94 lt1 formula a4
After removing the heads to replace the headgaskets I discovered a crack in the tubing that crosses over the back of the block from head to head. What is the recommended fix for this? Would rubber tubing be good enough or do I need to replace with a complete new tubing assembly? Do people block these off or are they a must have for the survival of the heads?

 

You need the steam line to insure the removal of air and vapor bubbles from the back of the head. Failure to remove will result in hot spots. Typically, the last two cylinders (#7, #8) will run hotter than the others, and may result in detonation, or force you to tune "down" the entire engine to accomodate the higher temps on those cylinders. There have been threads about using braided S/S lines. I can't think of any reason you couldn't repair the hard line with rubber hose of the correct size/temp/pressure rating, flaring the hard line and using good clamps.

 

Thanks Fred