Cracked AMK cylinder head

Sandip

Sandip

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Dropped my car off Saturday to Pipewerx to let them get started on my car Monday morning, nipped in yesterday to see how thing were going, all was going to plan, the head had been sent off to get pressure tested and skimmed.

Unfortunately they have found crack/cracks in the cylinder head so i am now after some advice and help to find a replacement head. I did find a AGU but the seller hasn't got back to me.

This has really knocked me back, i was hoping it would be the simple head gasket job because i wanted to get my k04 rebuilt at the same time. Ideally a AMK, BAM or 1.8t head with VVT is what i would like, i've been put off spending time and money on making the AGU fit (vvt).

I'm a little lost as to what i should do so any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
If you had my AMK head from me bud you would still need transfer over your VVT/cams etc...

I can do that for you of course...

<tuffty/>
 
I remember the original thread you posted, when you suspected the gasget.
My amk head cracked too. There has been a few lately. the tuner i took mine to for the replacement said mine was the first one he had come across. it must be coincidence, but all the cracked heads on s3's seem to be amk's??
hope you manage to sort it without too much agro.
i think i posted a link in your previous thread to the tuner that supplied my head, let me know if you want any info...
 
barters3 said:
I remember the original thread you posted, when you suspected the gasget.
My amk head cracked too. There has been a few lately. the tuner i took mine to for the replacement said mine was the first one he had come across. it must be coincidence, but all the cracked heads on s3's seem to be amk's??
hope you manage to sort it without too much agro.
i think i posted a link in your previous thread to the tuner that supplied my head, let me know if you want any info...
Click to expand...

I want info:) Did you by a new head?
 
Cylinder heads, head parts and camshafts.

They are based in Bridgwater in the southwest.
I bought it from them as i was having the head gasket inspected by them when they found the head was cracked.
Im sure they supply only aswell. they are always very helpful via email and phone.
 
s3dave said:
your not having much look mate, im sure it will come good soon.....i bet your missing driving it
Click to expand...

I know! Tell me about it Dave, i do miss driving it! Not sure what i'd do if this forum didn't exist, Big thanks to Paul (tuffty), my car will be back on the road soon :)
 
Got the car back from Pipewerx tonight, somethings not quite right though!

Luckily Paul (tuffty) had his head AMK head available so had it checked and it's spot on! Thanks Paul:)

Unfortunately it seems my car is now running in limp mode, which is a bit poo! Pipewerx did a road test and said it was boosting well but then stopped, they removed the tip to check the turbo and they found some oil, free'd up the turbine, went for another drive and the boost was back, then it went again!

I have picked the car up regardless as they are not sure as to why it's doing this, they have checked it for fault codes and i have 5mins ago and there are no faults. No matter what i do the car doesn't boost and the highest i get out of it is -5psi of boost.

The only thing i can think of is that it has overboosted and gone into limp but i'm a bit lost tbh, first time i've driven it in limp mode and i don't like it:noway:

Could the maf cause this to happen?
 
Glad you got your car back, but sorry you now have a new problem. Wild guess....timing or n75 or something not put back properly ??? If there are no fault codes I would be doing a few logs which may help you choose the right path to go down and investigate. Disconnecting the maf and running it for a short while to see if its any better is a quick one to check.
 
quinnj2 said:
Glad you got your car back, but sorry you now have a new problem. Wild guess....timing or n75 or something not put back properly ??? If there are no fault codes I would be doing a few logs which may help you choose the right path to go down and investigate. Disconnecting the maf and running it for a short while to see if its any better is a quick one to check.
Click to expand...

No fault codes at all:( Would limp mode get re-set if i disconnect the battery?

I'll be checking it tomorrow to make sure everything is on properly, not sure if it matter but it was very low on fuel also (5miles on the range)
 
Easiest way I think is just disconnect neg off battery for 10 mins, you can pull the ecu fuse cant remember what number off hand. Just make sure everything is correctly on i.e n75 on the right way round, you got the J version? Which is installed the opposite way to the f, h types. I would also check the actuator pipe is on securely.

Hopefully it will be an easy fix that will be clear in the light of day. I would also get some more vpower in there too.

Good luck dude.
 
Quinnj2 - I'll defo check the n75, i bought the standard one from audi a few months ago, not sure if its j, always use vpower:)

Dave - Any way on checking the actuator?

According to pipewerx the turbine gets 'stuck' once it's free'd up it boost well, not sure what he meant lol
 
I'll be honest I really don't like the fact they say the turbine gets stuck and they have to free it then all is ok for a few moments. Take the bottom jubilee clip off that connects the TIP to the cold side of the turbo and inspect the turbine by getting your camera phone down there (will need a flash) and wiggle the turbine shaft to see if theres play in it. A small amount of play is normal but a large amount and any noises that happen when wiggling it are I think maybe a concern.
 
