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Date:         Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:33:15 -0400
Reply-To:     Walter Houle <whoule@ECSCONTROLS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Walter Houle <whoule@ECSCONTROLS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Engine Replacement or Gasket Fix?

Robert -

Having been thru a couple of head swaps in the past, I went through my records to see what could be learned.

The original heads lasted approx. 8 years and 100,000 miles. They corroded at the water gasket and leaked coolant. I then purchased a set of new heads and installed them myself. Total cost for the parts was $1,000. They lasted 3 years and 32,000 miles. Then, they failed due to a compression leak that pressurized the cooling system and caused overheating. A local mechanic told me they failed because they were of poor quality & fit and recommended a different brand. If my memory serves me right the 1st set of replacement heads were made in Spain, and the 2nd set he recommended were from Germany. So, I hired him to install the German heads. Total cost was $1,900. These heads worked fine for another 2 yrs 9 months and 22,000 miles before they too failed with another compression leak. At this point, I decided to have a factory rebuilt engine installed. This cost $3,300, but it has gone 10 years and 50,000 miles and it is still going strong. Also, FWIW, the factory motor was found to have a leaky head when it was first fired up, a tiny pin hole sized leak near the exhaust flange. VW warrantied it, and it was replaced by a local dealership free of charge after about a two month wait.

So, my replacement heads weren't exactly cheap, but they did buy me a few years each time. The engine swap cost more, but it did come with a warranty and it has proven to be very reliable. If I had known about this list 10 to 12 years ago I'm sure I would have done things differently. Whatever you decide, go with experience, either in the advice from the list or with an experienced mechanic, and only use known quality parts.

Walter 85 Vanagon


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