Date:         Thu, 24 Jun 1999 06:27:22 -0700
Reply-To:     Richard Ferguson <rfergus23@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard Ferguson <rfergus23@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: AVP and head gasket woes.....
Comments: To: thewestyman@MINDSPRING.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I had a similar problem with an AVP engine and I must say they were
very good about paying for the replacement...there seems to be a
manufacturing defect in the gasket that shows up on
occasion...fortunately it happened in my driveway rather than out on
the road. AVP was also very good about totally rebuilding the original
engine they sent me after a shop here let it run without oil during
instalation and it seized up...what a nightmare....but AVP was
great....they replaced every damaged part and shipped it back at no
cost to me....the shop here was a different story...

Rick
85 Westie 2.1 upgrade

--- Karl Mullendore <thewestyman@MINDSPRING.COM> wrote:
> I would like to hear from anyone on the list that
> has had any head gasket
> problems with AVP's rebuilds. I installed one in a
> customers Westy, the
> first time I've used their engines. It was unanimous
> from you folks that
> they were the way to go for  quality. Well, here
> limps in the van with only
> 500 miles and a totally gushing left head gasket.
> I've replaced many sets on
> other customer's vans, never a leaker. Is it
> possible that the AMC heads are
> not machined correctly, or more likely that the
> gaskets (Elring) are at
> fault? Or worse, that AVP is not doing something
> quite right. They agreed to
> pay me to replace the leaking gasket, but indicated
> that "some people don't
> bleed the cooling systems properly, and steam builds
> up in the head, causing
> the gasket to fail". Well, I always do bleed them,
> per the Bentley
> instructions, twice on completion, and again at the
> first oil change (300
> miles). They claim that they can tell by the way the
> gasket blew whether the
> van was bled properly. Sounds to me like they are
> looking for a way to get
> out of warranting some of their defects. Your
> thoughts? Thanks!
>
> Karl
>

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