I can't find the *minimum* clearance required in the Bentley manual, but you
know that there's got to be some, so I'm not too excited about the clearance
you're seeing.  You're still .024" away from the wear limit.  These
questions are always somewhat "personal" (how much money do you have?, do
you plan to drive this vehicle around the world or sell it tomorrow?, do you
want to be driving it 2 days from now or 2 weeks from now?, etc., etc.) but
I'd be mightily tempted to use then "as is."
---------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Young                       '81 Vanagon
Lafayette, CA 94549         '82 Westfalia
---------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "EMZ" <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2003 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: gutless AND unreliable...(C'mon Volkswagen!!)

> Fixing thing right the frist time:   Very Very hard to do, some times.
> I have a set of heads that have to go back in place soon. The valves
> guides have .023" of slop in them.  The spec. in Bentley is .047"
> Would you replace them?  This engine is a used rebuild. Maybe 40,000
> miles. Rusty as ever. Inside looks clean. I don't have $2000 for a
> rebuilt engine. I can do an engine swap for about $1000 total but
> at that cost I am making everything but the adapter, and that takes
> time I don't have.  If I did buy a rebuilt engine, it may be just
> like the one I'm nursing along: a GEX piece of junk.  Now it
> I have the valves done, what are the chances they will be done right,
> usung good quality parts?
>
>          Having said all this, taking it all in consider,
>          what would you do with the valve guides?