Date:         Mon, 06 Nov 1995 15:17:39 -0500 (CDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         DBRADSHAW@mscc1.mscc.cc.tn.us
Subject:      Need Major Advice!

I'm at the crossroads!  Here's the setup:

About my 85 Vanagon --

Last February, I got a head gasket job for the standard wasserboxer coolant
leak.  A few months later, it failed again, til it got to the point where the
van wouldn't crank because of water getting to the plug.  I decided to take
things into my own hands (scary!).  Well, I've pulled off the head on the side
of the leak (here's where the crossroads part comes into play).  

The head is not seriously pitted or nasty looking.  Do I proceed with new head
gaskets?  With 150,000 on this engine, I'm wondering if I should consider a
remanufactured engine?  If I do the head job, what else should I do that would
be relatively easy while I'm in there?  Another concern is that oil swiped from
around the piston comes back kinda gritty -- is this an indication of more
trouble?

Can anyone supply numbers of sources for remanufactured engines?

What do ya'll think?


Puzzled in Bell Buckle, TN,
David Bradshaw