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Date:         Tue, 3 Nov 1998 20:15:01 -1000
Reply-To:     Peter's Email <peterz@GTE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Peter's Email <peterz@GTE.NET>
Subject:      Re: Head advice
Comments: To: "Joe L." <jliasse@EMAIL.MSN.COM>, vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I have removed the heads on my engine so many times that removing the engine was unfesable. I have pulled the pistons/liners and replaced them with the engine still in the van. It is a litle more difficult, but still possible. If I remember correctly, the Bently Bible states that head removle is still possible with the engine in the vehicle. If you want some more info, let me know. btw, I can now remove/reinstall the starter without any light, though I don't recommend it.

Pete peterz@gte.net 83.5 Vanagon

-----Original Message----- From: Joe L. <jliasse@EMAIL.MSN.COM> To: vanagon@VANAGON.COM <vanagon@VANAGON.COM> Date: Tuesday, November 03, 1998 3:17 PM Subject: Re: Head advice

> I printed out your post and stapled it into my Bentley against the >time when my left head fails sometime in the next 20k miles or so (if >predictions are accurate). It certainly seems more doable than other >techniques I have seen. Should I screw up and pull the cylinders out past >the rings you will have saved the neighbrhood an exibition of how loudly and >long an old sailor can cuss. > > I mentioned pulling the engine in my post because the HAYNES manual >(not me) says the heads should not be changed without pullling the engine. >Haynes, having said that, continues with teardown instructions under the >assumption that the engine is sitting on the bench and not in the van. In >their instructions they state "If the head sticks to the liners, the head >and liners may be withdrawn as an assembly.". This is stated so casually >that the mechanically challenged (like me) might assume that the cylinders >may be just as easily slipped back on (certianly NOT the case). I would >probably have made this assumption myself had I not been reading the >postings on this list for several months prior to the failure of my head >gasket. Not knowing which manual he was reading or what else he may have >known about the job I mentioned it "just in case". > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Johan Nyberg <johan.nyberg@ABC.SE> >To: vanagon@VANAGON.COM <vanagon@VANAGON.COM> >Date: Monday, November 02, 1998 3:56 PM >Subject: Re: Head advice > > >I just read Joe L.'s post about what is possible and what isn't with the >engine in place. I have to disagree with you, Joe, because I have pulled the >right-hand head with the cylinders and even managed to get it back on. >Though I had strange pains, esp. in the calves, afterwards:-) > >It's not fun, but it's very educational in the area of patience and hope. > >I did it like this: > >Getting the head off is no problem, though it's wise to catch the pistons >when they come out and swing downwards. I think I stuffed some rags below >them. >The really hard part is to get the pistons off the connecting rods. I >removed the oil filler tube, the dipstick tube and the coolant tube, used a >pair of long, slim, surgical locking pliers (I don't know their name in >english) to remove the clips securing the piston-bolts and with the curved >end of a motorcycle spoke pulled the bolts through the coolant port. There >is a VW tool for this, VW 3091, I suppose it's very expensive. What took me >an hour or two to realize, was that it's important to support the piston in >the right position when pulling, otherwise the bolt jams. Finding the right >position is a matter of trial and error, if one doesn't have the VW 3090 >special tool. There is a possibility that the bolt-hole is deformed, leaving >a ridge blocking the passage. This ridge has to be shaved off. The VW 3195 >is available for this, I used a tool made for finishing the cutting edges of >a special cabintry scraper. I don't know the english word for this one >either. First I thought this was the case and did some shaving, but later - >much later - I realized the bolt was jamming because I was bending the >connecting rod sideways. > >Before removing the pistons, I tried to put the cylinder sleeves back with >the pistons still on the connecting rods. It didn't work at all. I didn't >have a ring-compressor, I didn't know of any that would fit in that very >small place. I broke a ring in the process. Now I've seen one that might do >the job, just a narrow, curved steel band with ends bent outwards. It has to >be the right size to work. > >Putting the pistons back with the sleeves on the bench and with the aid of a >ring-compressor was very straight forward. > >The proper way to remove cylinders and pistons is to pull each >cylinder-sleeve - starting with the rearmost - until the bolt-hole and bolt >is visible through the coolant port, pull the plug and remove the sleeve >with the piston still in it, but this doesn't work if the sleeves are frozen >in the head. At least I don't think so. > >Anyway, this - in the opposite order - is how I got them in place. > >Putting it together again was childs-play compared to taking it apart, and >an advantage in pulling the cylinder-sleeves is that one is then able to >replace the inner gasket between sleeve and crank-house. >The only thing I did wrong was not checking carefully enough that the >pushrods were propoerly in place when I put the rocker-arms back. This gave >me a terrible fright when I started up the engine and it sounded like it was >coming apart. However, no permanent harm was done. > >Good luck, and let us try not to let pride make fools of us, tackling jobs >that we don't manage. Despair is not a nice state to live in, though victory >is sweet when it comes unexpected. > > > >I haven't done the left-hand head, yet. Then one has to remove the >water-pump to pull the piston bolts. > > > ************************************************************ > Johan Nyberg, Sweden N 59o E 17o 25" > '86 Caravelle C > ************************************************************


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