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Date:         Sun, 27 Feb 2000 10:00:10 -0800
Reply-To:     Mike Conlon <zippledippledoo@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Conlon <zippledippledoo@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      CRACKED BLOCK on 2.1
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

After replacing both the cylinder heads on my '86 Syncro Westy, I was most annoyed to note that the right hand cylinder still leaks coolant. After removing the offending cylinder head (a new AMC unit on the right hand/passenger side here in the USA), I was depressed to see a crack in the block that originates right where the cylinder head faces up to the block and extends about 1&1/4 inches towards the center of the engine. If peering into the engine compartment, the crack originates at the top right rear edge of the block and extends along the top edge in a straight line along the rounded edge of the block. The crack does indeed go all the way through the aluminum and is quite visible from both inside the block and outside. This is definately my "smoking gun" as far as the leak in concerned.

The engine has 189K on it and uses little oil and compression is good. The cylinders looked just fine with cross hatching still evident on the cylinder walls. I hate to throw it away, plus I don't relish all the work required to pull the motor. I also don't relish all the money a new engine will require!

Does anybody out there have some suggestions? Has anybody seen this type of problem before and if so how did you "fix" it? I tried several archive searches but came up empty handed. I talked to a Fast German Auto rep, but he'd never seen this before.

I am tempted to drill a small hole at the end of the crack to stop it from propagating and then grind a narrow groove in the aluminum on the inside length of the crack. Next I'd fill the groove with some sort of super strength epoxy and then grind the surface smooth right where the cylinder head gasket faces up to the surface. Using plenty of VW black head sealant (on both sides of the gasket) I'd button her back up and, crossing my fingers, fire her up and see just how pathetic my attempt had been. Suggestions??

Mike Conlon '86 Westy Sycnro "Fritz", 189K (down, but not out!) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com


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