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Date:         Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:33:01 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Best source of parts for a rebuild
Comments: To: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=response

Would like to let vanagonauts know that I've seen two AMC heads now........ brand new ones of course........ that were not manufactured very carefully regarding how much they squeeze the outer water gasket. Two heads now...........they pinch the rubber water gasket and it starts leaking in a year or so. And, not only that..............that surface is not parallel to the top of the block....... so it pinches the gasket more toward one end than the other. The reference for this surface, is where the metal sealing rings sit in the combustion chambers. I think it would be hard for a machinist to reference from those two surfaces .........which must be dead parallel to each other too. After I just had this one resurfaced on the flat face, so it won't be pinching the water gasket......... I thought I might be able to get a machinist to use that for a reference point, and flycut or whatever you want to call it......... the combustion chambers where the metal sealing rings go in the combustion chambers.......... I measured things several times, and I think I can get a good result without doing that...........but the head is not going to sit on the barrels dead parallel to the top of the block.

one.........it's truly a joke Mickey mouse design - there's not one head design anywhere in all of car-dom that uses this purely adapted air-cooled set up. and...........I would be very careful about AMC heads. I'd have good used german VW heads rebuilt ........like full valve job, with fine results. See below about checking the water gasket gap. .

I have heard that AMC offers the same head for both the 1.9 and 2.1. Which means ..........they must compromise on the combustion chamber volume. I believe, that if you increase the bore of any engine...........and no other changes, you raise the compression ratio. This is why I suspect OE heads offer one for the 1.9 and for the 2.1 a 'C' suffix on the part number. This should also mean that if you put 2.1 heads on a 1.9 you'll have ..........think I have this right ...........a lower compression ratio then before.

I've also seen a 1.9 engine with a 1.9 head on one side, and a 2.1 one on the other side and it seemed just fine. My personal practice, to get the best results on waterboxer head and head gasket jobs........... use genuine VW heads, and have a machine shop go through them. Also........before installing the heads, test fit them to the block without the rubber water gasket and measure that gap carefully.......... not too small or too big is needed. . By my calculations the water gasket is 4.1 mm thick. And it needs around .4 to .5 mm compression.

anyone want to buy an AMC head with about 10K miles on it - cheap ? I 'think' I get it dimensionally straightened out ..........like 'maybe', like if there's no other choice.

Hope that was followable enough. Just want to see vanagon-happiness for all. Scott

----- Original Message ----- From: "Ken Wilford" <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 2:25 PM Subject: Re: Best source of parts for a rebuild

> We have a good supply of OE parts available for engine rebuilding (what > is left available). There are some parts that are getting > difficult/impossible to get for the 1.9l in OE. I can get chinese > pistons and cylinders readily and sometimes this is all that you can get > (looks like I might be able to get a set of Cofaps at the moment > though). The new cylinder heads are NLA, however you can use the 2.1l > heads no problem and we have them in AMC as well. If you want I can > give you a list of the parts that I usually replace when I have rebuilt > these engines in the past along with the prices. Just let me know. > > Ken Wilford > John 3:16 > www.vanagain.com > > > B Feddish wrote: >> I just carted my replacement 1.9 over to my mechanics. He is going to >> rebuild it at his leisure and will allow me to drive my van while the new >> motor is coming together. He says he can get the rebuild parts locally >> at >> East Coast Imports which is in my town but I was curious to know what >> those >> of you on the list feel is the best place for quality new rebuild parts. >> >> Thanks, >> Bryan >> >>


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