My two cents worth:

If it drives well, and there are no fluid leaks, and the oil looks fine, and
the exhaust is not billowing white steam... then you probably do not need
any extra information on your heads... they are intact.

If the temp starts creeping up on you, and/or you see your coolent level
dropping gradually, and/or your oil is foamy or milky, or has cheese on the
cap... and/or your seeing either oil or coolent on the ground under the
engine after it has been  parked... then start to do the troubleshooting.

It also helps to keep repeating, like 5-600 times a day "my heads are ok, my
heads are ok"... it seems to be working for me at least.

Good luck

<�)))>{   <�)))>{   <�)))>{   <�)))>{   <�)))>{   <�)))>{

Robert S. Fish
Salzburg, Austria
1987 Wolfsburg Vanagon 2.1 Weekender
1987 Golf Cabriolet
1991 Golf

----- Original Message -----
From: "car emmea" <cmehi@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 2:15 AM
Subject: 2 questions on 85 westy

>   Hello all!  Ive just bought a 1985 westfalia GL
> about a month ago.  I have been driving it with no
> problems, but I have two questions??
>
> 1.  I took it in to get snow tires, and when I got it
> back, you no longer have to push down to get it into
> reverse?  It shifts into reverse, just like first or
> third. Is my trans going out, or can something be
> adjusted fairly cheap?
>
> 2.  It only has 106,000 on the original engine.  I
> plan on taking it in to get the heads checked
> (compression checked???), or may I say a look over.
> What exactly should I have checked out by a mechanic
> that I cannot do myself, yet?
>
>   Thank you for your help.  I am not a master mechanic
> but slowly learning.  Sorry if I've missed this
> subject in the archives.
>
> Paul
> 1985 westy
>
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