Don't even think about JB weld there. You need new heads. You also need
to carefully inspect the cylinders and find out why the studs lost there
pre-load, (tension) allowing the head to lift off and start the
burning-erosion process to start with.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of jbclem1
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2005 7:25 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Watercooled cyl head...unusual place for JB Weld?

I've removed my #1 #2 cyl head, 1983 Westphalia, and there are a few
places where the cylinder head
stud holes (right next to the combustion chamber) are eroding away and
the metal (between the hole
and the combustion chamber, right at the sealing surface level) is
getting thin.

There is one spot where a little knotch has eaten away there is a small
gap (1/16th ") down from the
flat sealing surface, into the wall that separates the combustion
chamber and one of the stud holes.
I'm not sure if the green o-ring was sealing that area, but for the past
few weeks there was water
getting into that cylinder (#2) and on the spark plug, so that could be
the culprit.

I know that many people have used JB Weld on the flat sealing surface,
but I wonder if it's been
used in an area like the one I'm describing.  Any thoughts?

John