2004 tdi advice please -head gasket/head

67 Sunroof

Okay, I have been given (yes given) a 2004 beetle tdi with 76,000 miles on the clock.
I haven't picked it up yet. (Wednesday is my pickup day)
The girl says it overheated on the way home on her. It sat in her yard for two months and she had a mechanic come to check it out. He says the head is screwed and it will be around $1,000 to fix it.

Okay, my friend (a bug guy) said BS. He says if it's a tdi it probably isn't the head because they are steel and not aluminum. He says it will be WAAY less and diesels actually run BETTER hot. He says (without seeing the car firsthand) that it's most likely not even the head.
So, what do I do from here? Any suggestions? I figure I'm not out anything. I'll tow it home on Wed and have a titled car that doesn't run. Worst case I can have someone come pick it up for a few hundo's, right?
Any thoughts? I'm pretty excited though!!

76VwBug1600 · Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 3:11 pm Post subject:

Even if you have to buy a new head its pretty much a free new car 76k on a diesel isnt crap. Ive seen them 400k+

Put 2k into it and drive it like its stolen
_________________
1976 Fuely Bug
1973 Super beetle with 26k Original miles.
1968 1600cc
1973 1641cc
1966 Rat-rod
1981 VrRabbit

Not Just our cars.. They are our best friends.

vwnutts · Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 4:39 pm Post subject:

The head is aluminum, not steel. It can warp the head if it's gotten to hot. Don't take advice from the bug guy. If it quit while running due to overheating, the head will need to be removed. Replaced or taken to,a machine shop to get it resurfaced, and if too much has to be taken off to take it out of spec, cometic gaskets can make one, thicker center layer to,bring the head back within spec. Nice to get it for free, real nice project. Good luck.
_________________
1970 std beetle, 1991 2 door Jetta (Best 1/4 mile 10.21@147) still a street car, 2001 1.8T 4 door golf, 2001 1.8T Jetta Wagon, 2009 TDI Jetta, 1999 F350.

67 Sunroof · Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 7:54 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys. I'll let you know how much of a disaster it is on Friday when I get it.....
Shocked

Rallyedude · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 8:05 pm Post subject:

Check that the water pump impeller isn't off the shaft . It's more of a 1.8t/2.0 issue but I'd check that first . You can pop out the thermostat and you'll be able to see the backside of the water pump . I'd highly recommend you do this before pulling the head . Vw's in the last 15yrs don't have head gasket issues .
_________________
85 2wd Doka ABA In progress
82 westy diesel under the knife , MTDi ,weddle gears

67 Sunroof · Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 11:38 pm Post subject:

Well, it looks like I'm getting it next Wednesday:(
Snow here slowed us down...

So, from what she told me, she was driving it and it got really hot and shut down. She had it towed to her house and it has been sitting there for months.
She had a friend (mechanic) Coe over and said it was probably the head and it would be close to a grand to fix....
I've heard of a guy over in the Audi? Forums frank?? That rebuilds the heads. You send him your head and he sends you a new (rebuilt) one..
Should I be worried of anything else like valves bending, breaking, or metal down in the block?
Sad

Just wondering where I should start when diagnosing the problem...
Thanks for your help!!

vwnutts · Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 10:25 am Post subject:

I got a 1.8t that was ran hit till it quit. The head got so hot it compressed it from head bolt pressure, any part of the head that was not touching the block, it was a high area, not a spot but an area, was able to get the head fixed but had to get a thicker head gasket to make upnfor the amount of the head surface that had to be removed, a lot. The bottomend was trashed, cylinders and pistons were warped, melted from all the heat. That's a worse case sinareo, just won't know how hot it got till taken apart.
_________________
1970 std beetle, 1991 2 door Jetta (Best 1/4 mile 10.21@147) still a street car, 2001 1.8T 4 door golf, 2001 1.8T Jetta Wagon, 2009 TDI Jetta, 1999 F350.

67 Sunroof · Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 5:34 pm Post subject:

Shadd · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 8:56 am Post subject:

Do you know if it's an ALH or a BEW/ATD engine code? There is a big difference in design and a fair difference in cost to repair the heads.

The BEW engine was introduced in '04 and utilized a unit injector as opposed to the more traditional injection pump found on TDI's to that point.

IF the head is warped (and they are actually better than most engines at dissipating heat so thats a pretty big if) then your best bet is to just get another head. The normal process of plaining the head surface does not work well on these motors. When the head is warped the camshaft saddles get warped also. BEW's tend to have camshaft issues anyway due to the extra stress of the additional cam lobe that runs the Injectors.

My normal cost on a brand new AMC head with camshaft and lifters is ~$1350 (or you could find a used head for however much and install a new cam for ~$500) You will also have about $100 in the injector seals and about $300 in timing belt, water pump and G12 coolant ect.

Basically what I am saying is that whoever said $1,000 to fix doesn't know what they are talking about and their diagnosis of a "warped head" should be taken with a grain of salt.

Pressure test the head using either a leak down testing kit or a compression testing kit first and then make the plunge of condemning the head. This is still an excellent deal for a low mile TDI motor for free, and well worth fixing. Is it an Auto or Manual?


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