Date:         Thu, 9 Sep 1999 17:31:25 -0700
Reply-To:     harald_nancy <harald_nancy@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         harald_nancy <harald_nancy@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: waterboxer overhaul and coolant problem fix?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hello,
Cylinder head corrosion:
Dom raises an interesting point when he states that
Vintage VW in Sydney came to the conclusion that the
corrosion is due to hot spots in the cylinder heads.

I found it interesting, because that is exactly what
Russ Meeks of "RM Engineering" explained to me.
The solution: Have the cylinder heads ceramic coated.
It reduces the amount of heat transferred to the
coolant (and also protects the mating surface of the rubber gasket).
Russ runs a relatively small shop, and he really knows
what he's talking about. He has a long-time reputation
in Portland, Oregon.

I drove all the way to Portland to meet him in person,
before I would leave my new set of cylinder heads with him.
I did get them back ceramic coated according to
the agreement, and price agreed. It did take a couple
of weeks longer that he thought, but it wasn't a problem for me.
If anyone is interested, here is his address:
Russ Meeks, RM Engineering, Finish Line Coatings
Ceramic Thermal Barrier Coatings
2889 S.E. Silver Springs Road
Milwaukie, Oregon 97222
(503) 659-4278

He's done a lot of vw heads, air and water-cooled.

Harald
'90 westy

  Dom wrote:
> In relation to the head leaks, Vintage VW in Sydney Australia have come
up
> with a theory and a product to eliminate/greatly reduce?  the chance of
this
> happening again.
>
> Their theory, and they know enough about VW's to provide reasonable
> assurance that it's well informed if not proven, is that the problem
occurs
> due to an engine hotspot as the coolant passes through the head. At a
point
> during this passage the coolant reaches boiling point or close too but
cools
> down again as it circulates throughout the system. Thus the need to
replace
> coolant not too irregularly as this hotspot somehow transform's the
> composition of the coolant into something more corrosive. >
> Dom :)

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> On Wed, 8 Sep 1999, [iso-8859-1] Björn Ratjen wrote:
>
> >
> > 1. What should be done as corrosion prevention?
> > (grounding straps?, insertion of kathode? special gasket sealer?)
> >
> >
> > Björn