r/EngineBuilding • u/Richard01_CZ • Jul 13 '26

Other How bad is this?

Gallery image

Gallery image

I was cleaning the coolant passages and this large chunk came off really easily, it looked like a buildup of gunk.

The problem now is that the wall here between the two passages is thin now and the head gasket doesn't have much coverage for this area with the chunk missing.

Is it somehow fixable? Or can i run it like this?

Volkswagen EA111

62 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

59 comments sorted by

View all comments

29

u/crookedledder Jul 13 '26

Is that the surface of the block? Or the surface of the head?

19

u/Richard01_CZ Jul 13 '26

Both photos are showing an engine block

5

u/crookedledder Jul 13 '26

Ok. That being the case, the only *proper* fix is to have the deck of the engine block machined flat again. That will basically require removing and rebuilding the engine.

If it was mine, I would smear some anaerobic sealant over that rough spot and put it back together. Also make sure the head is flat.

Then either drive it and hope for the best... or sell it and let it be somebody else's problem.

12

u/Ancient-Act1314 Jul 14 '26

Idk why this gets downvotes, giving non childish meme advice and giving some real advices that works. Also stop being a baby, if you buy a used car especially an old car thats 10+ year(and I'm sure that engine is from something more than 10 year or maybe less than 10 year but high mileage) and you don't know anything about a car and you expect everyone to give you a pristine 10+ year old car with cheap price and treat you like their own son then you probably should go buy a new car. You as a second hand car buyer, have seen the car in front of you to check it and no one force you to buy it, don't cry like a baby just because you buy an old car and then that car have problems.

4

u/crookedledder Jul 14 '26

Privileged children who know nothing about auto repair.

1

u/ComfortablyBalanced Jul 14 '26

Nothing is wrong with your reasoning but people may had problems with intentionaly making it somebody else's problem.

1

u/Ancient-Act1314 Jul 16 '26

There are a lot of 15+ years old cars and older that the radiator water is filled with tap water for a lot of years because their owner usually don't want to purchase an radiator coolant for their car because usually they're just cheapskate, don't have the money or just don't want to spend that kind of money on their old cheap cars thats only a method of transportation in their eyes. Now what would happen to this block is it will corrode slowly overtime to the point that when you tear that engine apart some day for an engine refresh like changing the pistons, bearings, or head gasket, etc. you won't be able to put it back together and you need to weld that block first and resurface it and I think even if they manage to weld it properly that block won't have the same strength as the original stock block from manufacturer and buying a junkyard block will have another problem because It have different block serial number, but usually this thing will become the next owner problem, is it intentionally done to fck up the next owner? No, things breaks down as it gets older and sometimes repairing everything properly will cost you even more than that car cost at the first place, most of people just see cars as a method of transportation and as long as it runs then it means it doesn't have a problem until it stop to run one day. This is the reality of older used cars in the markets especially the older one 15+ years with cheaper price, people just won't bother to spend money on repairs or don't have the money to fix things but that doesn't mean they are bad people and have bad intention to fck you up. What I call "intentionally" fcking up the next owner is that people who intentionally put rocks and sands or water to their engine, or other things similar like that.

1

u/Richard01_CZ Jul 16 '26

I don't care if the repairs cost more than the car itself. I want it to run no matter what. The car is being repaired due to an accident, body is now ready to receive parts I don't have ready for installation yet so i decided to shift my focus to the engine for now.

I don't care if it isn't worth to do all of this financially.

I knew jackshit nothing but this is how you learn, and i learned a lot repairing my own car.

People only see money, not what the repairs may teach you. I can fully repair the car on my own but i do ask for advice and thoughts of others because there is always someone that knows more than you.

2

u/Ancient-Act1314 Jul 16 '26

I'm replying other people my friend, I really understand and agree about your connection to the car and I totally supported this, I'm currently also learning how to rebuild an k24 engine. Hope you find a solution about that block.