Yo...

Ok, here is MY 2 cents!!!!

30 hours later on a 84... it came to my shop with a internal leak, white
smoke!!! customer say, the van is sold, patch it!!!! So no new head if
possible, i don't like to put my name on a shitty job, but i need the money.

I did that:
http://www.benplace.com/vanagon_engine1.htm

I did remove all valves, cleaned the inside of each one, looked carefully
for a crack...didn't see anything.... so am hoping for a broken upper O-ring
/ internal leak..

Yesterday night, start up the van, fix a few little hoses leak.....
and what's in the back!!!!! WHITE SMOKE pooring out the exhaust, i should
have known better, the #4 was full of coolant when i open the head.... BUT I
DON'T HAVE AN X-RAY MACHINE!!!!!

So i somewhat agree with everyone...to a point.. why, because Bob and others
know one thing, if you put new heads, you do bring back the compression, and
this is where we need to be carefull on the 2.1L... will the botom end
hold?????

You should also know that i had 2 broken compression piston ring on #1 and
#3.... That engine as now news rings, re-sealed heads on a 190k mile
engine.... but the customer already sold the van, so he doesn't care!!!!

Now he will need at least one new head...pay me another 20 hours, and we all
know that changing only one head call for a catastrophic future...

My conclusion...
-Head gasket job:I agree on replacing the head gasket when an external leaks
occur....but not when a internal leak is seen... UNLESS you are sure at 100%
that you have a upper O-ring failiure.

-Heads: changing one mean changing 2 (Not rebuilt but new one)

-Complete top-end (rings or/and pistons + heads): under 150k miles... even
then....

Cheers, Ben
http://www.benplace.com/