Date:         Wed, 22 Nov 95 13:00:26 PST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Gary Nichols <garyn@gslxsrv3.rose.hp.com>
Subject:      rebuild questions


Question about 2L engine:

I've got my '82 vanagon air-cooled engine in pieces (many!), and I've got
some questions for the experienced:

Question #1:
The "How To Rebuild Your Air-Cooled Volkswagon" book shows pictures and has
text describing the "windage tray" found attached to and above the oil pickup.
My engine doesn't have one!  Did some engines not have it?  Did somebody leave
it out on a previous rebuild?  The oil pickup doesn't even have a hole for the
bolt to the windage tray, so I am suspecting that either:
   1) Some years of the 2L didn't have windage trays.
   2) The PO rebuilt, lost the old pickup, put on a different one, couldn't
      figure out how to attach the windage tray and what it was for anyway,
      and left it off.

Question #2:
I am paranoid about the dropped valve seat problem.  How prevalent is it?
What is the experience out there with rebuilt heads?  Do I have 'em rebuilt
locally by any shop that says they do VW heads?  (Does anybody have experience
with any shops in the Sacramento, CA area?)  Or should I send them down to
Mark Stephens because he guarantees "No More Dropped Seats" and pay the
shipping charges AND much higher prices (twice as much)?

Question #3:
This engine ate a rod bearing.  I am getting the case tank cleaned, but I am
concerned about cleaning the metal out of the oil cooler.  Should I just buy a
reconditioned oil cooler?  Have a machine shop clean out the old one?  What is
the experience here.  What do YOU do?

gary@hprpcd.rose.hp.com