Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 22:05:20 -0400
Reply-To: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject: Re: cracked AMC heads question
Hi Chris and welcome to the dark side :-)
As i'm a lurker, i don't folllow each thread, once in a wile i come here
(web interface, i like to say i come here... kind of a visit full of
suprise) and read some subject and i stop on those who may interest me.
Anyway, i have red most post on this one and i don't agree with some but i
will shut up.
I will make that pretty short, first, this head is good for the garbage,
something went wrong... who knows what and we don't care.... for now!!! If
you would removed the #1 or #3 cyl valves (right side on your picture) i'm
sure that the crack is pass the seat, if not, it will be soon, this crack is
way to big and it will make a hot spot. I also see sign of pinging/hot spot
and lean mixture or/and overheating. Something KILL the head and the head
did suffer a lot at some point, any head would! As some will tell you here,
the AMC casting seem very solid, so head like that don't die easily. Now, i
would like to see the other end of the head, valve tip!
You could have someone fix them (welding Alum. is an art!), if the guy is
good, real good, they may last for a good 25k. But i would not do so.
This head also may have cause some over heating problems... but that only
after something (coolant sys, FI... bad valves adjustment) made them scream
for help. Now, how is the other head??? if something went wrong with the
coolant sys and/or the FI, both head should show sign!!! if not, now you can
blame that head and just change this one.
I have installed and sold 38 AMC head in about 4 years ( i just look at at
my invoice), most of my customers having those heads still have their
vans... and running fine, lately, i offer the german valves and somme work
to the head as an option. But i still have no problem installing them out of
the box, but i have to spend one hour on the valve tip/keeper. Lately, i
have inspected the head of one of my customer, i did a top head including
stock AMC head 3 years ago, everything look fine at both end, compression
was very good... nothing wrong anywhere, over 65k km (about 42k miles).
So the conclusion... i don't know Chris! maybe the late one are better,
maybe not, maybe some batch are worse then some other??? I'm not even sure
for how long AMC heads have been out there? What i know, is i need them!!!
or many would NOT have a running engine. So thank to AMC.
If your on a budget, ask Bob or others here, they should have a set for a
good price. And after, make sure that what happen to those heads don't
happen again... this is where normally i get in and make sure everything is
as best at it can be around the engine. And that is a dificult task.. even
impossible sometime. Fuel pressure test, injectors test, air plenium sealing
test, coolant pressure test. One of them kill engine very often.
This is why i went Subi... already 10k miles since my conversion and still
going... very strong.
I hope i have been of some help.
Please don'T hesitate to show more pictures.
Regards, Ben
http://www.benplace.com/vw2.htm
On Sun, 9 Sep 2007 19:34:47 -0700, Chris Lisica <wavanagon@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>Volks,
>
>After purchasing my wife's 87 Westy project, I'm finally getting started. I
>knew the heads were messed up, but I was hoping for a simple head gasket
>job. Upon closer inspection, and a few pictures in macro focus mode, there
>appears to be a big crack on the one side. Any opinions? Is this head
>reusable? What could cause such a large crack? The pics:
>
>http://wavanagon.googlepages.com/amcheads
>
>Please help enlighten an aspiring Vanagon mechanic. Thanks for any
>advice/input/feedback/links/etc.....
>
>--
>Chris
>88 Vanagon GL (daily driver)
>87 Westfalia (in progress)
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