Date:         Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:46:06 -0500
Reply-To:     pickle vanagon <greenvanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         pickle vanagon <greenvanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Head gasket leaking. Bummer.
In-Reply-To:  <vanagon%2009012610085833@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

This is good advice, and Ben has some great videos of the whole procedure up
on his site as well that were super helpful when I did this.

From what I read, I gather that 99% of the time, it is possible to pry out
the sleeves without removing them from the pistons by using the little tabs
Ben is talking about.  In my case, they were really "welded" in there, and
even with giant pry bars against those tabs from all possible angles, they
would not budge.  What I had to do to them on the bench would not have been
possible inside the engine bay.  So just be warned; they can get stuck.

-Wes

On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 10:07 AM, Benny boy <huotb@videotron.ca> wrote:

> """"I've only done the job once, and I could have comfortably had it done
> in
> a weekend if I didn't have to pull out the cylinders. It was a week before
> I
> got it all back together including running around to the machine shop and
> waiting for things I needed.
>
> Good luck! Wes """""
>
> The top of the sleeve have "tabs", they are pry point.
>
> When removing a head it is important to place both pistons at the mid
> travel
> position, not at TDC (To put them at mid travel point, remove both spark
> plug and insert something soft to feel the piston position ). This way, you
> can get the head out a bit more without the sleeve passing the pistons
> rings.
> More room to see the tabs in question. To separate the sleeve from head use
> a pry bar, the round side of the pry bar should be the one touching the
> head.
>
> On  this picture, you can cleary see 2 tab:
> http://www.benplace.com/bjp_head1/100_0065.jpg
>
> Some more pic:
> http://www.benplace.com/bjp_head1/100_0042.jpg
>
> If your working alone, left the head just enough to see the tab and insert
> a
> piece of wood to hold the head in place:
> http://www.benplace.com/bjp_head1/100_0043.jpg
>
> Also, when you have remove all heads bolts, the head will be loose, take an
> heavy soft hammer (rubber), bang the head hard on each side, at 90%, the
> sleeve will come loose. If not, use the pry bar method.
>
> On this picture, you see all 3 tabs on each sleeve, there is 1 long tab and
> 2 small one on each sleeve.
> http://www.benplace.com/bjp_head2/100_0032.jpg
>
> Ben
>