Date:         Mon, 7 May 2001 15:34:12 -0400
Reply-To:     cooper@bqmlaw.com
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Cooper, Jonathan R." <cooper@bqmlaw.com>
Subject:      FW: 85 Vanagon - leaking push rod tube?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I was requested to share; This was the most comprehensive answer I got.

Jonathan R. Cooper
Brzytwa, Quick & McCrystal
900 Skylight Office Tower
Cleveland, OH 44113
Cooper@BQMlaw.com





-----Original Message-----
From: Joel Walker [mailto:jwalker17@earthlink.net]
Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2001 10:48 PM
To: Cooper, Jonathan R.
Subject: Re: 85 Vanagon - leaking push rod tube?


> I have this new oil leak on the driver's side. I took the tin off
and it
> looks like the foremost pushrod tube is leaking. From scanning the
archives
> this looks like a likely solution. How hard is this to change out?
What
> tools do I need? How do I do it? Driveway job? Haynes appears to
make me
> remove valve covers and go from there. The last thing I want to get
into is
> the heads. Thanks.

if you get the collapsible (spring-loaded) pushrod tubes, it's not
toooo hard. can be done in a driveway. the worst part is the exhaust
bolts ... as the rock-shield (protecting the pushrod tubes) is held on
by those exhaust bolts. and those nuts on those bolts are rusty as
hell. :( so start soaking them in Kroil or some other penetrating oil
for several days before you go to work on it. and try that
tapping-100-times thing that somebody recommended. you do NOT want any
of those bolts to break off! :(

once the shield is out of the way, you need to take the valve cover
off (have a new gasket handy for when you put it back on). clean the
cover and area around it BEFORE taking the cover off. you don't want
any dirt falling into the rocker assembly or getting into the oil and
flowing down into the engine.

once the cover is off, you can see the rocker arm assembly. held on by
simple nuts and washers. remove the whole thing as an assembly. do NOT
take it apart. put it on a clean rag or something (keep the
dog/cat/kids/wife out of the way!) in the same orientation that you
took it off. that is, lay it out so you can put it back on the same
way it came out.

now you can get to the pushrod. simple pull it out and lay it aside,
noting which end was at the rocker assembly. you want it to go back in
the same way.

there may be a big spring thingie in there. not sure on the
watercools. on the aircools, it was there. anyway, if it's there, take
it out but notice how it's held in place and which way it goes.

now you can get to the pushrod tube itself. from underneath, where the
shield was, just grip the tube with your hand and twist it ... you
want to break the seals loose at each end. sometimes, the tube will
collapse when you do this. just go ahead and pull it out if it does
.... you've got a new tube. just be careful of the tube next to it. :)

ok, now comes cleanup. get some solvent or gasoline (be careful!) and
carefully clean the holes in the head and in the engine case where the
ends of the tube were ... you want to get any old caked oil out of the
holes before you put the new tube in.

put the new seals on the new tube. i'd suggest greasing the outside of
the seals just a bit with some axle grease or wheel bearing grease. it
helps them seat in the cylinder head and engine case. then put the
tube in place and let it pop into the holes. check to see if it's
seated properly.

now you can put the pushrod back. make SURE it's seated carefully and
centered on the lifter at the engine end. you'll know it if it isn't
when you crank it up ...such a racket you've never heard! :)
then put the rocker assembly back on, taking care to make sure the
pushrod tube is still centered at the lifter end and now under the
rocker. tighten the nuts down and torque them to specs. you did put
that big wire-thingie back, right? :)

you might want to slap the valve cover back on with the old gasket
first and crank the bus to see if the pushrod is where it should be.
if it is, shut it off, pull the valve cover and put the new gasket in.
i put some more grease on both sides of the gasket to hold it to the
cover and to seal to the cylinder head until it swells up and seals
itself.

that's pretty much it. intimidating the first time. and Muir's book
has a good writeup on it, with drawings.

so what you'll need is ...
- new collapsible pushrod tube.
- seals for pushrod tube, both ends.
- new valve cover gasket.
- socket and ratchet ... i think it's 13mm, but i'm not sure.
- screwdriver or claw hammer or brake adjusting tool (to get the valve
cover off and back on).
- clean rags to lay the stuff on. the key in this job is clean, clean,
clean. keep that rocker and pushrod clean! :)

good luck!
joel