Sorry I wasn't about earlier Sandip, I didn't check my phone until I left the unit just after 10...

If the engine is in limp mode there would be faults showing in the scan... only other thing to check that I can think of at this time of night and dosed up on lemsip (man flu) is that the N75 maybe incorrectly fitted...

If the ECU has forced limp then I would expect a fault code of some kind... difficult to say without seeing the car or doing some logging... the blocks I told you about the other day are the ones you need to look at...

<tuffty/>
 
audi upgrades
tufftybloke said:
Sorry I wasn't about earlier Sandip, I didn't check my phone until I left the unit just after 10...

If the engine is in limp mode there would be faults showing in the scan... only other thing to check that I can think of at this time of night and dosed up on lemsip (man flu) is that the N75 maybe incorrectly fitted...

If the ECU has forced limp then I would expect a fault code of some kind... difficult to say without seeing the car or doing some logging... the blocks I told you about the other day are the ones you need to look at...

<tuffty/>
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave i may have to do that if i get stuck

Paul - No worries dude, i'll have a proper check when i get home later and i'll post pics of the engine so everyone can see if there is anything out of place. I'll remove the tip and take a pic of the turbine too.
 
Ok, so i've just had a quick look to see if there are any loose hoses or hoses in the wrong place and all 'seems' to be ok, (n75 hose connected) i took the charge pipe off and there was a fair bit of oil in the section where the baffle once was, about 15ml-20ml of oil. Took it for a drive after disconnecting the battery whilst i did these check and still no boost, exactly the same as it was lastnight.

Next check, turbo. Took the tip off and had a look at the turbine and tried turning it, seemed to be a bit stiff to turn but released and its spinning free and smooth with hardly any play.

Took a few pics, anyhone see any obvious issues?

P9280070.jpg

P9280071.jpg

P9280078.jpg

P9280075.jpg


The pics aren't the best, if anyone wants me to take a photo of a particular area of the engine/turbo i'll try taking it.

Thanks
 
Sorry to hear this Sandip fingers crossed you get i sorted soon mate. If i knew my way round engine i would help sorry.
 
Hi Sandip,

My concerns are;

The top boost pipe from turbo to charge pipe collapsing when revving (as mentioned in a PM) and the turbine shaft being stiff to turn. Did you check all the pipes especially the one from the n75 to the actuator and the two on the charge pipe (one going to DV and other to n75), no tears, splits or jubilee clips to tight which may have split them? The amount of oil you found in the debaffled part of the charge pipe seems a little more than I have ever seen on mine. How about your DV have you checked that its working (push the value from underneath and then hold your thumb on the top and let go from underneath, does it stay?).

The only other things I can think of are wastegate stuck/not operating, turbo seals and pipes under the inlet especially the inlet to DV pipe (as you've done the N249 removal). When you picked the car up did the mechanic offer no clues of anything he wasn't maybe sure of or might of accidently done???

How about logging, did you manage to get any?

Regards
James
 
Checked the DV and it's fine, checked all the hoses linked to the charge pipe and also the n75 hoses. I've also changed the N75 to the previous one i had on.

After cleaning the oil out and driving it, i re checked it and there is now no oil in the pipe and the throttle side is also bone dry.

I rang the mechanic and he said that when he checked the turbine whilst the car was running it wasn't spinning, he actually gave it a nodge with his finger and it started, re assembled everything took it for a drive and it was boosting fine. As soon as he turned the car off and tried it again, the boost was gone and the turbine stopped spinning again.

Could it be that the oil going into the intake from the pcv has damged the turbo?
 
Mate sorry to hear the cars no better, hope you get it sorted. On a another note, dont facelift s3's come with bolt down coilpacks?
 
s3dave said:
could it be sticking with baked oil..?
Click to expand...

Not sure Dave, once its spinning it's ok, boosts fine (according to mechanic). Turn the car off and your back to square one again and it stops

i'll have a look at the turbine tomorrow whilst it's idling and have a look if it's spinning, what could cause it to stop spinning? Pressure from the exhaust side??
 
Very brave nudgin the turbine whilst the car is idling, I value my fingers to much. The force of the exhaust gases should be more than enough to spin the turbine shaft with ease, even at idle as long as the shaft is not bent/damaged and has good oil circulation. A blocked oil feed/return to/from the turbo would spell disaster in a short amount of time. Could this all be a coincidental with head just being done...could be, very unlucky if it is. Did they inspect the turbo for any cracks I wonder.
 
Also you say "Could it be that the oil going into the intake from the pcv has damged the turbo?" What was the condition of the system including the pipe going into the TIP, very bad or clean? I wouldn't like any hardened bits of crap/oil to get anywhere near the turbo.
 
sandip said:
Not sure Dave, once its spinning it's ok, boosts fine (according to mechanic). Turn the car off and your back to square one again and it stops

i'll have a look at the turbine tomorrow whilst it's idling and have a look if it's spinning, what could cause it to stop spinning? Pressure from the exhaust side??
Click to expand...

