Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:45:37 -0600
Reply-To: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Vanagon Head Leaking Around The Head Nut(S)
In-Reply-To: <177727240.1139006.1397474945642.JavaMail.root@sz0063a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net>
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Jeff
Why not sell the Ford & the remaining good parts of the H2OBxr & buy what you need to do a SubiCnvrsn & MoveOn to being a HappyCamper for
a GoodLongTime ~
ORR ~ DeanB
On 14 Apr , 2014, at 5:29 AM, J Stewart wrote:
> Everything was pretty clean, I coated the stud threads with a light coating of Permatex Anti-Seize. I torqued the heads to 40 ft. lbs per Ken Wilford's head gasket video. I took the time to do everything the best I could, and the fact that it runs so well (it really does, cruised home yesterday from Everybus @ 65 mph) tells me I didn't screw up too badly, if the head cracked, well, that was "circumstances beyond my control". I'm sure no one here wants to listen to me cry, but this is bad news for this Vanagon for a variety of reasons: 1) limited finances, I can't afford to pay someone to do the work, so I am my own mechanic. I've priced new heads, we are talking $1,300.00 and I can't see dropping that kind of money into a wasserboxer with 165k miles. Used heads? Out of the question IMHO, as used may just end up cracking too. 2) Even more limited than the finances is time. I work a full time, 40 hour plus work week as a telecom tech and with commuting I usually have a 12 hour day-don't usually feel like walking in the door and running right back out to the garage and working on the Vanagon for another 2-3 hours (but I have). Weekend comes and I have other stuff to do, yard/house work, riding my motorcycle, etc. 3) I'm supposed to be getting my house ready to sell due to a pending divorce, plus the house is the main reason for the $$ being so limited. But, no house, no place to work on the van, and I don't know when/if I'll be in another place that I can work on it. I have the '83 diesel carrier bars, oil pan, etc to do an inline VW conversion and now seems like the logical time to start it, but with #3 looming I don't know about the timeline, plus I still need to find an ABA engine. Then, to top it all off, I have the Ford Turtle Top camper, which DOESN'T have cracked heads, has plenty of power and comforts and just took me & my daughter to Florida and back (2,000 miles) with NO issues. I dunno, I got a lot of tough decisions to make! Jeff Jeff Stewart ----- Original Message -----
>> I would agree with emphasis on making sure the nuts and stud threads
>> are
>> working smoothly.
>> this kind of detail attention to workmanship pays off , for sure.
>> I lube the stud threads with a synthetic spray lube ..
>> I make sure the nut is not full of sealant ...
>> I just put a good amount of yellow stuff around the flat surface.
>> I torque 'em to 37 ft lbs.
>> 'more' is not better in this situation.
>> it's really mickey mouse in a way ...you are asking the heads to seal
>> against the metal sealing rings..
>> a very old air-cooled VW design..
>> dating from the 40's even.
>> it's amazing it works as well as it does.
>> NO other manufacturer tries to get away with this system ..ever,
>> anywhere , at all.
>> be thankful it works at all.
>> I generally have fine luck with them..
>> I can't emphasize meticulous workmanship enough. .
>> everything has to be clean and smooth-turning.
>> and then some.
>> the studs do twist ..
>> it's nerve wracking.
>> that's why things being smooth-turning is so important.
>> re the comments about re-sealing one nut.
>> drain the coolant of course ~!
>> these things need all the help they can get ~ !
>> wasser-puker ...lol ~!
>> On 4/13/2014 3:46 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
>>> Nuts in critical applications are not re-usable. For our head nuts
>>> at minimum they need to have the threads chased or tapped to make
>>> sure they are not distorted and cleaned. Then for assembly, the
>>> threads on the stud need to be lubed and the sealant only goes on
>>> the flange. If the stud is twisting and springing back as you
>>> approach final torque you will not get a good result. The stud is
>>> weak or you still have excess friction on that thread.
>>>
>>> Dennis
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>>> Behalf Of J Stewart
>>> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2014 8:03 PM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: Vanagon Head Leaking Around The Head Nut(S)
>>>
>>> Thanks, Mark. I think I threw away what was left in the tube of
>>> yellow stuff, would Right Stuff work as well? Thanks, Jeff Jeff
>>> Stewart ----- Original Message -----
>>>> I would just remove the suspect nut and put fresh yellow stuff on
>>>> it
>>>> and torque it back into place. Make sure the inside of the nut is
>>>> as
>>>> clean and dry as possible before you put it back.
>>>> If they are VW wbx heads then there is a common crack area that
>>>> often
>>>> appears to be one of the upper nuts when it is really a crack very
>>>> close by to it.
>>>> Mark
>>>> J Stewart wrote:
>>>>> OK I've posted some of this story on Facebook, just got back from
>>>>> Everybus. Condensed version: replaced right side head gasket two
>>>>> weeks ago. Put about 150 miles on the van before leaving Friday
>>>>> for
>>>>> Everybus, no problems (well couple of minor ones). 170 miles into
>>>>> the trip Friday coolant light starts blinking. Pull over, let it
>>>>> cool, top it off and hit the road. 10 miles later blinking again.
>>>>> Do
>>>>> the same. Repeat 3 more times but get to Everybus. Every time I
>>>>> stopped, nothing dripping from the van, engine is dry. Folks are
>>>>> telling me I didn't burp it. I'm skeptical. Today coming home it
>>>>> was
>>>>> low about every 100 miles, light would come on, but now I'm seeing
>>>>> drips from the right side. It "APPEARS", very hard to tell, but it
>>>>> appears to be leaking around one of the upper cylinder head nuts
>>>>> (torqued to 40lbs and I used the yellow goop) With the AFM, air
>>>>> filter, hoses, etc. it is hard to see, but that is what it is
>>>>> looking like. Is it customary to retorque the heads after xxx
>>>>> miles?
>>>>> Long
>>>> ing for an inline 4, Suby, Zetec, just about anything else besides
>>>> this waterboxer!! Jeff
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Jeff Stewart
>>>>>
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