Date:         11 May 1995 07:39:42 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "McGinnis Terry" <McGinnis_Terry@mm.rdd.lmsc.lockheed.com>
Subject:      Type IV Valve Job or Rebuild?

My friend, who looks to me for expert (?) advice regarding Type II operations,
has asked my opinion regarding his engine problems, and since this could cost
him large $$$$, I thought I would ask the REAL experts on this list what they
think.

His '74 Westy recently (about 4 months ago) started burning large quantities of
oil (about 2 quarts per tankfull), which of course is coming out the tailpipe as
blue-black smoke when accelerating.  A compression check showed good compression
on all four cylinders, but a leak down test showed one bank of cylinders at
about 35% (I am not sure what it is 35% of, since his mechanic did the work),
while the other bank was at about 65%.  The engine has about 75,000 miles on it,
and still pulls fairly well but, since the plugs are fouling on one side, it
tends to lack a little on the hills.  A valve adjustment showed no valves tight,
so at least there is no stem stretching going on.  Everything is full stock, and
the oil has been changed regularly during the engine's life.

His first inclination was to get a ring and valve job done and stop there.  I
said that my experience with the aircooled engines (Type I) was that if you do
the top end on an old engine, you should also do the bottom end.  Then I said,
if it was me, I would get a GEX rebuild and put it in myself; however, he is not
that mechanically inclined or sure he wants to get that intimate with his Westy
(I told him the experience would make him one with his bus).  Since I am working
on my own project right now, I don't have time to help him, so he took it to his
mechanic for advice.  The mechanic said that they had seen good GEX engines and
bad GEX engines, so it would be better if they started out doing the top end,
and while the engine was out, they could pull a rod and inspect the bearings and
camshaft, if the bearings and camshaft looked good, no bottom end job was
needed.  I still said that an engine that old should be completely rebuilt, or
his investment in the top end job could be wasted by a bottom end failure, which
would also waste a lot more.

So what's the consensus out there, should he:
1) Have his mechanic put in a GEX rebuild, or
2) Have his mechanic decide if a bottom job is needed, or
3) Have his mechanic do a complete rebuild.

BTW, the mechanic is Peninsula Automotive in Campbell, CA (they presently are
prepping about 20 busses in anticipation of summer, so a lot of people
apparently trust them).

Thanks for any help,
terry ('64 Camper - the engine goes in this weekend)

PS The Westy belongs to Bob, the lead singer in a group called Keepers of the
Golden Heart, who are playing at Barney's in Redwood City, CA on Saturday night
(shameless ad - I do their sound).

Thanks again