Date:         Wed, 6 Jun 2007 00:36:02 -0400
Reply-To:     Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject:      Bad compression / good engine

I had to share this one with you guys (like if i never do so?)

Anyway, very short story.

Nice couple, getting maried soon and they chose to do a road trip instead of
going to Europe, kind of cool, very very nice folks... i had to help them,
1.9L Westy in superbe condition, from Europe with a Westfalia hitch???

Problem, 15psi on #3 and 35 on #1... other are ok, engine still run fine,
but i need to open this one (the heck with leak down test, there is a
probleme anyway), i'm sure i will find a burned valve or something like
that, the owner tell me it doesn't burn oil at all, no external leaks,so I
remove both remove both heads.... nothing wrong (head were to easy to
remove!), nice pistons, nice heads, no pitting, no cracks what so ever?????
i can see sign of coolant in between the metal head gasket... i said head
WAS to easy to remove!

So i clean those heads carefully, remove all valves in search of
something... nothing, very nice VW heads (reman i think but still)... ho
well. I call the guy and tell him the story, i said, if i remove pistons and
sleeve to take a look at it (but i'm sure they are fine) it's gonna take
some hours, i need to clean pistons ring groove, gap them and so on... that
is almost as expensive as to put new pistons & sleeve, so he tell me, well,
we don't need heads! i can afford new piston... so i remove the old one (of
course, they were fine but the customer still want new pistons)..

Before i remove the engine i did a coolant pressure test just for fun...
pressure was fine.

So what is the probleme here!!!

Me, i don't know for sure, but the engine is now re-sealed and now as
compression over 60psi just by turning this one by hand!!!  Of course this
was a head gasket/poor seal situation (head to sleeve), but i should have
had higher coolant pressure, or coolant overflowing, or maybe some
overheating or coolant consumption oil in coolant... SOMETHING!!!... nothing
like that. The only sure thing was very bad torque on the heads studs, that,
i am sure!!!

I now re-torque heads at 40ft/pds, i have been doing so for a wile now.

Anyway, that is my story today.

Cheers, Ben
http://www.benplace.com/amc_head/amc8.jpg