Volkswagen Repair: Rabbit Diesel head gskt, vw rabbit, head gaskets

Question
Hello,
   I have a friend in Mexico that needs a head
gasket for his (bought in the US ) 1981 vw Rabbit
Diesel engine . Are the 1981 diesel head gskt
all the same . It is the original engine. My
son is flying down from Canada in a few weeks and
is taking the part down . Thanks  

Answer
No, the head gaskets for this diesel engine are not all the same. They come in different thicknesess. Five notchs on it mean that this is the thickest. They come in one to five notchs. Just get the one with five marks on it and that will work. You can always torque it down alittle more if you want more compression. But if you get one too thin,(one mark)you might experience big problems. The pistons might hit the valves!