Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2014 09:13:11 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Engine woes - what to do?
In-Reply-To: <52D29FFF.1030907@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Remind us again, what is it failing on? All emissions bases repairs should
be based on good diagnoses and then value based decisions. Replacing an
engine for an NOx failure will do not help much if you really need the
catalytic converter. Leaking into or out of the combustion area will also
have other symptoms. This should not be taken lightly as even minute amounts
of coolant into the combustion area will have drastic effects over time.
Engine bearings in particular don't like coolant and neither does the tops
of the pistons.
Dennis
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Todd Last
Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2014 9:01 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Engine woes - what to do?
I have no idea what the LULZ is.
My engine is not burning oil, but I can't pass the emissions test.
No leaks outside the engine.
My assessment is that there is leaking from the gasket into the combustion
chamber.
Todd
On 12/23/2013 1:21 PM, Jim Felder wrote:
***FLAME ALERT***
Todd must be "doing it for the LULZ"
Google it.
: )
But seriously Todd, if your compression test reveals head problems AND your
engine is not burning oil between changes or leaking seriously, then just
change the heads or have yours rebuilt. If doing the work yourself, you
could get out for less than $500 and get at least another 100,000 miles out
of the car. Or, you could buy new heads and have somebody else do the work
and spend up to $2000 and get another 100,000 out of the car. Then you will
have plenty of time to look for a bargain, maybe ten years.
You will have a good chance to change lifter and water pump and the fussy
little hoses to the oil cooler that always pop, and for almost free.
The bottom ends almost never give up if treated OK.
Jim
On Mon, Dec 23, 2013 at 3:09 PM, Todd Last <rubatoguy@comcast.net
<mailto:rubatoguy@comcast.net> > wrote:
After almost 230,00 miles my '88 Vanagon is displaying symptoms of a head
leak - I have not yet confirmed this or done a recent compression test, but
plan to do so. I have concluded that one of the worst things you can do to
your van is not use it. Bad things happen when they are left sitting!
In any case I am looking at my options, and started out thinking about
replacing the heads, then thought if I was going to do that, I might as well
put in new piston rings too, and well, once you do that you might as well go
a step farther and do an engine rebuild. Of course, once you get there, the
question becomes, stock, modified (like GoWesty) or engine swap. In looking
at these options, it looks like a cost of $5,000 or more. From what I have
seen, Subaru conversions can reach over $10K. Yikes!
I was wondering if I could get opinions on the best course of action in this
situation, not wanting to spend tens of thousands of dollars. Would list
memebers give me their 2 cents worth and if possible, what the aproximate
costs for the various solutions range from? I'm not sure if it makes more
sence to just install new heads and hope for the best, or go full bore and
swap the engine.
What does the voice of experience say? Anyone out there have opinions on the
GoWesty performance engines vs. a Subaru transplant?
Thanks,
Todd
'88 Westy
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