[jimothy]

Picked up a basket case 2003 1.8T. The PO tore into it pretty good (removed the head) and started to put it back together but didn't finish. I pulled off the radiator to check the timing just to make sure it was all good, there were several screws and bolts missing in various places and the timing belt tensioner bolts were finger tight, among other things, but the bottom line is that I don't really trust the work that was done. He did tell me (and I asked specifically) if he used a new head gasket and new head bolts. He said that he did, and he claimed to do the torque pattern as directed also. The car started and ran, not well, but ran when I got it. None of the cooling lines are hooked up and some are missing and also a bunch of the vacuum lines are unhooked as well so it didn't run good or for very long either, but did run.

So heres my question. Is there a way to tell if the head gasket is put on properly (not upside down), just by looking at it? I know there are a couple tabs that stick out past where the head and block come together, but not sure if they would be oriented in the same place if the gasket is right side up or upside down. I don't really want to pull the head again if I don't have to.

The whole reason he pulled the head was because there was oil in the coolant, so basically he did it for no reason in the first place. If the gasket was actually blown, I probably would pull the head just to make sure it wasn't warped or cracked, but that was not the case. He ended up figuring out it was the oil cooler after the fact, so that is new also.

Thanks.

 

[Tomvw]

If the gasket is on the wrong way, you will get at least one of the following problems.
Oil in the Coolant.
Coolant in the oil.
Combustion residue in the coolant.
Low compression in one or more cylinders.
Oil or coolant leaking from gasket area.

 

[jjpark]

Can you look at another car with the same engine to see where the tabs are in relation to yours? Not sure if that will tell you anything but that's what I would 1st do. Not even sure you can put it on backwards/upside down without having the issues Tomvw just mentioned.

With things not connected, bolts missing, finger tight, parts missing and no cooling hoses hooked up I wouldn't start that car again till you can determine if the gasket is installed correctly. Then I would get the Bently books (2 of them) and start from the bottom up with everything that's been taken apart and go step by step yourself to make sure things are where their supposed to be and installed correctly.

Sounds like the PO was in the middle of things then determined they either didn't want to complete it for whatever reason, didn't know what they were doing or realized they were in over their head.

Could all be a pretty straight forward completion or could be a total wreck depending on what the PO has done that is or isn't done right so far. If it were me I would redo everything the PO did for my piece of mind knowing it was done right.

 

[jimothy]

Thanks for the replies.

Tom there are so many coolant lines pulled off/cut/disconnected that I was hoping to get the timing and top end squared away before reconnecting everything so that I don't reconnect everything only to find I have to pull the head again. I will check compression on all four cylinders tonight and see what I get. I do have a 2005 Passat that I can compare the gasket tab spacing to so I'll do that as well.

The PO was kind of a goofball and I didn't trust any of his work which is why I pulled the radiator back off to begin with, and I'm glad I did after seeing those damper bolts. Nice enough guy but just goofy and weird and reeked like weed something fierce, so figured double checking his work wouldn't hurt. I'll post my findings.

Thanks guys.

 

[Tomvw]

If you take the head off you will need new bolts and gasket.

 

[jimothy]

After looking for the placement of the tabs on the head gasket, it appeared as though it was blown, at least at one point in time. I was unsure after seeing all the sketchy work already done so I just went ahead and pulled it. Getting it pressure tested and planed while at it. 10-4 on the new gasket and bolts.