Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 22:12:09 -0500
Reply-To: "Joe L." <jliasse@TOAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Joe L." <jliasse@TOAST.NET>
Subject: Re: My Turn for the Heads...
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%1999031618050559@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
If you do it yourself not much more than the cost of the gasket sets. On
my 83.5 that is about $80 per side. I have replaced the gaskets on mine and
the job, while fairly big, is not all that complex. Go to the Vanagon site
and pick up the head gasket article from "Boston Engine" That, the Bentley,
the gaskets and a new pack of JB Weld should be all you need.
I mentioned this before and someone wanted me to post a "step by step" of
what I did to fix mine for around $100 per side. There is really not that
much to tell that is not covered in the Boston article and the Bentley. For
the rest the engine itself will tell you what needs doing as you go along.
Parts that need to come off OBVIOUSLY need to come off. If, like me, you
keep careful track of what came off where (I used a couple of miles of
masking tape lableing things) putting things back togeather is no problem.
The only REAL potential buggabo in the job is pulling the cylinders past the
rings while taking off the heads. If that happens then, according to the
manuals, you MUST pull the engine. Altho some folks here HAVE pulled the
cylinders past the rings and after a liberal ammount of cussing discovered a
method of putting the cylinders back on WITHOUT pulling the engine. If your
cylinders are sticking to your heads be prepared for a HUGE pain-in-the-butt
as you pry and soak and beat and cuss until the ^(*&^&*^ things finally come
off. If you snap a bolt or two off flush while trying to remove them take
the head to a machine shop and they will easily remove them for about $10
each (I broke two). Other than these two things it is just not THAT big a
deal.
When I bought my Westy I was blissfully ignorant of the Head Gasket
problem. When I found out about it from this list I lived in fear of when it
would strike. A few months ago I was horrified to see a steady drip of
antifreeze from the rear of my Westy. Contacting the dealer I found he
wanted my first born son to fix it. My son is 36 years old and while his
wife readyly agreed to the trade he himself objected. Since I had made the
mistake of allowing him to take karate lessons when he was a boy his
objection prevailed and the dealer option was denied me. I was faced with
the choice of either doing it myself or walking.
When I first started the job I was fearful that I would cause the death
of my beloved Westy. When my cylinders stuck to my heads I WANTED to cause
the death of my beloved Westy. After I freed the #*$*$& things all passion
dissapated except for a slight nervousness as I surveyed my garage floor
wondering if I could get all these things back togeather again but my
labeling everything allowed reassembly to proceed without a hitch. Then came
the mooment of truth as I sat in the driver seat, key in the ignition. I
smoked a cigarette while I worked up the nerve to give the key a turn I also
used this time to recall every cuss word I had learned in 21 years in the
military just in case I needed them. Steeling myself for the worst I turned
the key. VVVVVAAAAARRRROOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!! SUCCESS!!!!! The roar was
increadable as I had forgotten to put the new O2 sensor in the exhaust
outlet but my baby LIVED!
That night I thought about what I had done and could not for the life of
me figure out just what I had been so afraid of. Sure the job was a big pain
but it was infinately doable. Rather like digging a large hole. Difficult
but not complex.
Now it is possible that, while I am not a mechanic, I AM blessed with
some natural talent regarding things mechanical. Possible, but I doubt it.
If this shmuck can do it ANY schmuck can do it. And for about $100 per side.
There are three steps I could like to pass on that will greatly ease the
job.
1. Decide to do it.
2. Prepare to do it.
3. Do it.
The rest will follow. And remember to put your O2 sensor back on before
you crank it up. That damn thing is LOUD!!!!!
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Stu Schwartz
Sent: Tue, March 16, 1999 8:56 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject:
Yup.,..86k miles...time for the head gaskets to be replaced...anyone
have any ideas how much this should cost?
--peace--
stu
1991 Westy - MS MAGIC
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