Date:         Mon, 11 Aug 1997 14:22:23
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Dan Houg <fairwind@northernnet.com>
Subject:      Re: Vanagon Heads

>Date: Mon, 04 Aug 1997 09:21:28
>To: Tom Kreiner <tkreiner1@worldnet.att.net>
>From: Dan Houg <fairwind@northernnet.com>
>Subject: Re: Vanagon Heads

>hi Tom!
>
>i'm forwarding your message and my reply to the vanagon list as i think
your comments are extremely pertinent to the head corrosion issue.  glad to
hear your heads are holding up after so long.  and your procedure does seem
like it would leave a thicker coat of epoxy than my method.. did the epoxy
'flow out' nicely when heated?
>
>my heads have held up well with one episode of leaking (like for 2 days)
this spring that stopped as quickly as it started.  can't explain that one.
 but overall, i am extremely satisfied with the results even given the
fairly substantial labor involved in the procedure.  the cost savings are
worth it.  i would love to tear down my heads and check the status of the
JB Weld but i ain't gonna do it until the next death bell tolls.  the van
currently has over 190K miles and is still running well.
>
>-dan
>
>At 09:48 PM 8/3/97 -0500, you wrote:
>>Dan:
>>
>>I don't know if this will get to you, but I just read your JB Weld trick
>>and I'm flabbergasted!
>>
>>Five years ago, I did almost exactly the same thing to my '83 Vanagon
>>heads, altering the procedure slightly.  In my case, it occured to me
>>that the "skim coat" needed to be flat, smooth, and have a dense (no
>>pits) surface to keep coolant from working its way under the JB Weld or
>>through it.
>>
>>I sanded my first coat after baking it in my kitchen oven at about 225F
>>for 3 hours.  When flat, I applied a second coat and spread it with a
>>single edged razor blade to get it even.  Again, I heated the head in
>>the oven, and when done, I installed it in the van as is i.e. no
>>additional work to the JB Weld.
>>
>>My first JB Weld coated heads lasted 65000 mi, and only failed when a
>>coolant hose blew and the engine badly overheated.  The van is still
>>going with about 30,000 additional miles on the new job.
>>
>>I hope others report the experience and you let me know if my experience
>>was typical or atypical.
>>
>>Tom Kreiner
>>