Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:22:13 -0700
Reply-To: David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: cylinder heads for my 84 westy
In-Reply-To: <20080611234434.1EF3616A906@pop2.cfu.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
$150 for a pair of used but in good condition heads is sure a good
alternative while a new pair costs anywhere from $800 - $1000.
As long as there are no cracks you can do a good valve job on them
yourself and they will work very well for many more years to come.
If you still have some budget after spending the $150 you may want
to consider a new liner set from Cofap. This has proven to be critical
to my engine I worked on last year. Before I replaced the liners my
83.5 was powerless and consumed oil. It still had fairly reasonable
gas mileage but strangely enough that it was very poor in climbing
any hills.
I pulled the engine, did a valve job myself and put in a new set of
liners. After 3k - 4k miles of breaking-in the engine is back to
normal. It went to Yosemite and back last month and averaged 21.5
MPG. It runs entirely different from before the engine work. My cost
was well below $500 if I remember it correctly.
My point is while you had the heads off take the opportunity to replace
the liners. It was available on eBay for around $200. I saw it once at
$125 plus shipping and it was a new Cofap set. You will need a gasket
set for around $100 too.
David
--- Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET> wrote:
> If you can be a wekek or two patient, I'll have a good set of used
> heads I'd let go for $150. That would give you some financial room
> to do a valve job if you wanted. I feel for you as I've been there
> and done that.
>
> DM&FS
>
> At 05:07 AM 6/11/2008, Frank Condelli wrote:
> >In a message dated 10/06/2008 10:10:46 P.M. Central Standard Time,
> >LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
> >
> >I just pulled the heads off of my 84 westy (first time to pull heads off any
> > car)
> >I did it with the engine still in,
> >the piston sleeves would not come off so i pulled them out, 2 with each head.
> >Once i beat the sleeves off with a wooden block and a hammer, i noticed a
> >hair line cracks between all 4 sets of valves.
> >
> >sooooo... the question is,
> >where do i get new or rebuilt heads for the lowest price.
> >cause this sucks and i don't have much money.
> >let me know,
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Shawn, the heads may be good, the best way to find out is to get them to a
> >machine shop and have them leak tested. If the cracks are leaking they will
> >declare them scrap. If the valves are leaking they will reseat or replace
> >them. I have new AMC heads listed on my _Vanagon Items Forsale_
> >(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/sales.htm) webpage > Cylinder head,
> >1.9/2.1, AMC, 1001, 025
> >101 065 - $475.00. If your gonna keep that engine and that van
> >for any good
> >length of time I would highly recommend you install two new AMC heads -
> >UNLESS - the bottom end is near the end of it's life. NOW - how
> >you gonna get
> >the cylinders back on the pistons without breaking the rings ? I just know
> >your gonna ask that question next. That is tricky to do with the
> >engine still
> >in the van. The right way is to remove the piston pins which entails
> >removing lots of cooling tubes and the waterpump as the pistons are
> >first inserted
> >into the barrels then attached to the rods. Doing that under the van is not
> >easy. The other way is to find or make some sort of ring compressor that
> >will compress the rings to get the barrels on then be able to extract the
> >compressor - GOOD LUCK ! AND, are you gonna replace the rings
> >while your at it ?
> >Then you need to hone the cylinders. Have you checked the cylinders to see
> >if they are within spec or have become oval as 75% of the ones I have checked
> >? If they are oval then trying to get new rings to seat will not work very
> >well. You'd be better off using the old rings or getting a set of new
> >pistons and cylinders - now your into the big bucks !
> >
> >Cheers,
> >
> >Frank Condelli
> >Almonte, Ontario, Canada
> >'87 Westy & Lionel Trains (_Collection for sale_
> >(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
> >_Frank Condelli & Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
> >- Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
> >_Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems_
> >(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/exhaust.htm)
> >_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm) a VW Camper
> >camping event, Almonte, ON, June 12 ~ 15, 2008
>
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