Date:         Sat, 6 May 1995 10:08:27 -0400 (EDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Terry Tan <terrytan@ritz.mordor.com>
Subject:      Re: Repost: Head talk

> 
> >After reading about all of these head problems I'd like to understand what 
> actually 
> >happens (especially before it happens to my '87 Westy)! Can anyone tell me:
> >
> >What happens inside the engine? It sounds like liquid from the cooling 
> system gets
> >into the combustion area of the engine. Is the failure always that the head 
> warps
> >and disturbs the seal with the head gasket or are there other similar failures
> >with the same effect?
> >
> >Are the heads defective when they leave the factory and it just takes a 
> certain amount
> >of mileage for the problem to appear?
> >
> >If they are defective from the beginning, is there anything you can do in 
> terms of
> >maintenance or driving style to prevent the problem from showing itself or 
> is it
> >pre-determined and just a matter of time (mileage)?
> >
> >Is there a way to detect in advance if the problem will happen? Maybe an 
> oil analysis?
> >
> >If the problem occurs, what is the correct way to fix it? Do you have to 
> get new
> >heads? Re-machine the old ones?
> >
> >After fixing it, what's to say that it won't happen again?
> >
> >Thanks for putting up with my mechanical ignorance! We're about to make a 
> trip from
> >North Carolina to the Southwest for four weeks and I'm trying to get 
> everything in order
> >but I feel pretty helpless about the head thing. Our '87 has 69k miles on it.
> >
> >Thanks in advance!
> >
> >Jeff H.
> >
> >
> 
> i dont think anyone responded to these very valid questions... so here they 
> are again.
> 
Boy oh Boy ! Looks like this head talk will never end.

I suffered the leak in my '84 at around 40K miles. Basically
there is nothing you can do until it happens. Some engines may not
leak until beyond your mileage e.g. 60K+ or so.
The important thing is do not change the coolant without following the
Mfr's instruction faithfully. Better still if in doubt just top up.
It will be fatal if you let a gas station not familiar with VW do this.
The other thing to watch out for is push rod tube leaks. This will require
pulling the heads out unless you get those two piece variety which will
cost several times more. The labor you save goes to pay for them.
Although I have not used them some have said they are not as good and
will leak again. Perhaps someone else who has experience with these
can comment.
Also it is good to have some hoses connectors handy for airconditioner
or coolant hoses rupturing. When it happens just cut the hose, slip the
connector in place and use the special none slip hose clips. These clips
have a hook that prevents the hose from sliding out due to the high
pressure . This will get you home till you can replace them. You
can get these parts not from VW but from any place that deals in
hydraulics components. Make sure you get the stainless steel if possible.

Another handy item to keep around is shoe goo. It is like silicone rubber
but when it hardens it is very durable.
The only place that I found selling it is at Kmart's sporting goods 
section. 
Good luck on those long trips!