Date:         Thu, 21 Sep 1995 09:31:03 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         David Schwarze <des@teleport.com>
Subject:      Re: Vanagon Engine Problems

Bobby "Butch" Stokes writes:
> 
> To Whom It May Concern,
> 
> I request your either your advice on a problem I have with my 
> 1986 Vanagon or can you recommend someone I can ask?
> 
> For the second time since 1990 (first at 37,000 mi. and 
> now at 91,000 mi) my head gaskets leaked coolant.  
> This time the leak is very severe.

I have a question:  Looking at the waterboxer in a junkyard I noticed
how thin a strip of metal there is as a sealing surface for the heads.
It's no wonder these things leak so fast!  so *WHY* don't people o-ring
the cylinders or heads to make them seal better?  It's a common trick
for hotrodders.  If I had a water-cooled that's the first mod I would
make to combat the problem.  For those that don't know, "o-ringing" is a
process where a small groove is cut into the sealing surface and a thin
metal wire ring is installed in it.  The ring mashes into the head gasket
giving a lot more clamping force at that point.  My apologies to the
gearheads on the list for whom that was an inadequate description.  :)

-David

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David Schwarze                     '73 VW Safare Custom Camper  (Da Boat)
San Diego  (Actually La Mesa)      '72 VW Westfalia Camper      (Da Project)
California, USA                    '73 Capri GT 2800            (Da Beast)
e-mail: des@teleport.com           '87 Mustang Lx 5.0           (14.17@99.34)
http://www.teleport.com/~des       '93 Weber WG-50              (Da Piano)
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