Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 16:33:46 EST
Reply-To: kenneth d lewis <kdlewis@JUNO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: kenneth d lewis <kdlewis@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: head compression leak again!#$%!
Mark;
I feel your pain brother!! Our 85 is going tru the same thing.
After the third head reseal I have the bubbles down to an occasional
small amount of foam. Other than that it runs great, cruises at 80 with
no problem. My current theory is a head bolt stretching or a cracked
head.
Drive Safely & Good Luck
Ken Lewis <Kernersville,NC>
86 VW crewcab;60 356B Coupe
--------------------------------------------------
On Wed, 9 Feb 2000 18:21:50 -0500 Mark Gajewski
<mgajewski@MANVILLERUBBER.COM> writes:
>Well, after a very quite several months my head is leaking....again.
>I'm
>rather frustrated by this recurring problem and am wondering if either
>I am
>doing something wrong (very likely) or if there is some other problem
>(also
>very likely). Here is the background for anyone who is able to offer
>me
>some guidance:
>- Van is an '85 GL 1.9L with 120K
>- Bought van used at 65K. Heads looked recently resealed as the
>sealant
>goop oozing out from around the rubber looked pretty clean and new
>- At 85K the water pump bearings blew on the interstate and I wasn't
>circulating H20 other than out the back of the van. Replaced water
>pump
>road side and drove 400 miles home with a plugged/melted CAT that
>created
>excessive back pressure. My stupidity in driving the van without
>hacksawing
>off the CAT or the prior overheating resulted in a blown compression
>seal
>that was pressurizing the coolant with engine gases so I replaced both
>head
>gaskets, again this was at 85K
>- At 100K I started getting engine gas pressurized coolant again and
>pulled
>the left head first where I found coolant inside the back left
>cylinder (#4?
>I think). Anyway, to save time and money I replaced only the left
>head
>gasket and didn't touch the right figuring that the coolant told me
>where
>the problem was. I was correct and that fixed the problem.
>- At 108K same damn problem. I pulled both heads, had them rebuilt,
>checked
>for cracks and flatness and everything checked out perfectly. Back on
>they
>went with new gaskets. Problem solved.
>-Now, I'm at 120K and the other morning my heater starts blowing
>cold/hot/cold/hot and temp gauge is fluctuating. Take a look at
>coolant....same darn problem, it's getting pressurized by the engine
>gases
>again.
>
>Each reseal I took extra special care to torque head bolts exactly per
>spec.
>Last time I even let the van run for a day or two and then went back
>in to
>retorque just in case. Any suggestions? I feel that maybe driving
>with the
>melted CAT plugging my exhaust did me in, but nothing appears to be
>wrong
>with the heads. Also, I'm betting 100 to 1 it's the left side again.
>Why
>always that one stupid head? Can I retorque or extra torque the heads
>now,
>12K after the last reseal in hopes of stopping the leak?
>
>Any help, mechanical or spiritual, is greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Mark
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