Hi, after taking out the cylinder heads, replacing the gaskets and
fixing the pits with JB Weld, I put the parts back together and
started it up.  It is really rough and there is aggressive coolant
leaking from the place where the exhaust pipe connects to the cylinder
head by cylinder 2.  Even after I stop the engine, the coolant is
leaking and dripping down with a depressing, green, regularity.

How is the liquid coolant getting to the exhaust system?  There are a
few things I am thinking about:

  1) I had the threads by the leak drilled out and tapped with
     helicoil.  Maybe the repair shop drilled too far and drilled into
     a place where there is coolant?

  2) I did not take the cylinder sleeves out of the engine block and
     did not change the rear "black" thick o-rings on the cylinder sleeves.
     I only changed the front thin green o-rings and the top metal
     gaskets.  Maybe the coolant is leaking through the "black"
     o-rings and somehow getting to the exhaust.  However, this would
     have to be a lot of coolant, there might be more than a cup of
     coolant dripping out from the exhaust.

The exhaust was bolted on at 15 lbs using a torque wrench and I used a
new gasket.  So, unless something is wrong with the area, it shouldn't
leak that aggressively right?   What happens if the drill went too far
on the lower threads near cylinder 2 (front passenger cylinder)?

So, if I have to buy new cylinder heads, should I buy from Boston
Engine or Volks Cafe?  I live near Santa Cruz, so I could just drive
down and pick the parts up.  Boston Engine has AMC heads for $425 each
with valves.  Volks Cafe  is $295 with $100 core.  What does core
charge mean?

Oh yea, I don't have much cash, so if I can avoid buying new heads, I
would like to avoid.  Most importantly, I want to have a bit more
confidence that if I do have to buy new heads, I wouldn't have to
spend more cash fixing something deep in the engine.

-- Craig

Craig Oda   craigoda@communitybuilders.info
VW Info: 1983 VW Westfalia, water-cooled, automatic