Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:07:52 EDT
Reply-To: RAlanen@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: cylinder heads for my 84 westy
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
In a message dated 10/06/2008 10:10:46 P.M. Central Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
I just pulled the heads off of my 84 westy (first time to pull heads off any
car)
I did it with the engine still in,
the piston sleeves would not come off so i pulled them out, 2 with each head.
Once i beat the sleeves off with a wooden block and a hammer, i noticed a
hair line cracks between all 4 sets of valves.
sooooo... the question is,
where do i get new or rebuilt heads for the lowest price.
cause this sucks and i don't have much money.
let me know,
Shawn, the heads may be good, the best way to find out is to get them to a
machine shop and have them leak tested. If the cracks are leaking they will
declare them scrap. If the valves are leaking they will reseat or replace
them. I have new AMC heads listed on my _Vanagon Items Forsale_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/sales.htm) webpage > Cylinder head, 1.9/2.1, AMC, 1001, 025
101 065 - $475.00. If your gonna keep that engine and that van for any good
length of time I would highly recommend you install two new AMC heads -
UNLESS - the bottom end is near the end of it's life. NOW - how you gonna get
the cylinders back on the pistons without breaking the rings ? I just know
your gonna ask that question next. That is tricky to do with the engine still
in the van. The right way is to remove the piston pins which entails
removing lots of cooling tubes and the waterpump as the pistons are first inserted
into the barrels then attached to the rods. Doing that under the van is not
easy. The other way is to find or make some sort of ring compressor that
will compress the rings to get the barrels on then be able to extract the
compressor - GOOD LUCK ! AND, are you gonna replace the rings while your at it ?
Then you need to hone the cylinders. Have you checked the cylinders to see
if they are within spec or have become oval as 75% of the ones I have checked
? If they are oval then trying to get new rings to seat will not work very
well. You'd be better off using the old rings or getting a set of new
pistons and cylinders - now your into the big bucks !
Cheers,
Frank Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy & Lionel Trains (_Collection for sale_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
_Frank Condelli & Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
- Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/exhaust.htm)
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm) a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 12 ~ 15, 2008
| 
