Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2012 17:15:27 -0500
Reply-To: Mike B <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike B <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: drips of antifreeze off head
In-Reply-To: <50E09C56.5050208@turbovans.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
I've read about using JB Weld on the pitting and have repaired a few WBX
myself this way. I recommend glass-beading of the corroded areas of the
outer rubber gasket area until you've got all of the corrosion out down
to the bottom of the pits. Then, multiple coats of JB Weld, gradually
building up a perfect surface, followed by a good flat-sanding of the
repaired areas. It may take a few days of applying epoxy, drying time,
then sanding to get the job done well. I have found that not only is
this an excellent repair method, but that it goes one step further in
preventing the corrosion from returning. I highly recommend it from
personal experience over years of Vanagon ownership. I've heard that
the same method is used even on Jaguar cylinder heads.
Mike B.
On 12/30/2012 2:56 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> Corrosion is also something that comes to mind.
> I get real neervous when I hear about waterboxer heads that havebeen
> untouched for a long, long time.
> Unless if cooling system maintaiance is done really religiously.
> I've seen some terribly pitted cylinder heads.
> and they are not like a normal headcylinder head in which you can just
> have the machine shop take off say 6 thousandths.
> The like amount would have to be taken off where the metal rings sit,
> around the combustion chamber.
> Most machine shops are not set up to do that .
> Mo' betta to replace head gaskets when they are getting due.
> The outer ones are not even really head gaskets in the conventional
> sense.
> They're outer coolant retaining gaskets.
> Also ..how small/large that gap is, where the rubber gaskets go ..
> 'usually' that is about right ..and that gap can be too small causing
> pinching and early failure, or two large causing easy leakage, or not
> even the same across the whole head.
> No one has even made those in viton ?
> they'd be quite expensive , but they also might not deteriorate the way
> the stock black ones do over time.
>
> scott
> www.turbovans.com
>
> On 12/30/2012 11:17 AM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
>> What you really want to do is inspect the gaskets looking for any
>> sign of
>> bulging or separation. If the gaskets seem sold then some of the stop
>> leak
>> options will work. You need to be aware that if the radiator or
>> heater cores
>> are beginning to plug up the stop leak will finish the job.
>>
>> If the gaskets are separating you need to consider that one day they can
>> completely fail dumping the coolant and adding a tow home. The
>> separation is
>> usually caused by corrosion between the head and gasket placing
>> pressure on
>> the gasket causing it to rip and tear. This is an indication that the
>> gasket
>> has really failed some time ago as there should not be coolant behind
>> it to
>> cause that corrosion.
>>
>> Dennis
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>> Behalf Of
>> marc rose
>> Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2012 5:52 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: drips of antifreeze off head
>>
>> 90 carat 2.1 aka "ROSIE". I have just finished installing some new
>> bumpers
>> I fabricated, changed the oil and changed the gasket on the oil cooler
>> aswell as the hoses that go to it. I was looking under her three
>> days ago
>> and saw a drip of anti freeze hanging of the front side of the left head
>> where the sheild bolts on and figured it was some left over from
>> doing the
>> hoses. I wiped it off and drove her around some and she ran as
>> normal. I
>> looked again today and there was that drip again.....nothing puddled
>> on the
>> shop floor though. The tanks look to have the correct level I was just
>> looking for advice as far as how much should I drive it if it is a head
>> gasket? I do plan on doing some sort of ugrade on her motor in the
>> future
>> just don't want to do it right now...
>>
>> thanks
>>
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