Diggs24
Autocross Champion
- Location
- de plains! de plains!
- Car(s)
- 2015 GTI
Narrowest I see is 305.
7
Hoon's DIYish Engine Build Thread
- Thread starter Hoon
- Start date
Hoon
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Rhode Island
I almost crashed this car big time on Hoosier DR2s (got caught in the rain).
It's a daily, going to be on a sticky street tire or a M&H slick for Mexico. Not dealing with drag radials, will be using torque by gear.
It's a daily, going to be on a sticky street tire or a M&H slick for Mexico. Not dealing with drag radials, will be using torque by gear.
mk7_bk
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Philadelphia Area
hmmm long trip to mexico from rhode island
daconchslop
Autocross Champion
- Location
- SC
- Car(s)
- ACS SE/Tech
Slick or D/R?
daconchslop
Autocross Champion
- Location
- SC
- Car(s)
- ACS SE/Tech
Lol oops
Hoon
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Rhode Island
Slicks baby.
17" Hoosier DR2s had 90% of the drawbacks of a full slick with only 1/2 the benefits.
JerseyDrew77
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Virginia & NC
- Car(s)
- 2016 TR GTI S 6MT
What tires do you run during the summer time?
Hoon
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Rhode Island
Cylinder Head Installation
Step 1: Clean and Degrease
The first step in installing the head is to thoroughly clean and degrease the deck of the block and the head surface. Use a lint free shop towel and either acetone or lacquer thinner. Brake cleaner would work in a pinch, but can leave a slight residue so i would avoid if possible. I used acetone.
Prior to cleaning the head:
Step 2: Install head studs
Below is a clean deck with ARP Studs (part # ARP-CVN1) installed. The studs go into the block finger tight. You do not want to snug the studs down because they are an alloy steel and the block is cast iron, so they have different rates of thermal expansion. If the studs are cranked down into the block extremely tight, you can actually crack the block during a warmup. Its very rare, but it is a needless risk. Once the head is torqued the studs cannot physically move because they cannot overcome the friction in the threads. On previous builds i have bottomed the studs out, backed them off 1/2 turn so they were not fully seated, and then installed the head. They do not move. On this one i bottomed them out but finger tight only.
Step 3: Head Gasket
VW uses a MLS (Multi-Layer Steel) headgasket right from the factory. MLS gaskets are extremely durable, but they are also very intolerant of any surface imperfections. You need to tell the machine shop you are using an MLS gasket so they can make sure the surfaces are like glass. It's not 1980, we do not use copper sprays or any other bullshit on gaskets. The surfaces should be spotless, degreased and dry. The marking to look for on the OEM gasket is below, it is only marked on one side so make sure the marking on the front of the engine is face up:
Step 4: Install the Head
Set the engine to just before TDC (top dead center) and carefully drop the head on the block and make sure it is seated correctly and fully. Use the ARP moly lube to lubricate the studs, washers, and threads inside the nuts. The Moly lube is critically important to getting proper and consistent clamping force. If using stock head bolts (which IMO is a mistake on a performance build) use motor oil to lubricate.
Torque the head per the sequence below. If using ARP fasteners, ARPs recommendation is 3 steps, 25ft lbs, 50 ft lbs, and 80 ft lbs. It is a 12mm 12pt socket. I waited 24 hours for the gasket to settle and repeated the 80ft lbs step a second time. They moved but very little. Ideally i would retorque the head after the first couple of heat cycles, but it is not practical with the cam girdle design on this engine.
The final step is the 4 bolts on the front of the engine, VW part # N-101-562-06. Torque these to 3ft lbs (4 NM) and then yield 90 degrees:
And that's that...
Step 1: Clean and Degrease
The first step in installing the head is to thoroughly clean and degrease the deck of the block and the head surface. Use a lint free shop towel and either acetone or lacquer thinner. Brake cleaner would work in a pinch, but can leave a slight residue so i would avoid if possible. I used acetone.
Prior to cleaning the head:
Step 2: Install head studs
Below is a clean deck with ARP Studs (part # ARP-CVN1) installed. The studs go into the block finger tight. You do not want to snug the studs down because they are an alloy steel and the block is cast iron, so they have different rates of thermal expansion. If the studs are cranked down into the block extremely tight, you can actually crack the block during a warmup. Its very rare, but it is a needless risk. Once the head is torqued the studs cannot physically move because they cannot overcome the friction in the threads. On previous builds i have bottomed the studs out, backed them off 1/2 turn so they were not fully seated, and then installed the head. They do not move. On this one i bottomed them out but finger tight only.
Step 3: Head Gasket
VW uses a MLS (Multi-Layer Steel) headgasket right from the factory. MLS gaskets are extremely durable, but they are also very intolerant of any surface imperfections. You need to tell the machine shop you are using an MLS gasket so they can make sure the surfaces are like glass. It's not 1980, we do not use copper sprays or any other bullshit on gaskets. The surfaces should be spotless, degreased and dry. The marking to look for on the OEM gasket is below, it is only marked on one side so make sure the marking on the front of the engine is face up:
Step 4: Install the Head
Set the engine to just before TDC (top dead center) and carefully drop the head on the block and make sure it is seated correctly and fully. Use the ARP moly lube to lubricate the studs, washers, and threads inside the nuts. The Moly lube is critically important to getting proper and consistent clamping force. If using stock head bolts (which IMO is a mistake on a performance build) use motor oil to lubricate.
Torque the head per the sequence below. If using ARP fasteners, ARPs recommendation is 3 steps, 25ft lbs, 50 ft lbs, and 80 ft lbs. It is a 12mm 12pt socket. I waited 24 hours for the gasket to settle and repeated the 80ft lbs step a second time. They moved but very little. Ideally i would retorque the head after the first couple of heat cycles, but it is not practical with the cam girdle design on this engine.
The final step is the 4 bolts on the front of the engine, VW part # N-101-562-06. Torque these to 3ft lbs (4 NM) and then yield 90 degrees:
And that's that...
Last edited:
jimlloyd40
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Phoenix
- Car(s)
- 2018 SE DSG
That cylinder head is freakin beautiful.
Hoon
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Rhode Island
I should have taken a pic after the surface was clean but i guess i missed that.
The machine shop coated much of the inside with assembly lube for whatever reason. Really wasn't necessary to do that. They also bled down the lifters, again not necessary as they are self bleeding, but modern German cars are not their specialty.
On the top pic you can see what looks like a gouge between cyls 3&4. It came from the machine shop that way. It looks bad in the picture but in reality you can't feel it, so i'm not too worried about it. Still shouldn't be there, but this is the shit that happens when your parts bounce around the shop for months.
Oh well, onto the cams and timing assembly next. That's going to be a royal PITA and a LONG post.
JerseyDrew77
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Virginia & NC
- Car(s)
- 2016 TR GTI S 6MT
Matt, when you are done building yours, you need to come down to my place and help me build mine. Free beer will be included.
Diggs24
Autocross Champion
- Location
- de plains! de plains!
- Car(s)
- 2015 GTI
Question. So if the head gasket is just that, gasket and no sealant of any type, what is the black stuff on the end of the block where head sits?
mk7_bk
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Philadelphia Area
I looked on pc, maybe its a shadow on your phone or something, I don't see any black besides the various compartments