[nater]

This is the way I performed this, based on a little bit of Bentley and mostly on my prior experience with this engine/car. There may be better ways (or better chronology) to do things.
This is meant as a guide, I omitted certain procedures on purpose and maybe by accident.


Tips/notes to save hassle:
*if you put the vehicle into "service position" everything (and I mean everything) is much easier. True service position is a bit of its own pita, requiring disconnecting trans cooler lines and discharging the AC, re-aiming the headlights, etc.
I decided to do this WITHOUT service position. As I type this I'm kicking myself just a little bit.
I suggest doing this in service position.

*Random tool to buy before you start (trust me, you'll thank me later:
Go to tools.vw.com and search for T10363
*It will help you keep the oddball oblong HPFP sprocket from moving every time you try to put the chain on. Without it this is a pita.
Camshaft alignment tool. T10068A: it's about $90 but there are cheaper ways to do it.
Here's what these two tools look like:
T10363

T10068A

*Do a VCDS full scan, save the file for later (just in case).
Ok, let's rock....

Disable Fuel Pump:
Go under passenger side rear seat, disconnect harness to the fuel pump.
The point of this is to save a dangerous situation of high pressure fuel coming out of fuel lines at the HPFP and fuel rail (you'll need to disconnect). Then start and run the car until it stalls out (no more fuel).

Disconnect battery
2 piece intake manifold:
Remove (7) torx 30 bolts. 5 bolts holding upper to lower manifold.
2 bolts towards throttle body (left and right side of intake runners)
Remove (1) bolt (10 mm 12-point socket) that secures rear of manifold.

Remove air box:
One (5mm Allen) bolt seen in right lower part of pic (pointing to) is what holds it in.
Don't forget to disconnect MAF sensor (simple flat head in plug with a light turn to release plug+ pull) and loosen clamp that holds intake tube to TB.

Opens things up a bit:

Let's get this thing off:
Quick video on how to remove these plugs from almost every connector in here:
https://vimeo.com/148909847

And pull on it and it's off:

Don't forget to pop out the harness by simply pulling up (see the Christmas tree fasteners underneath?):

Before pulling up on the manifold to remove you'll need to carefully remove the 2 vacuum lines in the rear of it. One (passenger side) will come off by pulling the drivers side one is a quick connect-so don't break it! Pull while pressing in the white part (see pic):

Remove, and here's a peek at the 2 larger gaskets on the lower manifold (orange) and the 4 smaller ones on the upper.

Start disconnecting and I advise you mark some things. I tag everything with a location or plug color. Keep in mind the 2 cam sensors share the exact plug so they can be interchanged and will cause driveability issues.
Fuel line:

CPS plugs:

Out of habit I stuffed the intake to keep crap from getting inside, even though I'm pulling the head.
Don't forget to remove the dipstick, where it attaches to the intake-I'm trying to remove the head with the intake on...

Remove your valve cover (14 screws, 13 are 10mm hex and one is a t-30 torx).

Remove that heat shield using your trusty 10mm 12pt socket. There are 2 bolts marked with red dots (sorry about the orientation):

Let's get the car to TDC, shall we?
Turn engine in the direction of normal operation. I believe this is clockwise, which is the way I turned it-using a ratchet and 27mm socket on the crank pulley. Let the notch on the pulley meet the line on the block (see red markings):

Now, you must make sure the cams are where they need to be. Two ways to do this (both must be true):
1) lobes on cams must point towards each other,
2) That a flat tool (don't laugh-I lost mine and I used a saw to check this) can fit into the slots EVEN/FLAT with the top of head (where valve cover mounts).

Ideally, get a much stronger flat piece of steel that will not bend if something pops free. The cams cannot move-it's not the end of the world-but save hassle and keep everything where it's at.
Now,
Let's remove the HPFP:
First you MUST remove the head bracket using a 10mm 12pt. There are 2 bolts holding it to the head: see the red dots:

Now,
Get that weird 90* rubber low pressure fuel line off (replace it per Bentley-they say the barbed fitting damages it while pulling it off-don't mess with fuel!). Line marked:

Also note (ABOVE PIC) the two red dots. Use a 14mm open end wrench and loosen those nuts. It's a tight fit but you only need an 1/8th turn to break them free then the rest is done with your fingers.
Like so:

Let's remove the pump:
You'll need a T27 torx. There are 3, marked by the Red dots. Sorry, no pic while in car but you get the idea.

