Which Cylinder head to get?

[Inappreciable]

My local junkyard has multiple 1.8t cylinder heads currently that I can acquire for cheap.

I am trying to replace my stock AMB head so I don't have to worry about cracking.

The junkyard currently has AEB, AWP, and an unmarked head that's in 04 A4 Avant.

Are any of those worth taking or should I wait until I can find an AWM?


Thanks

[Cybersombosis]

Any 1.8T head, transverse or longitudinal, except an AMB or an AEB.

[kwilson]

Go with the AWP. Will be a direct swap. Should be off a MK4 Golf/Jetta.

[egovreau]

Any small port head will fit. Just make sure VW Audi logos and GERMANY are stamped on the side. Depending on what engine code it comes from will determine if some parts will need to be swapped over (timing belt tensioner, VVT tensioner).

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[Spike00513]

Isn't the most desirable one 1.8T AWM from a Passat to avoid cracking

[egovreau]

Isn't the most desirable one 1.8T AWM from a Passat to avoid cracking

The Coscast heads installed on only the AMB engines are the heads prone to cracking.

The desirable aspect of the AWM stamped heads is that they can be directly swapped over because it uses the same belt tensioner and VVT tensioner as the AMB engines.

When my head cracked, I picked up a reman head from Odessa Cylinder head. I specified a 058 small port head. What I got was stamped ATW (earlier Passat engine). I just had to swap the belt tensioner. If I remember correctly, I also had to use my camshafts and the chain tensioner. Easy peasy.

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[walky_talky20]

..

Coscast is a 3rd party cylinder head manufacturer. I believe they are in the UK. They worked a lot on performance engine variants back in the day with Cosworth (perhaps a subsidiary of them, not sure). IE: base model engine, then the "hot" performance version with the high-flow Cosworth head.

In the case of the 1.8T, it is the belief of many in the community that the heads made by and marked "Coscast" are of inferior quality compared to those marked "Germany" (where Audi's come from). Specifically that they have a higher occurrence of cracking. The production of 1.8T heads starting around 2002 is split between the two different castings. In my inspection, the Coscast head is noticeably thinner in some areas, although that may or may not relate directly to the cracking issue.

It is my theory that not only the lighter coscast head is to blame, but that the rapid temperature deviations of the B6 A4 "mapped cooling system" (using the electronically governed ultra-high-temp thermostat) is a contributing factor to cylinder head failures.

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B:

[kwilson]

OP: I wouldn't go out and replace a head just because you are worried about it potentially cracking. I have over 200K miles on my Coscast AMB head (knocks on wood). If it does crack, I'll deal with it then.