Date:         Sun, 5 Oct 2003 22:54:05 -0700
Reply-To:     Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: Thinner head bolt washers?
Comments: To: Gnarlodious <gnarlodious@mac.com>
In-Reply-To:  <BBA61805.1ED35%gnarlodious@mac.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

On Sunday, October 5, 2003, at 05:48 PM, Gnarlodious wrote:

> Entity Felder spoke thus:
>
>> Diesel owners take note!
>> Nobody knew to warn me because apparently it isn't common to have the
>> spacers
> I have always used thick spacers on all the diesels.

My mechanic said that was my problem, as did several listees...
>
>> Anyway, since I popped the top two threads out of the block, and there
>> appear to have been seven threads grabbing each bolt, if I toss out
>> the
>> spacer that will leave five.
> I've been traveling and missed this episode, but can't you install
> studs and
> drop the head over the studs? It seems like the tension would be
> maximally
> distributed that way.

Yes, I am leaning toward studs. I could theoretically replace the one
bolt in question with a stud, but am not sure of the long-term wisdom
of such.
>
>> Is five enough? What if I took a grinder and carefully cut the captive
>> head bolt washer (you can't slide 'em off) and replaced it with a
>> thinner washer, giving me six threads worth of purchase.
> I don't recommend niggling this one, you need a more widespread
> solution.
> What about HeliCoils?

Trouble is, IMHO, that tthe helicoil would come within thousandths of
the oil return port (it's # 1 bolt, after all) and that seems risky
too. I'm hearing about these $150 set of studs, with hex recesses in
the top, which could be dropped in after the head was in place on the
temporary locator pins.

I will check out the helicoil deal on monday. Is there any way I could
get this done with the block in the car?

Many years ago when I was an Army machinst, we had a gadget called a
do-all, which was like a vertical mill about the size of a 1-lb coffee
can which you could bolt onto about anything and do about anything.
Seems they could drill that hole straight with that, tapping would be
done by hand.

??

Jim
>
> --Gnarlie
>
>