Head Repair - Page 5!

June 4, 2002 - Day 6? or 7?  Hmmm... I'm losing track...

Today I received this note from Craig Oda, another member of the Vanagon Mailing List:

From: Craig Oda
To: Dave Baker
Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2002 1:50 AM
Subject: Re: Head Gasket Repair

Dave,
I didn't see the end of your experience. Did you manage to replace the head gasket? I'm thinking of doing the same job myself and I'm hoping to collect information before I do it.

I responded thus:

Craig,

Being new at this, I'm taking my time. Plus I have other duties to attend to from time to time. Plus I'm working outside and the weather doesn't always facilitate my work.

There. Are those enough excuses?

Actually, I really got stuck on the exhaust system. I have to remove part of it to get the headers off the head studs, and we're looking at nearly 20 years and 170,000 miles of rust and corrosion. After trying penetrants and
torches, I finally gave in last night and started cutting bolts off with my Dremel. Next step is to go to the hardware store today for a cold chisel.

Good luck if you undertake this job. I don't think it's rocket science.  Just take your time, take notes, label wires and connectors with masking tape, and take plenty of photos so you'll know how everything goes back
together.

Dave

Today, we have thunderstorms, so it will be on to other projects, I'm afraid.  

June 4, 2002, Continued

3:00 PM:  Waddyaknow...It stopped raining and the sun came out.  So back out I went.  I'm working on the exhaust fitting that joins the pipe through the catalytic converter and muffler with the two header pipes -- the front one that services cylinders 1 and 3, and the rear one that takes the exhaust of 2 and 4.  The pipes are joined on the driver's side, right under the left valve cover.

I had fussed and fumed unsuccessfully over these four corroded and rusty bolts yesterday, trying JD Penetrating Catalyzer, heat from a propane torch, and you name it.  In desperation, I broke out the Dremel and began grinding.  Bingo!  Got two of 'em off.  Just for a lark, I put the wrench on the third one and pulled with all the might I could muster.  Hey!  It turned.  The fourth one did likewise, and quicker than you can say "Jack Sprat," I had the muffler/cat assembly on the ground.  Unfortunately, this did not seem to have any effect on the rigidiy of the header pipes.  They were still firmly stuck on the head studs.  

Well, tomorrow is another day.



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