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Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:36 pm

Something amskeptic wrote the other day has me wondering... He mentioned a canary chirp indicating a head gasket leak. I've always thought aircooled vdubs always have sort of a charactertistic high pitch squeaky, squealy sort of sound; canary chirping wouldn't be my first description but maybe it fits. Even as a kid I recall esp. typeI's having this sound. Is this what he is talking about? Could that sound I know and love as a characteristic of aircooled VW's (and hear in my own '77 westy) actually be a head gasket leak?

Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:40 pm

it could be, but it could also be an intake leak.

Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:49 pm

Maybe the sound that you know and love is the "fweem" thing which is a normal VW sound, mainly from Type 1 engines… If so then nothing to worry about. I am not familiar with the sound of a head leaking however a leaky exhaust is a high pitched intermittent sound.

Mon Jun 04, 2007 8:19 pm

Could also be the altenator cover plate vibrating against the alternator or the lack of oil below the felt pad in the center shaft of the distributor. Plug the exhaust pipe and that will answer whether it is an exhaust leak.

Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:13 pm

I have this same problem,I removed the Alt belt and the squeak/chirp is still there. Sounds like it's coming from the pulley. What was the resolution here ?

Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:48 pm

Either the shroud is loose and the fan is rubbing or the distributor needs a lube.

Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:50 pm

This is what the squeak from a leaking head gasket sounds like, and the noise to which Amskeptic was referring to. You can hear the obvious chirp and how it differs from a normally running T4 engine.

Mon Jun 11, 2012 5:21 pm

Sounds like vid #3 but a little bit more like metal squeak from the fan pulley, I recently (about a month ago) lubed the distributor. BD , when you say the shroud could be loose are we talking alternator shroud or fan pulley shroud ?

Mon Jun 11, 2012 5:34 pm

Fan shroud, especially if it's got A/C, pull the fan and look for fresh shiny parts.

Mon Jun 11, 2012 5:52 pm

busdaddy wrote: Fan shroud, especially if it's got A/C, pull the fan and look for fresh shiny parts.

Will do , by the way it does have AC but there is no belt.

Mon Jun 11, 2012 6:21 pm

phoneguy wrote: busdaddy wrote: Fan shroud, especially if it's got A/C, pull the fan and look for fresh shiny parts.

Will do , by the way it does have AC but there is no belt.
doesn't have to work, just the added weight and years of stress can sometimes make the shroud sag.

Tue Jun 12, 2012 5:24 pm

No shiney parts. :( Am I looking at a head replacement or retorqueing the heads ?

Tue Jun 12, 2012 5:28 pm

the chirp from types ones is a non even fire distributor (the 3rd cam lobe is retarded a bit to lower head temps)

...i think.

Tue Jun 12, 2012 5:46 pm

This is a type 4

Tue Jun 12, 2012 9:42 pm

phoneguy wrote: This is a type 4

got that, but you mentioned a type one earlier. just ignore me...:D it works out best when people do most of the time :wink:

Wed Jun 13, 2012 5:03 am

Stuartzickefoose wrote: the chirp from types ones is a non even fire distributor (the 3rd cam lobe is retarded a bit to lower head temps)

...i think.

wrong

Wed Jun 13, 2012 5:55 am

ccpalmer wrote: Stuartzickefoose wrote: the chirp from types ones is a non even fire distributor (the 3rd cam lobe is retarded a bit to lower head temps)

...i think.

wrong

okay...-1 for me...:lol:

Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:13 am

Just reread this thread and I didn't realize that type 4's have head gaskets as type 1's don't. I guess I need to replace them ?

Wed Jun 13, 2012 1:24 pm

phoneguy wrote: Just reread this thread and I didn't realize that type 4's have head gaskets as type 1's don't. I guess I need to replace them ?

actually VW recommends removing them on the next rebuild and shimming under the cylinder to make up the loss.

Wed Jun 13, 2012 7:04 pm

I don't know it even has them, I'm going to try torqueing the heads again and go from there.