Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2013 15:06:57 -0700
Reply-To: Tom Carchrae <tom@CARCHRAE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tom Carchrae <tom@CARCHRAE.NET>
Subject: Re: off with her heads
In-Reply-To: <CE4C86F7-8C02-4DD3-8CAA-0958AA642C49@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Thanks for the tip Craig; I don't have any ATF on hand (auto trans fluid,
I presume). I considered giving them a hit of
http://www.3inone.com/products/penetrant-drip-spray/ - but was a little
unsure if it would damage the heads at all.
Stuart; I would like to order all my parts from Canada, and have so far.
Although cip1.ca is local for me, their customer service is (cough) lack
lustre and while they sell all the bolts, they don't have an easy way to
buy all the ones needed (packs of 20/50/100 or very expensive single
prices). I don't think Frank has this same kit:
http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_567_279/exhaust_hardware_kit.html -
and I guess I *should* replace all the exhaust gaskets, however, I think
I'll save that investment until I replace the exhaust as well. I'll
probably just pay a trip to the local nuts n bolts emporium/fastener shop
and pick up what I need.
Scott; Hmm, I was hoping not to redo the t-stat housing area and I don't
want to damage it. I considered cutting the short hose - but it was not
clear to me it would be possible to get it back on without removing the the
tstat or waterpump. The black on the pushrods is not on the pushroad tube
covers; so I don't think it is undercoating - unless that was mixed in with
the oil! Thanks for the other tricks & tips. I had not thought yet about
getting the heads done by a shop; I was going to have a go at cleaning them
up myself before I decided their fate - eg, checking for cracks.
Jim; arrgh, that sounds horrible. I have a sledge hammer out already, but
it has been employed for splitting large wood rounds. I sure hope I don't
have to use it on the engine!
By the way, when removing the head bolts, which I did as gently as I could,
they turned a little at first, then made a somewhat unsettling "PING"
noise, before continuing to loosen. All came off ok, and as far as I can
tell, all the studs are still firmly stuck into the engine. I hope that is
normal.
Tom
On Sun, Oct 6, 2013 at 2:17 PM, <phishman068@gmail.com> wrote:
> Pour some ATF into the cylinders through the spark plug holes. That helps
> loosten the cylinders. The , with the head about a half inch off, hit it
> HARD from all directions with a rubber mallet.
> They'll come off.
>
> -craig
>
> On Oct 6, 2013, at 3:17 PM, Tom Carchrae <tom@CARCHRAE.NET> wrote:
>
> > My head removal is going ok so far. (84 1.9L) I have spent relatively
> > little time on it so far, but am keen to get the job finished before too
> > long.
> >
> > Only minor exhaust wrestling - one broken stud (although with an ample
> > amount remaining to grip and remove). I will replace with all new
> > fasteners; I would love to get the van-cafe set, which seems like a deal
> > for $18, but the ~$50 shipping to canada makes that pretty expensive. :/
> >
> > I have the heads loosened, but not fully removed. I'm now faced with the
> > typical cylinder stuck to head issue, and after some tapping and poking
> > with the tools I had on hand, I am going to buy a suitably sized pry bar
> to
> > stick in there behind the tabs. That all seems pretty straightforward.
> >
> > On the driver side, I have not removed the water pump or thermostat
> > housing. Do I need to? It is attached to the head with a very short
> > rubber tube, that does not feel very flexible - I had originally hoped I
> > could slide the head off and that rubber would bend a bit and come off
> but
> > I'm not sure about that.
> >
> > When I pulled the driver's side push rods, the bottoms of them appeared
> to
> > have black stuff cooked on to the metal, not serious amounts, but the
> other
> > side's push rods were all shiny and clean looking. Is that suspicious?
> >
> > What I can see of the heads looks a bit crusty, but hopefully I'll get a
> > better view soon when the cylinder sleeves are un-stuck.
> >
> > The rubber seal (looked like a thin rubber band) around the end of the
> > sleeves were badly damaged on one side. I also pulled out a chewing gum
> > sized wad of some strange blue stuff - looked nearly like blue-tack - or
> > maybe blueberry bubble gum?!?... There was also a lot of sealant around
> > the waterjacket seal, which seemed normal, but was a different colour
> (more
> > white-coloured).
> >
> > The engine is still in the van at this point. I may drop it out, but
> will
> > see how I go. I bought a VW engine bench stand mount just in case. As I
> > understand it, the worst part of leaving the engine in there, aside from
> a
> > sore back, is getting everything lined up when it is vertical, and it
> > sounds like grease will work well as a temporary 'glue' for any gaskets
> > that don't get sealant on them - and probably a pushrod tube holder
> > (styrofoam and duct tape?).
> >
> > Enjoying the job so far. We'll see, I may be cursing a bit more when I
> am
> > re-assembling.
> >
> > Tom
>
| 
