One day, you will understand the need of "The Right Stuff" in that area....
this product will fill any gap, for ever!
http://www.benplace.com/amc_head/amc9.jpg

The gap between heads and water jacket in about 1/8, the gasket is always
more than that.

But hey, you do what ever you wanna do...

Me, i know that NONE of my re-seal engine have never fail.

Ben
ps.: Daryl, i still have trany core on the floor!!! he he he, it's call
business pressure!!! ha ha ha

On Sun, 8 Jul 2007 18:47:39 -0700, aatransaxle <daryl@AATRANSAXLE.COM> wrote:

>I seem to recall a few years ago that a local engine builder here in
>Seattle, Tom Noble, had a sheet from VW tech that showed several different
>thicknesses of those gaskets and to measure them and the distance between
>the head and case before to get the correct thickness..Tom  said he found
>that many of the gaskets were of different thickness and had a selection to
>choose from..I have had 3 split in my carreer of at least 150 repl jobs...so
>take it for what its worth...now off to
>Alaska..................................
>Daryl of AA Transaxle
>(425) 788-4070
>aatransaxle.com
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Bob Donalds" <donalds1@VERIZON.NET>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2007 10:13 AM
>Subject: Re: Sudden head gasket coolant catastrophic leaking
>
>
>> Fellow vanagon types
>>
>>    Benny is correct this is a classic problem with the WBX engine outer
>> cylinder head coolant gaskets. The failure of the rubber gaskets can
>> happen
>> in the first few hundred miles or right away. I had this happen twice in
>> my
>> many years first was early on just after start up and second was a guy
>> that
>> blew both at once. I bring both up to make the point that there could be
>> two
>> reasons for the failure. The way the head is installed is important to
>> prevent side loading of the gasket by this I mean that the gasket can be
>> pushed sideways as the head contacts the gasket due to the push rod tubes.
>> The tubes prevent the head from squarely engaging the head so the head as
>> it
>> contacts the gaskets tend to go sideways. The most common location for the
>> gasket to pop out is the top of the block this is the first place the head
>> contacts the gasket and the direction the head is pushed.
>>
>>    To eliminate the gasket side loading we at the Engine Exchange have for
>> many years preformed a technique called the hokey pokey  ( See your Bosch
>> automotive hand book for a full description of this term  ) After the
>> heads
>> is prepped and placed on the studs with the tubes in place I watch to see
>> that the inner gaskets remain in place. With one nut on the middle lower
>> studs I bring the head into contact with the gasket and adjust the push
>> rod
>> tubes as I go. Once the head is in place but not tight against the gasket
>> I
>> perform the (hokey pokey) wiggling of the head giving the gasket a chance
>> to
>> find its place without any preload sideways. I then slowly tighten the
>> nuts
>> in an even fashion. I only use the OEM style sealants provided in the
>> Victor
>> Rintz gaskets the one with the blue cardboard backing.
>>
>> The second reason I think new outer gasket fail is a sudden extreme rise
>> in
>> pressure this is when the coolant system is not full and the expanding air
>> takes its toll.
>>
>> The cracks between the seats can and do go much further than the eye can
>> see
>> on OEM heads extending into the intake and exhaust ports. This is the
>> primary reason I stopped repairing OEM heads they crack and recrack in the
>> ports days and weeks after the heads are put back into service.
>>
>> One final note
>> the new AMC heads should not be used as they come out of the box they need
>> professional attention to insure full service life
>> I offer these heads with all the updates for the same money or less than
>> you
>> will find them on the net @ $450 each
>> fluffed, buffed and ready to be stuffed
>>
>> standing by I remain
>>
>> Bob Donalds
>> Boston Engine
>> where you get more than engines and engine parts
>>
>>
>> all rights reserved
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Thomas Pfrommer" <pfrommer@PHAS.UBC.CA>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2007 12:06 AM
>> Subject: Re: Sudden head gasket coolant catastrophic leaking
>>
>>
>>>I sent them out for inspection and if necessary, machining. One little
>>> hair crack was welded/machined between the valves, but not at the
>>> failure position of the gasket. I don't recall, whether it was the left
>>> or right though any more.
>>> Other than this hair, the heads were in good shape.
>>> I used the VW gasket set, and the head gaskets from there. Together with
>>> this black paste, I put them together, don't recall now the name, but
>>> will find tomorrow.
>>> Does the classic problem occur also that late after a rebuilt?
>>> Well anyway it seems I did not seal this head very well.
>>> Thanks for the help
>>> Thomas
>>>
>>> Benny boy wrote:
>>>> What did you use between head gasket and head?
>>>> How was the old head before you put this one back in? Was it cracked,
>>>> was
>>>> it
>>>> tested?
>>>>
>>>> 2 reasons, bad sealing or bad/cracked head, period.
>>>>
>>>> A clasic problem!
>>>>
>>>> Ben
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 16:54:21 -0700, Thomas Pfrommer
>>>> <pfrommer@PHAS.UBC.CA>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>> oh man, I thought my van is running now. Did it for about 1500km, but
>>>>> today suddenly lost all its coolant, luckily a guy behind me on the
>>>>> highway called my attention right away. I did not see anything and the
>>>>> water temp did not yet rise. Well I pulled over the next exit. Again
>>>>> lucky was only 500m away, and then the temp gauge was rising quickly.
>>>>> So
>>>>> to the next parking lot and shut down the engine before it overheats!
>>>>> But what the hack was going on? Temp was always good, never reved it
>>>>> above 3000 rpm in these first 1500km. Oil pressure was good (yes the
>>>>> installed oil gauge is working fine ;-))
>>>>> And suddenly I loose all my water. After waiting to let the engine cool
>>>>> down a bot, I was able to look and lie underneath the engine and saw
>>>>> that the head gasket was pushed out for about 0.5 inch and thats where
>>>>> it leak. I added a bit of distilled water in the expansion tank and it
>>>>> pulled out right away right at this point (at the rear end of the right
>>>>> head, about midway between top and bottom of the head). What could have
>>>>> happened? When I rebuilt the engine, I torqued the heads to the specs
>>>>> indicated in the Bentley. I inspected the studs and they did not seem
>>>>> to
>>>>> be in bad shape so I did not replace them. Is this an indication that
>>>>> one stud broke? Yesterday I drove and was in a traffic jam and it was
>>>>> very hot, but everything worked fine, the water temp never rose more
>>>>> then just above the light position.
>>>>> I don't know but thats kind of weired. Perhaps not for you experts, but
>>>>> for me, as it drove without problems up to this point. I changed the
>>>>> expansion head cap just two days before as well, and all water was in,
>>>>> not indication of a small leak anywhere.
>>>>> Well I am quite frustrated now, I must admit, just thought I let you
>>>>> know, perhaps you have some advice. The thing is I do not have much
>>>>> time
>>>>> now to fix this major thing. I am quite busy at work. Do you Vancouver
>>>>> guys have a good recommendation, where to put it? I let it tow to
>>>>> Blenheim at 12th/Arbutus, just because I heard they are very nice guys.
>>>>> So I assume they don't rip me off. But perhaps there are other places?
>>>>> Anyway have a nice week-end and enjoy the sun, I have to recover a bit
>>>>> form this disappointment today though.
>>>>> Cheers
>>>>> Thomas
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>