2.5tdi im in need of cylinder heads

[a6john]

Hi all,

cambelt has let go on my 2001 a6 2.5tdi.
garage showed me the mess it has made of the heads today.
camchafts broken. broken rockers everywhere. bent valves etc

Garage advises that the valve guides will be broke and the heads will be cracked also.

So I am in need of a pair of heads.

anyone?

Thanks
Enzo

[Crasher]

The heads should be fine but the price of new genuine parts will make your eyes bleed, the cams are nearly £200 each alone so finding a pair of good used heads is still the best bet. However, finding some without worn cams will be difficult.

[a6john]

I will be getting a quote for new heads plus fitting etc tomorrow.
but as you say, i kind of have an idea of how much it will cost. maybe just cutting my losses with this garage and have another company fit a second hand engine complete?

any ideas would be appreciated at the moment. I dont mind admitting that i have no hair left on my head!

[Crasher]

New heads from VAG are over £1500 each so with all the gaskets, seals, bolts, belts, water pump, fluids and labour you would be looking at around £4500 at the average garage who charges £50 an hour. A used engine is a nightmare waiting to happen and is a three day job to swap and then who is to say that ten year old engine (they stopped making that engine ten years ago) is any good and doesn’t need four new cams already plus it will need the belts and water pump doing. Sorry to sound like a doom monger but in my experience this sort of failure is the end of the road for these cars, you would be better to scrap it and spend the money buying something newer. I have done plenty of heads on these and it is evil back breaking work that takes three days to do and I bet you have a day on the slate already. I spoke to TES engine rebuilders about these and they will not touch them, they say they are uneconomic to rebuild.

[a6john]

thanks for your input.

are all the 2.5 tdi v6 heads the same from car to car? or do I have to be aware of differing part numbers?

[Crasher]

No, they are very specific to engine code. I have fitted updated VAG heads replacing the non roller lifter heads with roller lifter units but these have been specific direct replacement VAG units, I don’t know if other heads are interchangeable, I will not even try.