Hello,

Some of you are aware of the fact that I blew a hard-to-find radiator
hose about a month ago, and I still don't have it's replacement from
VOA.

In the meantime, I've cobbled together frankenhose, which looks pretty
darn good considering that it's part original hose, part jetta hose and
part home depot fitting.

Fits like a glove.

Anyway, I put it in and started the air bleeding process as outlined in
this list's FAQ. I noticed immediately upon startup that there was a
hint of vapor out the top of the water tank as soon as I started the
engine.

That made me think that there might be a head gasket problem, and if so
that is probably what blew the hose in the first place.

The engine starts a little rough but seems to run OK, it's the first
diesel I've ever messed with so I'm not sure what's "right."

Anyway, what else should I look for in the way of blown gasket symptoms?

If it is a blown head gasket, what's usually involved in fixing them,
and how much does it cost to have a shop do it?

The air bleeding process was inconclusive, that is, it never yielded a
full flow of liquid. It got too dark to mess with, so I closed
everything up and left the car on jackstands to try again from cold
tomorrow.

Any opinion welcome!

Thanks,

Jim

90 Carat
83 diesel (maybe)