Date:         Wed, 8 Jun 2005 11:15:30 -0700
Reply-To:     Dyer Lytle <dyer@LPL.ARIZONA.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dyer Lytle <dyer@LPL.ARIZONA.EDU>
Subject:      Rotten Head Studs (and names)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Hi all,

I thought I should post something to the list as I have finally moved
forward a little bit on my WBX rebuild.  I may have reported before
that the failure that led to this rebuild was the breakage of a cylinder
head stud and the various leaks that ensued.  I took a chance that the
other head studs were OK and began reassembling the engine last
fall only to have another head stud break when torquing down the
1-3 cylinder head.

I decided to replace all of the head studs because they were all now
suspect.  Getting rotten head studs out of the engine case is non-trivial.
I managed to remove 9 of 16 studs.  The other 7 just kept breaking
further down the shanks as I welded nuts on the end and attempted
removal.  Last week I sent the case to "Jerry's Broken Drill and Tap
Removal" in Santa Ana, California.  I boxed up the engine case with
lots of packing material in a sturdy cardboard box and sent it
via DHL ground.  It weighed 53 pounds all together and cost $27
from Tucson, AZ and made it in two days.

I'll let you all know what the cost for the stud removal turns out to
be and also how the engine reassembly goes when I get the new
studs in.

By the way, for reasons I don't understand entirely, the right front
hubcap on my '66 standard bus is named "Carl".

 -Dyer Lytle in Tucson