Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:53:46 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: It's alive,
but it gives bad head! (Fixing head leak on '87 2.1L)
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0706170517550.23919@birdbird.example.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Some of your plan is recipe for disaster.
If the cooling system can’t hold pressure, operating the engine is a risk.
Just being filled with coolant is not quit enough. The gap in the gasket
is most likely due to the gasket failing from overheating and age,
(becoming brittle) and corrosion tearing it a part. If it has to be moved,
have it towed.
The "Right Stuff" is a brand name for an engine sealing product. For the
rubber head gaskets it is an excellent sealant and eliminates the need to
worry about the pitting on the head surface. Just make sure all of the
corrosion is removed. Have the head bead blasted.
55ft/lbs. torque will ensure multiple broken studs. Do not use Right Stuff
or silicone on the cap nuts and I strongly recommend replacing them.
Consistent torque is needed here. Either use the yellow stuff in the
gasket set on of the Loc-tite thread sealant products. My favorite used to
be "Bolt-Prep". It is no longer available. Do not fill the threads in the
cap nuts with anything. This will hydraulically lock them up before they
fully tighten. Just a dab on the stud threads will do.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Matt Roberds
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2007 6:26 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: It's alive, but it gives bad head! (Fixing head leak on '87 2.1L)
Hello all!
I just posted the story of helping a friend get his newly-acquired '87
Westy (2.1L, 150K miles) back on the road. In brief, it runs, but
requires about a gallon (4 L) of coolant at the end of a 10-minute
drive, mostly due to a big leak from the right head.
I know that the wasserboxers are known for head leaks, but this van has
some extenuating circumstances - we're not 100% sure, for instance, that
the right head wasn't loosened up on purpose by a previous "mechanic"
who seemed to be more interested in ripping off the previous owner.
When we got home, he crawled underneath with a strong light and reported
that there was a visible gap between the cylinders and head on the right
side head that was not evident on the left side head.
He got the van for a good enough price that he doesn't mind spending
some money on it. If the transmission and bottom end of the engine are
reasonably OK, putting on some new heads isn't out of the question.
Right now the goal is to get it more reasonably drivable so he can
finish evaluating the rest of the van. Having to add a quart (liter)
of coolant after a hour drive is probably OK; having to add a gallon
(4 L) of coolant after a 10-minute drive isn't. At least, he wants to
be able to drive it ~30 minutes to my house so I can do some work on
it for him (replacing fuel lines plus a few other things.)
Our next trick, probably on Monday, is to pull the right-side head and
see what we have. From looking at the list archives, Ben's web site
(benplace.com), and one or two other sources, it looks like our minimum
bill of materials will be:
---
Rubber head gasket (between head and water jacket) - original VW
"The Right Stuff" sealant for above, plus for cap nuts for head
Green o-ring around outside of cylinder near top - original VW
Loctite 518 sealant for above
Flat metal ring for top of cylinder - original VW
Valve cover gasket
JB Weld (as required to fix pitted head)
---
And the procedure will be, approximately:
---
- Remove head
- Leave cylinder sleeves in place
- Clean and inspect
Head inspection points:
- No show stoppers like big cracks, holes, pieces missing, valves
totally burnt, etc.
- Round surface on heads where cylinders sit: must be perfect
- If above is OK, flat surface around outside of head where gasket/
water jacket sits: if flat, OK; if pitted, fill in with JB Weld
and sand flat
If head we have is no good: Ponder options
If reinstalling current head:
- Smooth flat surface with JB Weld as above
- Clean sealing surfaces on head
- Clean edge of water jacket
- Remove green O-rings from cylinders; clean grooves
- Install new green O-rings on cylinders; seal with Loctite 518
- Put "Right Stuff" on water jacket
- Install rubber head gasket
- Put more "Right Stuff" on rubber head gasket
- Seal pushrod seals with Loctite 518
- Install head; torque nuts in order to 7, 37, 55 lb-ft with beam type
torque wrench
- Otherwise, "Assembly is the reverse of removal." :)
---
Before running the engine we will also be investigating the fuel leak on
top of the tank. I suspect it's as simple as a loose or rotted hose;
there was a lot of fuel coming out, but it didn't happen until right
before the filler nozzle shut off, so it's relatively high on the tank.
Even before we knew about this leak, there were two working fire
extinguishers on board.
Anyway, does the above head procedure sound reasonable? Note that
unless we find something really scary under the right head, we aren't
planning to open up the left head at this time - does that argue for not
going all the way to 55 lb-ft on the right head? Remember, the goal
right now is not "100% dry" - it's simply "dry enough" to be able to
drive the van enough to evaluate it some more.
(Of course, since I also own a '64 Bus and a '74 Bug, I know deep in my
heart that this is the kind of trouble you get into when you start
putting that funny water stuff in your engines. :) )
Thanks!
Matt Roberds
