Hi= John,

Th= ere are a few other ways for combustion gases to enter the cooling system (bad O = rings or the metal compression gasket). Have the suspect head leak tested at = an auto machine shop, many heads with the crack you have described are fine. I = have in the past, on my 85 westy replaced just one head, I had and exhaust valve = burn on one side so I replace that head with a junk yard head ( 70,000 miles = on junkyard head so far). No experience with BD rebuilt = heads.

J.R. Beckham

Narragansett Rhode = Island

85 Westy

87 Wolfsburg

91 GL

<= span class=EmailStyle15>

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing = List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On = Behalf Of John Houser
Sent: Sunday, October 21, = 2001 5:38 PM
To: = vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Just one = head?

Volks,

I have a 1984 Westy that I have been working on for almost a year. =  When I finally got the engine to quit bucking and stalling, It ran ok for about = a week but then started getting exhaust gasses in the coolant and would try to overheat.  I took the passenger side cylinder head off and found a = crack that ran from the exhaust valve seat to the intake valve seat on one of = the cylinders.  I think that this is the source of my problem. =  This head was a replacement head and had no pitting under the outer gasket.   =

I have three questions:

      1.  Can an auto machine shop = weld up this crack and I reinstall the head.

      2.  If  I have to get a = rebuilt head, can I replace only one head or must cylinder          
           heads = be replaced in pairs.

      3.  Does anyone have any = experinece with rebuilt cylinderheads from Bus Depot.


Thanks in advance and If anyone has any relevant cylinderhead wisdom = that they would like impart--please feel free.


John Houser, Jr.
Perry, Ga.