Pull it straight out. A little wiggle so it pulls away from the head.
Here's what's left:
And be careful to not allow the plunger to fall out (it's not pictured here-I already removed it):

Here is the plunger:

You need to get the side timing cover off now:
Disconnect coolant hoses from the aluminum bypass, miscellaneous hoses here and there.
See the 3 marks:

One is a T30 torx bolt that holds a water pipe to the head. The other two are hoses. You should replace them because they are tough to get at later. They are your two heater core hoses
If your car has the vacuum pump:

Remove it using just 3 T30 bolts. NOTE:
Uppermost bolt is the shortest.
Here are the locations of bolts (red):

And the void left:

Underside of vacuum pump:

Now remove the side timing cover.

Use your 8mm 12pt and remove upper timing cover bolts. There are 6. Marked in red.

Cover, off:

Exposed upper chain:

Sample of my T10363 attached. Well worth it's weight in gold!

. It seems this tool will only fit in like this if the engine is at TDC and the HPFP sprocket is installed correctly. It's keyed, so with the keying, setting the cams/crank to TDC PLUS this tool you'll have no worries!
And just because I'm anal I'd like to mark the chain in various locations to triple check my work once this is all put back together.

Remove your rear tensioner bolt, 27mm at rear of head.
You'll want to remove this outlet housing first:

Bentley wants you to remove the HPFP drive, presumably so you can slide the sprocket out of the way, so you can get some chain-slack to allow you to get the camshaft adjusters/sprockets off the cams.
Pry carefully on the drive to pull it out of the head:

Out:

You may notice the cam phasers (think that's what they are called) removed. They don't need to be.

Let's get these cam sprockets off!
Use a 27mm open ended wrench to counter-hold the cam while loosening the 15mm bolt on the cam adjuster/sprocket. I didn't take a pic of that but here's an illustration from Bentley:

And it's off:

I pulled the slack out of the chain because remember I put marks on the chains, relative to the sprockets. I'd rather not have the chain skip a tooth down below...would make things a little more hard.

But when I pull the head up how will I clear the bungee cord? Use another steady hand or do what I did...zip tie the chains together-tight on the chain guide. Ingenious!

Remove control housing:
DONT DROP ANY BOLTS INTO THE LOWER COVER OR TRANS WILL NEED TO COME OUT!!! Steady hands, people!

Without the sprockets on the cams cover them so no debris gets in. Ziplock bags with zip ties work great!

Oh yea...
Disconnect the water outlet housing from the head with the 3 bolts (I marked the locations in red).

Loosen the head bolts:

Loosen the 20 bolts from outside to inside:

3 7 13 19 14 8 1 rear bolts
5 11 17 20 16 10 4 center bolts
9 12 18 15 6 2 front bolts

TWO HIDDEN BOLTS (no picture): remove the 2 Allen bolts that attach the lower timing cover to the head. They are not visible from the top, and they go in upside down. The head won't come off without removing these.

Loosen #1 first, #20 last. You get the picture.
Start to lift the head from the block.
Since you didn't remove the front clip (service position) you'll need to remove the lower manifold now.

Reason you need to remove the lower manifold is just so you can pull the plugs off the injectors. The plugs don't have room to be pulled out with the lower manifold attached.

Start lifting the head with a hoist, get access to lower manifold bolts (and injector rail) and remove.

Head will lift off the block now.


Next post will be the installation.



Hope this helps you all!!

 

[nater]

Head Gasket R&R and DIY 3.6L BLV 2008 Passat

Reinstallation is basically reverse.

Put the head back on today:

Make sure the intake camshaft adjuster is all the way clockwise.
You can make sure of this while it's attached to the camshaft by using your 27mm wrench to turn it.
I marked everything so it went back together perfectly, all marks line up.

 

[nater]

Head Gasket R&R and DIY 3.6L BLV 2008 Passat

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[jddaigle]

Awesome :thumbup: Thanks for taking all the photos along the way and documenting it so thoroughly!

