Date:         Tue, 10 Oct 2000 14:00:47 -0500
Reply-To:     Darrell Boehler <midwesty@MIDWEST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Darrell Boehler <midwesty@MIDWEST.NET>
Subject:      amc heads / soft valve problem ??
Comments: cc: Bill Dummitt <williamd@compuserve.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi Volks,
    I recently had the opportunity to help Bill Dummitt with a head  gasket
job on a 2.1L with amc heads. These heads are 4 years old and 60 k miles.
All went well and the engine is back online and running great with 3 - 4k
miles on it by now since the head gasket  job. The bottom end has 260 k
miles with new lifters about 40 k ago and the cam checked out fine at that
time.  This engine pushed a fully loaded 87 westy 2600 miles 65-70 mph and
got 20 mpg.
    While adjusting the valves on this engine we experienced a problem that
it was not possible to back the adjustment screw out far enough so the valve
push rods were loose (exhaust valves only). The rocker would hit the valve
spring assembly.   Some of recent posts about soft valves and thinking about
this and having recovered from the trip to cocc I feel these heads have some
anomaly with the valves and may drop loose a stem any day.         This is
not a happy thought. I also have a new set of amc heads on my red gl westy
wanna be van with 30k miles.
    Looking for advise / ideas. Are we just destined to have head problems /
karma when we drive a wasser boxer?

Darrell