 here doing nothing you could have had but you are a bit far away
If its a Mk2 carb motor, GTI head and cam all the way ;D

[PhoenixCapri]

Chem metal will probably be ok, and to get it all properly flat buy a brand new knife sharpening block and hand skim it with that - course side then fine side with WD40 as lube - don't laugh kids you'd be amazed how good a finish that gives a head/block for a couple of quid! ;D

[BenzBoy]

Oct 23, 2009 13:11:23 GMT PhoenixCapri said:

Chem metal will probably be ok, and to get it all properly flat buy a brand new knife sharpening block and hand skim it with that - course side then fine side with WD40 as lube - don't laugh kids you'd be amazed how good a finish that gives a head/block for a couple of quid! ;D

I've done a head in a similar way before. The head wasn't warped, but I wanted to clean up the face and get it all clean and shiny ready to refit, so I got a 10mm thick slab of steel, some 1200 grit wet and dry and loads of WD40. It cleaned it up really nicely!

[whitbytom]

I've already got my birthday money earmarked for a new torque wrench and whats left will go towards a set of coilovers, and I'm reluctant to fork out for an unknown secondhand head, so I think I'll go down the sharpening stone/quikmetal route.

I've mentally prepared myself to reassemble it all and for it to go again within a week, so I won't be too upset if/when it happens!

[bazzateer]

Used quicksteel on my Imp head a year ago and it's held very nicely.

[steveo3002]

jb weld is pretty good stuff...just make sure its cleaned up really well before you use it

[scoobypete]

i had the same prob on a mk2 golf 1.3,i went to the scrappy and got a complete head off a polo breadvan for a tenner and stuck it on..worked for years...cant gaurantee this wld always work..i think i was just lucky...

[autohausdolby]

I have a 1300 Polo head you can have if you come and take the thing off. Dunno if it's any good mind though as the car has suffered from hgf in the past.

Also I have no concept of where Lytham St Annes is ;D

[whitbytom]

Lytham St Annes is right next to Blackpool. ;D

It's a 1.8 8 valve head off a Mk3 Golf so it wouldn't fit, but thanks for the kind offer

[autohausdolby]

I don't know why, but for some reason I just assumed it was a 1300 mk2. Strange.