Entity Al and Sue Brase spoke thus:

> I agree with your conclusion. It might have been more pleasant for you
> to simply retorque the head immediately.
I wasn't willing to take the risk. I knew it was tight since I did it myself
2 years earlier. I ran the risk of stripping the bolts trying to tighten it
down more.
When I took it apart, it was already as tight as it needed to be. I suspect
it was the gasket set since several of those gaskets blew out and I had to
replace them.

-- Gnarlie

> There's a good chance it might
> have healed up the leak.
> Even though the 1.6 engines often have  head gasket problems, they don't
> usually cause unrepairable problems unless the engine is severly
> overheated. (Having said that, MANY people drive them till they lock up).
> My brother has a TD Quantum. this is exacty the same engine as used in
> the TD Vanagons in Europe. It is a fun little car. It will go 100 and
> get over 45mpg.
> His had rotted out the o-ring on the head so that there was transfer of
> oil into the coolant. He drove it that way for 3 years, finally becoming
> worried that the oil would rot out the radiator hoses!
> BTW, you don't happen to know where there is an 83 diesel parts car?
> Al Brase
>
> Gnarlodious wrote:
>
>>
>> Somewhere in Arizona it stopped leaking so profusely and slowed to a
>> dribble, presumably thanks to the higher elevation. By the time I got to
>> Santa Fe the back of the van was a real mess, but I hadn't even used
>> all of
>> the 2 gallons of coolant!
>>
>> So I guess the moral of the story is, don't act too hastily, as long
>> as your
>> combustion chambers are tight you can wait for better weather to fix it.
>>
>
>