Date:         Tue, 24 May 2016 13:09:28 -0700
Reply-To:     Mark Drillock <modrillock@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Drillock <modrillock@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      good head etc in Amsterdam
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So after a good nights sleep I woke Friday to a light rain and some wind. I
had told the shop I would be there at 7 am when they opened and I wanted to
be on time to show I was committed to getting it fixed and out of there. I
had set my alarm but when it finally woke me it was clear it had gone off a
few times before I heard it. After a quick shower I got on my bike and
headed off the couple of miles with the wind blowing the rain into my face
most of the way. Levis don't really cut it as rain gear but I had dry
clothes in the van so no big deal. At the shop I had a coffee and got to
work prepping the old and new parts to put everything together.. When I was
ready for the pistons I asked the head mechanic to give me a hand and he
did, doing the hard part for me of getting the circlips installed. After my
hand surgeries a couple years ago there are things they just won't do
anymore. Then I took over again and put everything else back with all the
care I could muster. My friend Brian showed up with the oil and coolant I
asked him to buy and about 3 in the afternoon I was ready to put the fluids
in. Nothing dripped so I turned the key and she fired right up.

The guys at the shop heard it running and came over, with slightly sad
faces. It sounded like hell, with what I assumed was the typical soft
lifter clacking sounds from a few lifters that had bled down while it was
parked for 10 months. I told them I expected it to quiet down but not being
vanagon guys they gave me looks of pity like I was delusional. I cleaned up
all the tools, put everything away, and then backed it out of the garage. I
thanked them for putting up with me and giving me a place to work as well
as letting me use some tools and materials and giving me a helping hand.
They would accept no compensation though I tried to offer it several times.

With new rings in new cylinders I had some concern about proper break-in
but there wasn't that much I could do. My friend had brought me synthetic
oil in 5-40W and I put it in. I drove gently around the local area for a
while and then headed to camp for the night. The lifters quieted down one
by one and then it all sounded fine, just like I hoped. I put some fresh
gas in to mix with the old gas from the year before. The next morning I
started off for Berlin where my wife was flying in later the same day. I
drove the first hundred miles at 50 mph, the next hundred at 55 mph, then a
hundred at 60 before just pressing on. I varied the throttle from hard to
soft and let the rpms drop many times over those miles.Did it help or hurt
or make no difference, who knows? I checked the oil level very carefully as
I went and it never dropped over the 400+ miles. By the time I made it to
Berlin I was feeling pretty good about things.

Time will tell, but so far so good. Anne and I are now in Poland, with no
oil consumption detected. I haven't opened the engine lid since I left the
shop but need to do so soon as the alternator belt sometimes squeals at
startup.

Thanks again to Peter at Van-Cafe for getting me the parts I needed in a
timely fashion.

Mark