Date:         Wed, 10 Jan 2001 12:52:47 -0500
Reply-To:     Sam Walters <slwalters@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Sam Walters <slwalters@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Stripped threads in cylinder head, to fix?, now?, how?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

To: More mechanically sophisticated Vanagon folks,

Basic problem:  I stripped the threads in one bolt hole on my right
front cylinder head of my '84 and need to know how and when to fix it.
The details and my more specific questions follow.  Help will be greatly
appreciated.  My 11 year old and I want to keep the van running and
other voices are saying that it is not worth it given its low current
value and the presence of another van.

Details:  A few weeks ago, I set out to change the coolant, bleed, etc.,
on my '84 Vanagon.  All went well until I started to reassemble the
exhaust. I had removed the cover that protects the push rods in order to
get to the drain bolt.  This required removing one of the bolts that
holds the front header to the cylinder head.  The header must have been
imperfectly formed and installed "under tension" because when this bolt
was removed, the flange twisted a bit and the hole in the flange ended
up being not quite aligned with the hole in the header.

Of course, I didn't expect this and couldn't (or didn't) see it.  I
started putting the bolt back in by hand and it seemed to be going in
fine. But was cross threaded, I didn't realize it, did a few turns
too many with a wrench and stripped the threads.  I did reassemble
everything else, fill and bleed, etc. with just one bolt holding that
header in place.

This head has a leaking gasket and in some ways the easiest thing to do
would be to pull if off and replace the gasket (I've never done this,
but have read all, or almost, everything on the list on how to replace,
the JBWeld fix, etc.) and tap the hole at the same time.  It would be
easier to tap out in my basement than from under the van.

Early in my bike racing days (read over 10 years ago), I tapped out one
or two aluminum parts that got stripped threads while digesting steel
bolts.  There are one or two shops that I could use who would probably
be reasonable, but they both have long waits for appointments.  I live
in
Baltimore, Maryland.  Lately, it has been in the low 20's every night,
or much colder.  I doubt that I can do the head job in one day, and as a
novice
maybe not in a weekend, so I worry about the engine sitting out without
coolant if I can't get it done during a rare warm spell.

When I was filling and bleeding the system, every once in a while there
was a large "belch" of an air bubble that would come up in the coolant
tank.  Past info on the list seems to indicate that this means the
gasket may be doing more than incidental leaking.  Is this correct?

I don't want to put much cash into this van now as I have just bought my
Syncro and made a few small repairs to it.  My vanagon budget is very
"overdrawn."  Thus the desire to do it myself.

1) Exactly what tool do I need and approximately how much will this tool
        cost?
2) Is this a reasonable thing to attempt from under the van?  I have
        both jack stands and ramps.
3) How do I do this? What tips of those with experience to I need to
        know so as to not screw it up. (No need to admit learning it by
        personal experience.)
3) Alternatively, I can get by without driving this van very much (or
        any).  Will it hurt to drive it this way a few miles every week
        or so until warmer weather?  It is in the small urban back yard
        now, but I would like to put it on the street and need to move
        it occasionally for street cleaning days. I don't see how I can
        hurt it with one header bolt absent, but I might be wrong.

Thanks in advance,

Sam Walters
'84 Vanagon 174k original owner
'89 Syncro  175k new to me 12/00