This was the issue on the S3 I bought from Liverpool dude. Not sure if you read that thread?

Anyway, bought with a shot turbo. Long and short of it was that the turbo was 'jammed'. Upon removal it turned out to be a foreign object inside jamming the turbine blades.

Hoping this isn't your issue - however all the factors are there:

The head has been off allowing access to the hotside of the turbo for something to drop in.

No fault codes - Odd at best.

I would confirm with them EXACTLY what they found to be the problem. There are a lot of terms which leave a bit to the imagination.

They 'free'd up the turbine'? Indicating it was stuck/jammed/unhappy about moving?

'the highest i get out of it is -5psi of boost'. As in no positive boost at all? Even if the N75 valve is caput then you would at least be getting actuator pressure of 6 ish PSI.

All sounds very strange to me. Some clarification with Pipewerx about exactly what they mean would be a good place to start, and give you a better idea.
 
Welly said:
This was the issue on the S3 I bought from Liverpool dude. Not sure if you read that thread?

Anyway, bought with a shot turbo. Long and short of it was that the turbo was 'jammed'. Upon removal it turned out to be a foreign object inside jamming the turbine blades.

Hoping this isn't your issue - however all the factors are there:

The head has been off allowing access to the hotside of the turbo for something to drop in.

No fault codes - Odd at best.

I would confirm with them EXACTLY what they found to be the problem. There are a lot of terms which leave a bit to the imagination.

They 'free'd up the turbine'? Indicating it was stuck/jammed/unhappy about moving?

'the highest i get out of it is -5psi of boost'. As in no positive boost at all? Even if the N75 valve is caput then you would at least be getting actuator pressure of 6 ish PSI.

All sounds very strange to me. Some clarification with Pipewerx about exactly what they mean would be a good place to start, and give you a better idea.
Click to expand...

I've spoke to pipewerx and they have no idea as to why its doing this, the turbine moves freely (intake) when i turned it today, i'll be check to see if it's spinning on idle.

As for the N75 welly, i changed it today and it's made no difference at all, still barely reaching 0psi, getting a lot of induction roar though, like i have no filter

Appreciate the input Welly:thumbsup:
 
sandip said:
I've spoke to pipewerx and they have no idea as to why its doing this, the turbine moves freely (intake) when i turned it today, i'll be check to see if it's spinning on idle.

As for the N75 welly, i changed it today and it's made no difference at all, still barely reaching 0psi, getting a lot of induction roar though, like i have no filter

Appreciate the input Welly:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

No worries - have you taken the diverter valve off and checked it over to make sure it's not stuck open or something like that?
 
Sorry Welly, just re read your post about the N75, ignore what i said....

How many ways can a turbo die? lol I always thought they chuck oil out when they die
 
sandip said:
Sorry Welly, just re read your post about the N75, ignore what i said....

How many ways can a turbo die? lol I always thought they chuck oil out when they die
Click to expand...

If it's a foreign object blocking it then there won't be any oil. However, that would be fairly unlikely mate to be honest.

It's not limp mode as it's not managing any positive boost at all, limp mode would take you to actuator pressure.

Two possibilities. Either the turbo isn't making the boost, or it's going elsewhere.

As I said before, a possibility is the Diverter Valve. Reason being you said it was making a din through the air filter - could be the boost escaping firstly back into the TIP if it's stuck open.

There are so many possibilities mate, start with easy thing to test. Suck on the tube that goes to the DV. See if you can audibly hear it opening and clunking shut.
 
Welly said:
No worries - have you taken the diverter valve off and checked it over to make sure it's not stuck open or something like that?
Click to expand...

Yep, Quinn suggested that too, i've checked it and it's holding vac and closing as it should.

The best way i can describe how the car feels is like the car can only open the throttle a little bit or as if there is a bung on the end of the tip, so basically it picks up speed gradually, no boost, revs but doesn't move very far. I've checked the throttle and it's opening fully
 
sandip said:
Yep, Quinn suggested that too, i've checked it and it's holding vac and closing as it should.

The best way i can describe how the car feels is like the car can only open the throttle a little bit or as if there is a bung on the end of the tip, so basically it picks up speed gradually, no boost, revs but doesn't move very far. I've checked the throttle and it's opening fully
Click to expand...

If it's not escaping the charge system mate, then it can't really be making it. You'd hear a boost leak of that magnitude.

Weird how it is intermittent though.

Without seeing it, it gets harder now....
 
Welly said:
If it's not escaping the charge system mate, then it can't really be making it. You'd hear a boost leak of that magnitude.

Weird how it is intermittent though.

Without seeing it, it gets harder now....
Click to expand...

I know, i'm scratching my head too lol

When i take the tip off tomorrow and then start the car, should expect the turbine to be spinning?
 
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