Date:         Fri, 21 Sep 2001 05:45:48 -0400
Reply-To:     Marie Whitehead <mariewhitehead@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Marie Whitehead <mariewhitehead@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Leaking antifreeze
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

I have an 86 vanagon and it has started leaking antifreeze. My mechanic says that the right head is corroded and needs to be replaced to the tune of $2600. He said he would replace the left head also while he was in there. I asked him for a price for replacing the engine. He said with getting a rebuilt 2.1 L engine from Bus Depot the total cost would be about $2400. None of which I can afford at this time. He did mention one other option which he would not guarantee. That would be sandblasting and sanding the heads and applying a special sealant to them. This would be at a cost of $500-600, mostly for shop time. He did the same work for a friend of his a few weeks ago and the van has been running well without any leaking. Is this a viable option

Do I have any other options at this point? The engine has a little over 100,000 miles and has been little problem for me for over 3 years. What factors do I need to consider to evaluate whether I should spend this money or not.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Marie Whitehead 

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