 

[v b chil-n]

 

[superman1969]

Great work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mecaniser]

2014 vw cc 3.6 cylinder head

Awesome thread !!! You made a super hard work to look like doable job.

I'm working on a 2014 vw cc vr6 4motion, and my mechanic changed the cylinder head from a 2010 vw cc vr6 fwd. Honestly I have no idea what he did and what was the procedure but now there not enough compression, each cylinder is showing 60psi which is definitely not a good thing, also no pulse to injectors. I will really appreciate any of your ideas.

 

[SEANMAC24]

Great job Nater this needs to be stickied or in the 3.6 resource thread! Thanks for this write up it will help me out a lot with the valve cover gasket job. Is there any way I can get at the oil pump bolts from the service position? Or does the engine need to be out of the car?

 

[nater]

Head Gasket R&R and DIY 3.6L BLV 2008 Passat

Great job Nater this needs to be stickied or in the 3.6 resource thread! Thanks for this write up it will help me out a lot with the valve cover gasket job. Is there any way I can get at the oil pump bolts from the service position? Or does the engine need to be out of the car?

Trans needs to come out to get at the oil pump.
Impossible without trans removal.

 

[vwpiloto]

Bumping this old, but awesome thread with a few questions.

Sounds like I need to replace the camshaft sprocket for the intake cam, as I'm getting the 16395/P0011/000017 error. Using the DIY above, I'm assuming I can stop after that point in the DIY, and reinstall everything (with a new valve cover gasket). Would I still need to use the T10363 tool? Also, do you absolutely need to pull the HPFP drive to remove the intake cam sprocket?

Also, the Amazon page for the tool set seems to be using your picture of the T10363 tool in use.

Thanks.

 

[G60ING]

The tools are available from snapon individually, that set isn’t priced too badly but you just need the cam locking plate and one fuel pump lock.

I would suggest you get them.

 

[vwpiloto]

The tools are available from snapon individually, that set isn’t priced too badly but you just need the cam locking plate and one fuel pump lock.

I would suggest you get them.

Thanks. So even for just changing the cam adjuster both are needed?

 

[G60ING]

Thanks. So even for just changing the cam adjuster both are needed?

When you say the cam adjuster are you taking about the cam phaser/sprocket or are you talking about the sensor that pokes through the end cover plate?

If you have to take the chain off, taking it off one sprocket is the same as taking it all the way off because you don’t have the alignment tools to lock them in place. Would you really want to be a tooth off on the fuel pump and have to redo the job?

Spend the few extra dollars and do it right the first time.

 

[vwpiloto]

When you say the cam adjuster are you taking about the cam phaser/sprocket or are you talking about the sensor that pokes through the end cover plate?

If you have to take the chain off, taking it off one sprocket is the same as taking it all the way off because you don’t have the alignment tools to lock them in place. Would you really want to be a tooth off on the fuel pump and have to redo the job?

Spend the few extra dollars and do it right the first time.

I need to replace the item circled in red, which as I understand it is this item:

I'm all for doing the job right, and not cutting corners. It just wasn't clear to me how that tool was being used. Thanks for the input.

Also to clarify, my understanding from the fault codes I'm getting is that this needs to be changed. But I guess I won't be sure until I open things up. There's a chance it could be a bad tensioner as well, but the fault codes point to this cam adjuster.

 

[G60ING]

When you pull that out the chain will have a good chance of coming off the fuel pump sprocket. Also it’s possible for the cam to rotate without the locking plate.

I’ve pulled a number heads and cams on 3.6 engines over the last few years.

Make certain you get the correct fuel pump timing tool. The 2006-early 2008 engines without a vacuum pump use the flat tool and the later engines use the other fuel locking tool that has a finger to engage the sprocket.

My 3.6 swap thread has the tool part numbers and links to buy them.

 

[G60ING]

The fixes for what you are encountering aren’t fully documented.

I believe it’s probably a timing chain wear/stretch issue or it could be the screen in the upper cam tensioner assembly having a partial blockage.

The problem is most don’t post online about the issue and most don’t follow up with the actions they took if they even follow through with repair that resolves the issue. The problem being that they don’t want to pay ~$2k for the repair on a 10-13 year old vehicle that’s worth $4k-$7k.

I hope you keep us posted.