Date:         Sun, 1 Jul 2007 04:18:01 -0500
Reply-To:     Matt Roberds <mattroberds@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Matt Roberds <mattroberds@COX.NET>
Subject:      Off with its head!  (Further adventures with right head on an '87
              2.1 l)
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

Hello all!

I've been helping a friend of mine work on his newly-acquired '87 Westy
2.1 l.  We drove it a bit and it was leaking from the right head; we
figured we'd pull the head and at least replace the head gasket.  We got
as far as trying to pull the head off, but #1 cylinder wanted to stay
with the head.  I asked for advice on the list and Mike Collum had the
winning tip:

> The cylinders have "ears" near the heads.  Using a drift, tap on the
> ears in order to spin the cylinder just a bit thereby breaking its
> hold.  Then use an open end wrench on the ears as a fulcrum to push
> the head away from the cylinder.

I went back over to my friend's house tonight to work on the van some
more.  I was up top, banging away with a drift on the ear on the top
rear of #1 cylinder.  Then I'd stop and he (under the van) would bang
on one of the ears on the bottom.  After a couple of rounds of this,
the cylinder came loose, and we were able to get the head off without
further trouble.  Thanks, Mike!

We knew that something odd was going on from our previous disassembly.
When we popped off the valve cover, one of the pushrods was off its
rocker:

http://www.birdbird.org/cars/westy/dscn0001.jpg

(all images are about 400 kB, 1600x1200)

Then when we pulled the rocker arm, not all the valve stems were the
same height - #1 exhaust (the one with the loose pushrod) was lower
than the others.

http://www.birdbird.org/cars/westy/dscn0014.jpg

We hoped that maybe there was a piece of crap stuck under the head of
the valve that was keeping it from closing.  Alas, we were not so lucky.

Warning: graphic depictions of mechanical carnage ahead...

http://www.birdbird.org/cars/westy/dscn0012.jpg
http://www.birdbird.org/cars/westy/dscn0015.jpg
http://www.birdbird.org/cars/westy/dscn0016.jpg

It doesn't show in the photos, but there was also a pretty good crack
between intake and exhaust.  The exhaust valve was stuck tight; we
tapped on it from both the stem and head ends and it didn't move.

When we held the head up to the light, we could see daylight through #1
spark plug hole.  This wouldn't be that unusual, except that the spark
plug was still installed at the time...

http://www.birdbird.org/cars/westy/dscn0016.jpg

(Gee, I thought that plug felt a little funny going in.)

So... he's in the market for a replacement head, either new or rebuilt.
Are there any reasons to prefer new vs. rebuilt?  Anything to definitely
get or to stay away from?

Next question: we thought this would just be a gasket job, so he bought
a head gasket set.  It comes with the O-rings for both ends of the
cylinders.  Installing the ones on the head end is no problem and is
definitely needed... the old ones almost aren't there anymore.  We
figure that the ones on the case end of the cylinders are probably just
as beat up.  Is there any good way to install these without pulling the
cylinders?

I figured on doing something like bringing a piston to TDC, pulling the
cylinder out as far as possible without losing the rings, and then
rolling the O-ring down from the top.  Then, seat that cylinder in the
case, bring the other piston to TDC, and repeat.  Or is this a recipe
for problems later?  We are trying to avoid having to pull the piston
pins and pistons; the engine is still in the van.

We were able to accomplish some useful work, though.  He had ordered and
installed replacement hatch struts, so I didn't have to worry about
knocking the piece of PVC pipe loose and getting smacked in the butt by
the hatch.  Also, since we had the right-side intake apart, we redid the
injector seals, short fuel hoses to the injectors, and the big air-box-to-
intake-runner hoses.  Most of the hoses appeared to be original - the
injector hoses still had that little collar next to the injector body,
and the big hoses still had the factory crimp clamps.  (Once we had the
outboard end of the intake unbolted, both of the big hoses came off of
the airbox with the clamps still on.)  We've got more fuel hose and
clamps and will definitely be doing the rest of the engine fuel hoses
before we run it again.

Thanks for the help and advice so far!  With any luck we'll get this
thing rolling before it snows.  :)

Matt Roberds