Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2015 07:42:17 -0800
Reply-To: vw_van_fan_Mark <madvws@COX.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: vw_van_fan_Mark <madvws@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: Oil pressure light and buzzer Checking engine grounding1
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEuJM7-hg1p5afOr3owyiqP0OQfJ6esRppPQhYCmz+rAB+w@mail.gmail.com>
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Add all the grounds you like, I don't mind a bit if done safely. But
there is already a huge amount of torqued down metal to metal contact
between the heads and the block and the cylinders so it won't change
that in any meaningful way IMHO.
Just because some VW mechanic says something doesn't make it factual.
Don Hanson wrote:
> That is very insightful of your old mechanic. It makes sense and explains
> why the WBX motors seem to have such a nasty habit of leaking at the heads.
> Now before everyone chimes in with "Well, MY Vanagon, it went a million
> miles with the factory motor....." or the like, In the real world, other
> than Vanagon List, that motor doesn't seem to be particularly dependable or
> well designed. The engineers seemed to have overlooked electrolysis, and
> they 'sent on' some of the problems from the air cooled pancake VW motors
> If I had a WBX motor in my Vanagon, I'd certainly add some grounds to
> the heads...makes sense and as Stuart says, can't hurt...I guess.
>
> On Tue, Nov 10, 2015 at 7:23 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> This is so important. I bought my first Vanagon, an '84 Westy, in 1986
>> with 30k miles on it. At 45k one of the heads leaked, and the dealer
>> replaced both heads under a "partial" warranty--VW gave me one new head,
>> the other for 50% off ($400) and a gasket kit, but the dealer charged $1000
>> for the labor to install them. This was in 1988, about $2800 today!
>>
>> I also got 205,000 out of this engine before I replaced it with a rebuilt
>> 2.1. It was running well, I just wanted more power.
>>
>> I had a conversation about why this happened with the tech who did the
>> job, and he thought the head corrosion problem he saw so much of was from
>> bad/failed engine grounding. They also replaced the engine ground strap and
>> he recommended that I run a 6 ga wire from each head to the case, and
>> showed me where to attach it.
>>
>> Makes sense when you think about it. The heads have a rubber gasket
>> between them and the case, rubber hoses connect them to the intake plenum,
>> and the cap nuts on the studs have sealant under the flange. This leaves
>> the cylinders, exhaust system, and push rods to complete the ground
>> connection to the case, which is completed to the chassis by the engine &
>> transmission ground straps. This is a connection system that is ripe for
>> high resistance over time and floating micro-voltages that can cause
>> electrolysis.
>>
>> Extra grounds can't hurt.
>>
>> Stuart
>>
>>
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