[RalphM]

Good day -

I have a 2005 Tdi passat with a blown head gasket, due to a water pump failure. Fortunately, I was able to shut the motor off before any serious damage occured - the oil/dipstick is clean and the motor turns over. If anyone has a procedure on the teardown of the Passat Tdi pd motor, greatly appreciated. I will also be removing / replacing the water pump and timing belt. I paid alot of money for this car back in 2005, and am perplexed as to why VW didn't change the water pump at the last timing belt interval. I understand VW installs the cheap plastic impeller type water pump for these cars which are (obviously) prone to failure. Thank you.

Ralph/Ottawa, ON.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

While it's not a complete writeup, look at the procedure for camshaft removal. Instead of removing the camshaft bolts, just remove the head bolts. http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/multi/camshaft-inspection-replace-VW-TDI.htm There are articles on how to do the timing belt and how to put the lock carrier in the service position linked through it.

You also have to remove the intake air box, turbo support bracket, turbo oil drain line and supply line, and a few small hoses on the back.

When did they replace the timing belt? So the water pump broke and the engine overheated?

As a first step, I suggest putting the new water pump and timing belt on. Check compression and it could show where a leak is. Or do you know that the head gasket is blown? After removing the head check for warping.

And check the number of punched holes on the head gasket - they are 1, 2, or 3, you must buy another gasket with the same number of holes or compression will be off.

 

[Fluid]

Complain to the dealer where you had it serviced - they should be held accountable for not changing the water pump. Did the impeller spin on the shaft causing overheating? Did you get any warning lights?

 

[RalphM]

Thank you both for your replies. I'm hoping the head is not warped beyond the maximum allowable limit to have it shaved down as they go for over $3300 new and these engines are hard to find in Canada - that is, if VW refuses to fix the car at their expense! The plastic water-pump impeller design I find unbelievable on a $40K car. Just one warning light, that being the Stop Engine Light, but I was unable to shut down immediately as I was travelling at highway speeds. I am certain the plastic impeller disintegrated. Thanks again for the info.

Ralph/Ottawa

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Double check piston protrusion before and after as well to make sure the head gasket is correct. I'm not sure what the allowable limit is on how much you can shave the deck. You might need to change the head gasket thickness to compensate for any change.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Some more detailed tips on how to remove the cylinder head:

Place the engine at TDC. Refer to http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/b5/2005-vw-passat-tdi-bhw-engine-timing-belt.htmhttp://www.myturbodiesel.com/forum/bhw_timingbelt_1.htm, and http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/b5/lock-carrier-service-position.htm for more details.

Drain the coolant and engine oil.

Remove the intake air box and intake hose going to the turbo.

On the back of the engine there are some coolant hoses and a coolant sensor. Remove them. You could also remove the plastic coolant flange - it's held down by 2x 10mm bolts. I think one of the bolts has a 10mm nut on top of it. It's highlighted in the below picture.

Remove the turbo support bracket and oil drain line. Also loosen the turbo oil line at the oil filter housing. There are a few line brackets but it looks like you can remove them along with the head.

Disconnect the turbo downpipe from the turbo.

Remove the glow plug wires, round plug at the back of the engine, and any other connections. The glow plug wires pull straight off. The round plug has a red tab that must be pulled out a little before rotating it. There is also a sensor on the exhaust manifold - the other end goes under the coolant reservoir.

Remove the timing belt and remove the valve cover. Also refer to http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/multi/camshaft-inspection-replace-VW-TDI.htm for more details.

Use a 12mm triple square bit to remove the cylinder head bolts. First loosen head bolts 1, 3, and 5 by 1/4 turn in that order. Then loosen head bolts 2 and 4 by 1/4 turn in that order. This prevents warping or damaging the cylinder head. Then loosen them bolts by about 1/2 turn, in that order. Then loosen them gradually in order until the head is loose.

 

[RalphM]

Thank you for the info. Shaved/refinished head I figure will cost around $500, but have been told if it's not just right, with measurements in thousands/inch, it may raise the compression too high? Would it be best to just fork out the extra $4-500 for a new head? Or, is there a definitive how-to on determing the correct thickness? Also, is there a metal impeller water pump available for the B5 Passat? Thanks.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

PM sent

Most of the vendors linked in the timing belt writeup sell metal impeller water pumps. Graf is a common brand. I've seen a metal impeller that had minor casting flaws (left over bumps on the impeller) so inspect it when you get it. The OEM VW pump is pretty expensive.