Hi Don,

Sorry you are losing your transportation for a bit, but this all may be a blessing in disguise.  Unless the PO has
done it for you, I can tell you with some degree of certainty that the entire cooling system on an 84 Vanagon is in
need of lots of TLC.  Better now than when you try to take the bus on a long trip.  I replaced every single
cooling component on Billy Bones after learning that lesson the hard way - back in December of last year I broke
down 700 miles from home!

If you find a problem in one area of the cooling system, then there are problems elsewhere as well - that water
does circulate and hoses get old, clogged, and weak.   And that includes the radiator.  I got  new SA radiator from
Ron at Bus Depot.  Installation was easy.  In fact, replacing all of the hoses was relatively straightforward.  Just takes
some time and patience.  The job will be much easier if you go to Sears and buy one of those hose-clam plier things.

The head gasket on that side is more difficult than on the other side, but only because you have more junk to remove
to get to it.  Once you get access to it the job is pretty straightforward as well.  I recommend that you just drop the
engine and make the whole job a lot easier.  If you have floor jack and stands it is not too much work to get it out.

Trying to solve one little leak  at a time here and there on a Vanagon is like treating symptoms instead of the
underlying disease.

Get out your Bentley, cool down your beer, and bring a bucket full of patience.  Then begin.  Keep putting those bolts
and nuts in baggies with notes.  That will definitely help when you start to button it all back up.

Remember, the list is always here to help.   If it weren't for the good people on this list, Billy Bones wouldn't be
around today!

Best of luck.

Warren Lail
88 Westy "Billy Bones"

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 10 Oct 2004 20:33:58 -0400
From:    Don Sturgill <dssturgill@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: 84 Sludge / Head

Lesson learned today:  Always make your beer run before starting a simple
project, since you may not have transportation later.