Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 20:43:14 -0800
Reply-To: Randy Huyck <Fritz_H@MSN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Randy Huyck <Fritz_H@MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: head seal replacement
In-Reply-To: <002801c2ce4a$28e82740$6d25c618@maine.rr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I had a bear of a time doing this last summer on my '85. About 70% of the
difficulty was my own fault - things like not power-washing the whole engine
(especially the bottom) before beginning, not clearing enough room in the
garage to work comfortably, and working too hastily when I did carve out a
couple of hours to spend only on the vanagon.
If you get everything clean, have enough room and enough uninterrupted and
undistracted time, you'll probably get along just fine with the gasket kit
and an intermediate set of tools (don't forget JB weld or new heads). The
instructions found in the articles at vanagon.com were outstanding, in my
opinion. The only thing I skipped was the removal of the pistons &
cylinders.
The real killer for me is that I broke a head stud while installing the
right head. Wait, that's not true - there were two rotted-out hoses I
needed to replace, one of which seemed tougher to find than it should have
been. I made the mistake of trying to get hoses from the dealer. Forget
that - call Ken Wilford. I spent more time dealing with the stud and my
quest for hoses than I did on the head r & r itself.
The only thing I'm not happy about is that I wasn't careful enough when
installing one of the heads - I pinched a push rod seal and it leaks a ton
of oil when I fill above the "add" mark. I have a spring-loaded tube that
I'll put in soon.
Randy, Carla & Anna Huyck, Olympia, WA
'75 Rustfalia
'85 Vanagon GL
'90 Fox GL
'74 Super Beetle
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Ed Carroll
Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 5:42 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: head seal replacement
I'm just looking for a little moral support here.
I've got an 87 half camper with 195,000 miles and a Canadian VW rebuild
that's supposedly about 40-50,000 miles on. It's got the classic early
stages of head gasket leak -- a few tablespoons in the driveway when the
temp.'s below freezing -- with no other related problems. I put it in my
parents' garage for the winter, as they're away and leant us a car and I
didn't want the problem to expand, as it were.
Now it's finally warm enough in Maine to attempt the re-seal job in a
hard-to-heat garage, and I'm going up this weekend to begin. I figure in the
first 12 hours or so of work I have the chance to disassemble most pertinent
things and see what I can break and what additional parts I may need. My
question for this august and learned body is: What's the one thing you know
from doing this yourself that I should either avoid or be sure to do?
As background: Yes, I've read the Bentley (which asks that I pull the jugs
completely) and the Haynes. I've searched the archives and kept abreast of
the list discussion that's on-topic and I have time for. I've visited the
many excellent member sites -- with reverence for the list members who have
documented their work before me -- and printed out the best info I could
find. Also, I'm working in the anticipation that the Bus Depot total gasket
kit truly does have nearly all I'll need, though I'm thinking of following
the many suggestions that I spend the five bucks on better sealant.
But, the van and garage are 90 minutes removed from me, and I'm afraid I'll
forget some unanticipated tool or goop. I will be list-inaccessible while
I'm there, and therefore unable to pop the quick question.
So, who can tell me the step that especially busted their chops or hung them
up, or the tool I shouldn't leave home without? Any last advice?
Thanks in advance for your help,
Ed Carroll
