1.8T Cylinder Head Issues

[Sandip]

I've recently been noticing that 1.8T cylinder heads/gaskets have been failing so i thought i'd start a thread to help others with identifying the symptoms. I have put down some information of mine, essentially all 1.8T heads are the same but it would be interesting to see if there is a pattern with these heads failing

Car - Audi S3

Age - 2001

Mileage - 122,000

Service History - Serviced every 5-6k using 10w40

Standard/Mapped - Unknown

Head - AMK

Symptoms - Poor starting from cold, excess steam from exhaust, sweet scent from exhaust, loss of coolant, hydrocarbon in expansion tank, wet plugs, slight mayo like substance on oil filler cap

What was the issue - Crack cylinder head, cracked on 3 exhaust ports

Reason - No idea

 

[finesse]

Sorry to hear, what is your plan now? Need head, skim..?

An AGU head + JBS manifold

 

[Sandip]

Mine's all sorted now John, turbo rebuild next

 

[8YA335TDI1STED]

sorry to hear that m8 Ive got same car same age with 126000 on clock , touch wood my head is fine at mo , do you have any pics of the damaged area ?

 

[Sandip]

sorry to hear that m8 Ive got same car same age with 126000 on clock , touch wood my head is fine at mo , do you have any pics of the damaged area ?

I'll post some images of the old head on the weekend:icon_thumright:

 

[8YA335TDI1STED]

cool should be an interesting thread if others do same

 

[Welly]

Yeah, this will be useful. :thumbsup:

 

[barters3]

my amk head cracked at around 105k.

 

[Sandip]

Port 1

Port 2

Port 3

Port 1 is furthest away from the fuel pressure regulator

I haven't cleaned the head up so you can see that the cracks on the exhaust ports has let the coolant basically wash the carbon build up on the inlet side lol Port 4 looks normal

 

[aragorn]

A crack between the two valves like that shouldnt really be breaking into a water jacket?

 

[Broken Byzan]

Glad mine is a large port then.

Seeing there is only a small port casting and a large, i just can't see why it seems to be an AMK problem.. Maybe due to the performence expected from them?

 

[Sandip]

A crack between the two valves like that shouldnt really be breaking into a water jacket?

What do you mean bud? lol Water jacket?

Mark > Very strange as to why it seems to be the AMK that's suffering, the BAM is the same but that seems to be holding up

 

[JamJay]

Thanks for creating this thread, along with this: http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/a3-s3-forum-8l-chassis/106929-cracked-amk-head.html it's very helpful. Have their been any instances with cracked AMK heads with lower mileage? It seems that most experience this at 100k+, in which case I have about another 70k to cover before I should see any problems....I hope. As the engine stands now, it's all fine (touch wood) but this info is good to know and not documented on SeatCupra.net.

 

[<tuffty/>]

Its not really mileage thats a problem IMO.... Sandip had my old AMK head off me as I now have a large port head on mine... my AMK head was fine and had done 105k.... The AEB head I have now had done 140k with non of these issues...

One thing that does happen from a fairly low mileage (60/70k) is the exhaust valve guides wear... this (so I am told) can contribute to valve failure (dropped heads) and subsequently a fair amount of engine damage...

If you are removing your head for any reason or have a replacement head with some mileage on it I would suggest getting the exhaust guides checked/changed at the least...

<tuffty/>