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Jumped Time - New Valves or New Head?

low budget

Passed Driver's Ed
Well, car jumped time on me Friday. No warning that I could tell, just the long crank, then next time I went to start it it would just stumble and not idle.

Got it home, put a camera in the cylinder and the valve dish in each cylinder has been nicked. Other side looks fine. I'll upload photos when I can.

Any chance at all the valves are OK and I can get away with just a timing chain?

Or more likely I'll need at least new valves, or is a whole new head required at this point? Looks like they barely nicked the piston.
 

GeorgiaBII

Drag Race Newbie
You'll need valves. If it hit hard enough to nick the piston they are bent. You can try a chain and compression test but I would be doubtful.
 

low budget

Passed Driver's Ed
Cylinder 1:

Cylinder 2:

Cylinder 3:

Cylinder 4:
 

low budget

Passed Driver's Ed
Also, can anyone recommend a reputable independent shop in the Myrtle Beach area?

Already called the local VW dealer and they wanted $5,500 to just replace the timing chain. I noped out of that conversation in a hurry.
 

Allchokedup

Autocross Champion
Like stated above, if you have anyway to do a compression test you could save yourself some time. Leak down would be ideal but compression would work as you will be able to tell if all cylinders are close.
My tensioner took a dump a few years back, I got the car to start finally and drove it on what seemed like 2 cylinders to friends shop from work. Chain was updated and lived happily ever after *as far as timing goes anyway...

Fyi, harbor freight sells a compression test kit for under $100. Iirc I bought one about 6 years ago and it was around $50
 
Last edited:

low budget

Passed Driver's Ed
I can do a compression test, just didn't want to risk pushing the timing further out and causing further damage to the head or pistons.
 

Allchokedup

Autocross Champion
That is a possibility, I didnt consider that. That's a tough one..isnt really worth having a shop do chain and tensioner if the head is trashed.
Looking back i should have just swapped in a rebuilt motor at 140k when my timing jumped vs fixing it as the motor only lasted to 150k
 

low budget

Passed Driver's Ed
That's my next concern. Motor drinks a little oil at 175K about 1/2 a quart between changes. Realistically I just need another 25-30K miles out of it (about 1 year for me). Don't think its worth swapping in a whole new engine, but then again if I do it opens the door to 300K miles. At least if I know the head is good after this I can go and pick up a short block should the bottom end go.
 

ben_m

Ready to race!
Also, can anyone recommend a reputable independent shop in the Myrtle Beach area?

Already called the local VW dealer and they wanted $5,500 to just replace the timing chain. I noped out of that conversation in a hurry.

That seems off.... my dealer quoted me at $1500 for a chain/tensioner. Plan to do it soon for preemptive maintenance.
 

low budget

Passed Driver's Ed
I agree its off, either they didn't want to do it, wanted to rake me over the coals, or didn't know what they were talking about. Either way, they are obviously not a shop I want involved in this.

Whats the easiest way to remove the cylinder head? With the exhaust manifold on and uncoupled from the turbo, with the turbo attached, or leave the exhaust manifold attached to the turbo and unbolted from the head?

I've done a valve blasting before so the intake side is relatively easy, I've just never messed with the hot side.
 

MrFancypants

Autocross Champion
That's my next concern. Motor drinks a little oil at 175K about 1/2 a quart between changes. Realistically I just need another 25-30K miles out of it (about 1 year for me). Don't think its worth swapping in a whole new engine, but then again if I do it opens the door to 300K miles. At least if I know the head is good after this I can go and pick up a short block should the bottom end go.

IMO.... using/losing a half quart every ~5k miles isn’t anything worth losing sleep over. Most other cars I’ve owned have used oil at that rate.
 

Jiffyjetta

Ready to race!
I can see where it hit, you definitely need valves.
Also, 1/2 qt between changes is nothing. I have 70k on my tsi and go through 1 qt every oil change (3k).
My old GTI had 110k on it and used 3qts between oil changes.
 

low budget

Passed Driver's Ed
So its been 6 months, but I've finally gotten it back together (lots of stuff going on including a kid). Now it wont start, turns over and sounds like it fires on one cylinder for about 3 seconds, then nothing. Put new plugs in it after the rebuild, plug 1 has a little black tarnish on it, plugs 2, 3, and 4 still look brand new.
I'm going to try to figure out how to upload a video.

Edit: Not throwing any codes
 
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