At 08:52 AM 12/26/2004, you wrote:
>With broken head studs you might get the old one out if the there is
>something to grab onto you could even weld a nut to the end and spin it out.

Argh. I think welding is out of the question. I'm stuck working in "covert
mechanic" mode as I'm but a lowly apartment dweller with no personal garage
space.

>My experiences are across the board from one bad stud to the case from hell
>and I have had to send cases out to have the remaining nubs burned out with
>a metal disintegrator. As for replacing all the studs a precaution I would
>not. What does need to be done is get a good look at the entire length of
>the each stud for pitting and if any pitting is present then the stud should
>be removed.

Hmmm...Sounds like I'll have to remove the cylinders/water jacket to get a
good look. Am I likely to be Asking For Trouble by pulling the head and
cylinders in a poorly lit underground parking garage with no facilities for
removing the engine? (probably)

>At this point you need to consider the total milage of the engine

Heh. Between the fool PO and the PPO before him, I haven't a single bit of
repair history. The odometer read 164K when I bought it, but had been
broken for SIX YEARS according to the VIN report. Oil pressure is strong,
over 10psi at idle and 25psi at highway speed with 15W-50 synthetic oil.
Then again, who knows what heat damage it may have, as the jackass PO
warned me that it "overheats a lot, so you gotta pull over when it boils
over and let it cool" (radiator was clogged; i replaced first thing). I'm
guessing that, one way or another, it's probably wise to consider swapping
in a rebuilt.

>  your
>comitment to the van and what your intented uses are.  Is it local driving
>long distance touring or drive it till it stops
>as Clint Easwood said in dirty Harry
>are you feeling lucky

Yeah, I suppose I gotta ask myself if I'm willing to replace one stud and
drive with my eyes bugging out, waiting for the next stud to pop. At the
very least, I think I'll pull the head and see how pitted both it and the
studs are. If it's looks bad, i'll just save my lunch money for a while and
have someone put in a rebuilt. That's the worst part, really. If I had a
garage to work in, I'd have had that engine out and on a bench last night;
but no, I live in the city, so I gotta pay someone else to do it...

John Bange
'90 Vanagon "Geldsauger"