Project Black Golfball-plans for 2007 Options

[black92_tsi_awd]

I ended up taking a new core head to Mullvain Motorsports and had them go through it. They said the guides were OK and just decked it and did a valve job since 3 valves surface where worn questionably. They looked like somebody started a valve job on them. So for $270 (I got a set of ARP head studs too) I'm back in action....kind of.

I started reassembling the refurbished head tonight and decided to check my old cam's rotation in the new head. I left the lifters out to be able to spin the cam. Exhaust cam was fine but the intake cam binds when I tighten the cap next to the CAS. So I swapped it for the cap from the original head and it spins fine. I did swap in the exhaust cam that came with the second head and it binds also. So I'm thinking the cap that's binding may not have belonged to this head.

Will this mixing and matching of the cam caps (1 cap) be OK or cause problems?

Is the torque for the cap bolts is 14 ft-lbs?

[awd4kicks]

Feel the edges of the caps. If it's smooth then I would say they are fine. If you feel something minute, try some wet sand paper to smooth out any roughness.

14 ft/lb's is correct.

[wortdog]

Mixing cam caps is NOT a good idea. The caps are torqued to the head and bored together as one piece when the head is being manufactured, and each cam cap is unique to the head it came with.

That said, I've done it before without issue. The key is being very patient in finding caps that make the cam bore as close to spec as possible, which works well for the "interchangeable" caps and not so well for the end caps, unless you have a huge box of caps from dead heads.

Really you want to err on the loose side as the cam bearings are not all that heavily loaded, and can take being pretty sloppy. Much like a turbo, as long as it spins freely and has little to no endplay, its good to go.

[black92_tsi_awd]

Thanks for the input guys. I researched some more last night and got mixed results as to swapping caps, either "it's fine" or "no f'in way".

I did check the endplay and it's .005. The range in the Haynes was .004 to .008 so I'm good.

I think I'll thow the cams back in the original dead head and see how they spin for referance. I'm not sure how "freely" it should spin and Wort said.

I might check the cam gaps with plastigage to be sure also.

[black92_tsi_awd]

When I installed the lifters, I dipped the used lifter in oil and slid them in. I did not soak them. I was reading some conflicting posts, some say empty them (with a paper clip???-how?) and some say soak them until they're full. Which is it?

[awd4kicks]

I've put them in without soaking them and had no problems. Don't worry about the caps either. You are careful enough to get it right.

[wortdog]

Personally, I like to install them dry and pump them up with a drill on the engine's oil pump pulley(with the timing belt off, of course). Run the pump clockwise until you see oil from underneath all of the rocker arms, then you're good to go as far as the lifters are concerned.

If you soak them, there is a slight risk that you can overfill them. They won't let the valves close all the way, resulting in piston/valve contact. I've never actually seen this happen, but apparently it can.

You can also install them totally dry and fire the engine right up, it will be a bit noisy for a little while until the lifters fill with the proper amount of oil, but it won't hurt anything.

[black92_tsi_awd]

I pulled the lifters and set them vertical so I'm sure they didn't drain any oil. I basically just dipped them in a pan of oil to lubricate them so they'd slide in the bores easy. I'll go with that.

I checked the cam clearances with plastigage and they're all a little on the tight side. The clearance spec is .002 to .0035. My clearances were all .0018 to .0019 on the refurbished head and .002 on the original head. The questionable cap that was locking the intake cam was .0017 and you could visibly see that is was shifted to one side explaining why it would lock the cam. When I swapped the cap from my original head the clearance was .002 and you can barely catch a nail at the joint between the cap and the head. The intake cam now rotates fine. The exhaust cam drags a little but rotates pretty easlily.

Aluminum expands faster than steel so I should be ok being a little tight...I hope....

The cam journal spec is 1.0217 to 1.0224 and the cams measured at 1.020 to 1.022 so their hardly worn.

God I'm an anal SOB.

[black92_tsi_awd]

Finally got the head slid over the suds and onto the block, what a pain that is. It's a tight fit.

Next problem. The springs are too close to the head stud pockets to let the ARP washers slide all the way down. Is this normal?

Can I grind the washers on one side to allow them to slip down?

Hopefully the nuts will seat down....

Is alright to let the head sit on the head gasket overnight without torquing it?

[wortdog]

Yeah, ideally the washers go into the pockets in the the head before you put it on the studs. I've never had a problem using the nuts to force the washers down into place.

The head can sit there as long as you want.

[awd4kicks]

I take a deep-well socket on an extension and hammer the washers down past the springs with a rubber mallet. They will pop down to the seats just fine with-out grinding.

There shouldn't be any problem letting the head sit untorqued over night unless you are using some kind of copper spray or sealant, which you don't need. A dry gasket will be fine.

[black92_tsi_awd]

Thanks for the input guys
I didn't use any spray, just the plain stock mitsu gasket.
Now I can sleep. Thought I was scewed.

[turbohcar]

What kind of gasket did you use? The OE or did you opt for the EVO gasket?

[black92_tsi_awd]

Turbo
Just a OE gasket that cam in the rebuild kit I got from JNZ when I broke the crank.

I ended up slight grinding the washers and then pounding them down with a socket and rubber mallet.

Everything back together except for the timing belt side. Trying to get the tensioner set correctly. Hopefully it will run tomorrow

[turbohcar]

AHHHHHHH crap! I wish I could have caught this sooner. Really, in order to run higher than even stock boost, it's reccomended to use the EVO gasket. I know there are plenty of folks here that have gotten away with using the stocker on 18lbs for quite a while but it's more like holding a ticking time bomb. The multilayer (this is the one they call the 4-layer gasket) EVO gasket is MUCH better in construction and at holding the higher combustion pressures of turbocharged engines and is rated for up to around 25lbs of boost pressure. I was running the stock gasket on my car for about a week of regular driving on 18lbs of boost before it blew.

EVO Gasket: Mitsu part #MD 349347
http://www.slowboyracing.com/estore/produc...cat=1640&page=1
"If you combine this and a set of ARP head studs you'll be safe for running higher than stock boost."

Stock Felt Gasket: Mitsu part# MD 183808
http://www.slowboyracing.com/estore/produc...cat=1640&page=1
"If you combine this and a set of ARP head studs you'll be safe for running slightly (very slight) higher than stock boost. If you really want turn up the boost, don't run this gasket unless your o-ringing the setup!"

I bought my EVO gasket at the dealership for around $40 I believe.

[awd4kicks]

I'm using a stock Mitsu gasket. Oh yeah... I've got an O-ringed head though.

[black92_tsi_awd]

Got it all back together....and it won't build any boost!!

Boost check showed no leaks.
Boost gauge show some pressure under the boost check so it's working.
I wired the wastegate shut-no boost
I disconnect the BOV-no boost

I noticed the turbo has some vertical shaft play now. Which is strange since I just rebuilt it this year and I checked it before the last track outing where it burnt the valve.

Anybody have any ideas????

[awd4kicks]

Can you see the compressor wheel spin when you manually pull the throttle?

Is the oil supply all good to the turbo since the head replacement?

[black92_tsi_awd]

Yep, the compressor wheel seems to spin fine.

What the best way to test for oil flow?

[natedogg]

You could very temporarily disconnect the turbo to oil pan return tube and verify that oil is flowing out of this tube with the engine running. Quite obviously only run the engine like this for a few seconds.