Date: Mon, 05 Feb 1996 11:10:00 -0400 (EDT)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Porter_Fred%PAX9@mr.nawcad.navy.mil
Subject: Re: head gaskets and time bombs
Craig,
About apr/june 1995 I had the heads replaced on my 87 syncro (120 kmi) and
got VWoA to cough up 50% support for parts and labor involved with the
repair. My POC at VWoA was Karen Lawson at 800/822.8987.
Changing the coolant twice per year sounds like a good idea. Are there any
other procedures to promote head longevity?
later,
Fred Porter
87 syncro
----------
|From: "vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu"@PMDF@PAXMB1
|To: porter fred; "vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu"@PMDF@PAXMB1
|Subject: Re: head gaskets and time bombs
|Date: Monday, February 05, 1996 9:22AM
|
|<<File Attachment: 00000000.TXT>>
|In a message dated 96-01-31 16:44:40 EST, you write:
|
|> The engine is a 2.1 on my '86 Syncro Westy. Any input is
|>appreciated as they quoted me from $800 to $2000 for the job.
|>
|>Also someone said that if I yell at someone loud enough I may get VW to
chip
|>in due to some class action suit.
|
|Craig,
|
|You may get lucky with VWoA, but with an '86 with (how many miles?), they
may
|tell you that the vehicle has already reached its intended service life. I
|know this is a lame answer, but actually, depending on your mileage, you're
|pretty lucky to have made it this far. My '88 Vanagon GL (2.1L) had to
have
|it's gaskets replaced at about 70K miles. I believe it cost me around
|US$1000, but since the van at the time was only 3 years old, VWoA picked up
|66 percent of the cost. That was four years ago, and the heads have not
|leaked since. However, I keep the coolant fresh by changing twice per
year,
|because the corrosion inhibitors wear out over time, which adds to the
|likelihood of head and/or gasket leaks.
|
|As far as the repair shop telling you to let the gaskets go until they
blow,
|the risk you run is that you heads themselves will become so pitted over
time
|that they, too, will need replacement, which will add BIG BUCKS to the
repair
|bill. Also, you won't be able to predict where you are when they blow, and
|you could dump all of your coolant in a big hurry, which would leave you
with
|a BIG tow bill (if you don't burn up your engine before you can pull over).
| I think you'd be better off getting the head gaskets replaced as soon as
|possible, then keep your coolant changed at regular intervals, and save up
|for your next head gasket replacement in another 70-120K miles.
|
|Good Luck!
|
|Cliff
|'88 Vanagon GL (2.1L), with toasty toes in this -30 degree weather in the
|midwest! (gotta love those wasserboxers!)
|
|