Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 14:21:55 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Organization: Cosmic Reminders
Subject: Re: off with her heads
In-Reply-To: <CAFNeVpHFyZYM-eq92tFJzY4e=PoZM1Mg=bPeDW50A_b_Y6N71Q@mail.gmail.com>
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I've had many pairs of waterboxer cylinder heads in my machine shop ..
typically there are happy with the guides ...
and even keep the same valves. Just do a standard valve job and all is
fine.
I've paid about $ 150 for that, for 2 heads.
You can take the valves out and hand lap them in with valve grinding
compound ..
it's not quite as good as a real valve job in a machine shop.
I can't even think of a time they said waterboxer valves needed to be
replaced.
I find 2.1 exhaust valves slightly rough at the sealing surface usually ..
less so on the 1.9.
I recommend a nice basic valve job if you have a shop you trust.
what does 'bar adjustment' mean ? Can't imagine what that means
relative to a waterboxer head and rings job.
that getting the barrel over the piston and rings thing..........
especially if it's a forward piston ( like # 1 ) I can see wanting to do
that ..
because to do it the normal and more right way would involve removing #
2 piston and barrel first .( via wrist pin removal ) .
then getting to the circlip and wrist pin for # 1 out ..
which can be very fiddly for sure.
which ring broke ? I forgot which one you said.
Makes me wonder how good your piston ring grooves on that piston are .
There's spec to check for that.
Generally ..the pistons and barrels and rings last 'just forever' in
these engines. Like the least weak part in the whole engine.
cheers, Scott
On 10/23/2013 1:20 PM, Tom Carchrae wrote:
> I checked a compression test that was done on the van a year and a bit ago.
> It had a reading of 60/115/120/140. If I read that right (those readings
> are for 1/2/3/4 cylinders) then the one that was stuck on is #1. Perhaps I
> did not break that piston ring after all? (also, presuming that cylinder
> #1 is the one closest to passenger in north america)
>
> I'm also wondering if I should disturb the valves at all. It seems like a
> logical thing to approach while I am in there, although I'm not clear on
> how much benefit would be gained vs the extra work and chance of messing it
> up. I realize I'll need a spring tool if I take them apart. A new set of
> valves and guides seems to be around $100 - and in my novice mind, new
> valves would seem to be important for compression. I've done quite a bit
> of googling but can't find much on valve maintenance, bar the adjustment
> and nosiy lifter discussions.
>
> My current plan is clean it up as best I can, install all the new gaskets,
> and then back together. Once I clean it then it'll be more apparent if I
> can get away with that or not.
>
> Tom
> 84 1.9L
>
