>From: KENWILFY <KENWILFY@aol.com>
>
>I too have been pondering this problem.  I think the main culprit is the head
>gasket.  Like you said it is rubber instead of metal or something hard like
>most head gaskets.  The flexibilty of the rubber is probably supposed to allow
>for all the expanding and contracting that you are talking about, but it
>becomes the achilles heel of the motor as well, allowing the coolant to flow
>around it when clamping force is low thus corroding the heads.

 My suggestion
>is to try and find another material to make the gasket from.  One that is
>flexible, yet springy enough to prevent the coolant from coming around it
>during expansion or contraction.  Any suggestions?

Yeah I thought about it some, I reliaze you questions assumes a "better
mousetrap" on the gasket, but I feel if VW can't come up with a compound
chances are good it's not really effective way of overcoming the total
problem.

There are just too many aluminim engines in the world, getting by without
corroding, to blame this simply on metallugical corresive causes.  VW is so
tight lipped, that's why all the guessing by us lay folk, at to how best
fix their mistake.

if I had the engine to test it on, I think I'd consider getting an aluminum
spacer made just like the gasket and JB Weld the head together. Then just
treat it like a ordinary air cooled head. I don't where the "give in the
system would be" though. Where is the give in Air Cooled heads.

Sincerely Mark
91 Carat WE
"Lazarus"