The head gasket saga..

cylinders..

Most unlikely

All sorts of things can go wrong with Bosch K if that's what it's got. Maybe just a temperature sensor.

Drivers are 1.8 with a Pierburg carb. I'd check all the basics like timing and fueling first (actually do a service and change the fuel filters etc.). It's cheaper. Pierburgs are pretty famously dodgy though. Autochoke knackered?

GTis with the 1.8 either have hydraulic or solid tappets. The hydraulics can tap a bit with age but I've not heard of them causing power loss.

The message from WipeOut contains these words:

Flooded, is it?

Which year is it? Given black smoke it's more likely to be faulty fuelling or one of the ignition , headgaskets tend towards the white smoke.

Pass.

Is it a carb model? If so, then that's your problem! The carbs on those engines are s**te. Get a decent Weber carb or similar.

Probably not - tappets might be a bit noisy but that's par for the course for something with a few miles on. They're probably hydraulic, so probably just left alone.

Also check the hole in the body that the butterlfly spindle goes through isn't ovalled.

Isn't there a diaphragm in those that goes?

They're an evil contraption and should be avoided at all costs.

Lots of MkII Golfs have met their maker due to mysterious carb. faults.

Anyone know what it would cost for a Weber carb for it? Or where to get one from (websites would help)?

Its not the first time I have been told the carbs on these are crap..

Thanks..

Erm, can't remember where I got my quotes from for a MkI Golf with a similar carb - but you're looking at close on 300 quid for the carb, adaptor plate and setting up.

A head gasket fail may not show on a compression test at first. get a gas test above the water, any signs of combustion and you know it is leaking, even if it runs ok

mrcheerful

If it was that slight that the only trace was in the air above the water would retorquing the head sort it out or is the only way to fix it to replace the head gasket?

Thanks

Given that quite a few comapnies recently refused to quote just because I had standard sized but not manufacturer option alloys on a car, wouldn't a Weber make it more difficult to insure?

Not if you go with an insurer that doesn't take a black + white view on such things.

Oh I did... but they seem to be getting fewer and further between.