Date:         Sun, 23 Jan 2005 22:38:46 -0600
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: My first time doing the heads
In-Reply-To:  <000301c501cd$94371b10$6601a8c0@cbetest12>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed

Congratulations on completing a rite of passage. I just finished mine 
too. Let me know if you need any reference photos of where things are 
supposed to hook up to! Get stainless replacements for all that exhaust 

stuff and use plenty of anti-seize. If you have trouble getting the 
exhaust to fit back (you will) ask and I will send you some good tips 
on manipulating the pipe system.

I'm driving mine from Alabama to NY on friday... finished it 
yesterday... how's that for confidence?

Jim


On Jan 23, 2005, at 10:31 PM, Jere Hawn wrote:

> Greetings all,
>
>
>
> I started the job at noon and it is now 8 PM and I have one head off 

> and I’m
> cleaned up for the night.  I am using the rough procedures from Boston 

> Bobs.
>
>
>
> Here are my lessons learned:
>
> 1.       The procedures say to take off the intake manifold.  I did, I 

> don’t
> see why I shouldn’t have just taken off each side and put hose clamps 
> back
> on the tubes leaving the center manifold intact.
>
> 2.       The power steering pump has to come off too.
>
> 3.       The exhaust system from head to cat has to come off.  What a 

> pain
> (at leas 2 hrs and I even had to use my grinder to cut some of the 
> bolts.)
> On top of that exhaust is standard while the rest of the van is 
> metric.  The
> procedures say to use 6 pt sockets…  I finally called it quits when 

> the head
> just lifted off.  I looked on the floor and saw ally my metric both 12 

> and 6
> pt sockets, 3/8 and ½ drives mixed with combination wrenches, vice 

> grips,
> hammers, road gravel, oil, coolant, cardboard, and my creeper and of 

> course
> all the nuts and bolts I had taken off.  Well mix my tools together 
> and poke
> me in the eye with a drift.
>
> 4.       I have NO CROSSION on my right head and I sure gave those 
> spark
> plugs a fright when the head came off.  The gas I use is the cheap 
> stuff
> (regular unleaded) with no additives.  The last time I had seen the 
> heads (2
> engines ago) they were as pitted as the moon with craters and one of 

> the
> head studs had been eaten away.  For the whole life of that engine I 

> had
> used name brand (AMACO) 91 octane gas.  I was quite surprised.
>
>
>
> I am now looking for a good reference for reinstallation of the new 
> heads.
>
>
>
> More later
>
>
>
> Jere
>
> 90 GL/Carat-a-version  <<one head off and parts everywhere!!!
>
> 88 GL
>
> 87 Wolfy (parts van)
>
> 220D MB this summer’s project
>