Date:         Wed, 9 Feb 2000 15:29:27 -0800
Reply-To:     Doktor Tim <doktortim@ROCKISLAND.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doktor Tim <doktortim@ROCKISLAND.COM>
Subject:      Re: what else to replace along with head gaskets
In-Reply-To:  <68.15926ec.25d31fe8@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

At 02:54 PM 02/09/2000 EST, you wrote:
>What other components should one
>
>a) definitely replace or

Anything on there made of rubber that shows by inspection original long
age, bulging, cracking or corrosive residue at fittings. New water pump.
Cooroded pipes. Anything else that can be shown by inspection to fail to
meet specifications for continued use. Head studs by inspection. Big pits?
Replace it! Little pits? Replace it! Magnifying glass can still find a,
count 'em one, pit? Replace it!

If your dripping coolant, the whole cooling system is contaminated. If the
radiator, heater cores,  pipes and hoses are all original, budget to
replace them all now, do better with the coolant system maintenance and get
another 100,000 at least out of it.

>b) consider replacing

Expect an increasing probability with failure of original 14 year old parts
in the next 50k mi/5 years. Things like the air bypass valve, air flow
meter, temp sensors, nylon/plastic anything, but especially cooling
fittings, plastic F.I. terminal housings and rubber seals, hall sensor,
alturnator, starter. Any of these things can last twice as long if kept
clean and serviced reasonably. The the common example is not reasonable
kept, that is, if you want to make it last twice as long. If you keep dirt
and oil and fluids off the rubber and fittings with an occasional cleaning,
surface deterioration doesn't begin. Rub the cleaned fittings with
glycerin. It seals from the air (o-zone), helps seal in and replace the
volatiles that make things hard when it goes away and eases future cleaning.

If your flush, replace it all and put the seven other problems behind you
that will otherwise attack you in the not so far away future . Or address
each failure as it comes along. Which way will cost you less in the long
haul?? You judge the values of short or long term alturnatives and do as
you will.

Wishing you good results.


T.P. Stephens aka Doktor Tim
San Juan Island, WA