Spare Parts: Valves - Procurement & Supply

Hello.

For the cylinder head repair on my 5-cylinder AEL engine, I may need new valves, but the mechanic will only tell me for sure later.
The cost for Volvo valves is €40 or €33, which is quite expensive. Cheaper valves are also available in the €7-8 range.

Does anyone have experience with what kind of material you can use for this? Which manufacturer or supplier is good? Or maybe it's best to ask VW directly?

"To be honest, I don't usually skimp on materials, but I think €40 is quite a lot – although I'm used to it. Usually, parts for VW are a bit cheaper, and OEM parts often cost less than half that price."

Perhaps someone has a suggestion.

THANK YOU
best regards, uwe

Quote:

For my cylinder head repair on the 5-cylinder AEL engine, I may need valves - but the repair specialist will only tell me that later.

If the maintenance technician is replacing the head, I would also have them handle the procurement of the parts through the ET system, primarily for warranty reasons.

He likely already has access to affordable sources.

"Thanks, I probably thought that too. Well, it's a friend who's doing it privately, but he could still order it through his company - I'll be relying on him for that."

Thank you!!

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Hello"

I have one more question or request.
According to the Audi documentation, the cylinder head should not be repaired. I thought that the cylinder head could be resurfaced and then fitted with a stronger gasket, specifically a 2-hole gasket.

Okay, the repair technician will know what he's doing, and he'll tell me if it's not possible. If that's the case, I might have an alternative head I can use.

How does that actually work in practice? Or is only a very small amount removed, and is that not a problem?

Thank you.
Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Hello"

Quote:

I thought that you should cut off the head - and then use a stronger gasket, 2 holes.

How does one come up with something like that (incorrectly)? Was there any real thought put into it? What is the purpose of the thicker insulation?

No, I'm sure I'm completely wrong about this. I was just thinking that if you take off a few hundredths of a millimeter, you might be able to compensate for it with a thicker gasket.

As I said, I'll rely on the mechanic for that, but I'm still curious. I recently had a motor with two holes in it as well.

When would you need them, then? When you're replacing the pistons?

THANK YOU

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Hello"

The combustion chamber in a diesel engine is like a pot (piston bowl) with a plate on top. No one cares whether the plate is 1mm thicker or thinner.

Only the valves should not protrude; that is, if the head is machined, the valve seats must be machined slightly deeper.

Best regards, Rainer.

Thank you.

"But that basically means - I can definitely order the 1-hole gasket now, if it's already installed?"

"I just want to remove the head, have it inspected – possibly repaired (the reconditioner can handle the grinding process properly) – then replace the gasket and reassemble everything – and hope that it will be leak-proof afterwards..."

I won't need a 2-hole setup if I don't touch the block, right? The piston protrusion won't change on its own.

THANK YOU for the help!!

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Hello"

PS: I've read that some people who aren't sure just opt for the 3-hole version for safety, and it works... and they don't notice anything while driving.

Quote:

I won't need a 2-hole adjustment if I don't touch the block, right? The piston protrusion will not change on its own.

Okay, I understand. Please provide the text you would like me to translate from German to English.

You're right, the thicker insulation is hardly noticeable. However, it's subtly perceptible.

Best regards, Rainer.

You're very welcome.

I won't need it, and I might not even need a repair person if I find a faulty seal as the cause. However, I'm interested in the topic and like to prepare very thoroughly.
What I'm still not entirely clear on is this: if the engine is repaired and new pistons are installed, why would I then need a thicker gasket? I understand that after a repair, the piston protrusion is measured, as stated in the documentation, but how can it be that this then no longer fits properly?

Thank you again.

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Hello"

Because the piston or the connecting rod, either individually or together, can be longer, which increases the overall projection.
hg
Herbert.

Herbert wrote:

Because the piston or the connecting rod, either alone or together, can be longer, and thus the overhang becomes greater. hg Herbert

"Thanks, yes, I understand. Sorry if I'm being a bit slow - but how can this happen? Shouldn't the tolerances in the manufacturing of these components be so precise that they have to fit perfectly? Although, I suppose we're talking about tolerances of hundredths of a millimeter..."



Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Hello"

Quote:

I won't need it, and maybe I won't even need a repair person if I find a broken seal as the cause -

Most often, a slight warping of the VW TDI cylinder heads is the cause of head gasket failure. Simply replacing the gasket without machining the head will only provide a temporary fix, lasting for a few thousand kilometers at best.

Thanks for the tip. So, definitely take the head to the repair shop, even if the cylinder head gasket is visibly defective?

Best regards,

We've seen this happen more than once with PD engines - there's always visible blow-by coming from the 2nd and/or 3rd cylinder. This is especially common in vehicles used for frequent short trips (like Sharan and Alhambra models).
It seems that the many heating and cooling cycles are what contribute to warping.

"It's not nearly as common with the VE TDIs, but it can still happen..."

Okay, thanks. I'm waiting for the spare parts and I want to get it done quickly and easily – it's not much more expensive for the car. I was thinking that if the head gasket is clearly identified as the cause of the problem, I can just replace it directly.
But then I'll invest the 100 euros to have a mechanic check its condition - that way I can be 100% sure.

Thank you.
Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Hello"