Glad to hear I'm not the only one who has done that or considered doing it.

I quickly got to that point with my Hon%@ whenever it went in to have
factory flaws corrected.

Not trusting *some* mechanics is one other reason I'm considering
using my Vanagon as a DD. (especially with the Jetta engine). I can
maintain it.

Plus I think the factory (assembly) flaws are done with --- ;^)

Neil.

On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 5:21 PM, pdooley <psdooley@verizon.net> wrote:
> David, I am a little paranoid about taking anything in for service.
>
>  I would mark the parts with a very small, inconspicuous marking or symbol in
>  a very inconspicuous place that will not get ground down or machined off by
>  the shop.
>  Take several digital pictures of the part with the markings showing before
>  dropping off at the machine shop.
>
>  You may still get screwed in the end but at least you can prove your point
>  and give the crooks a good scare.
>
>
>  -----Original Message-----
>  From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
>  David Kao
>  Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 5:49 PM
>  To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>
> Subject: Re: Engine Removal
>
>  When I was much younger and inexperienced I sent a BMW 2002 head to a
>  machine shop for a valve job. They called me the next day and told me
>  that I had a crack on the head. I rushed back to the shop and saw
>  a head that I could not recognize and it had a severe crack. My head
>  did not have a crack like that before I sent it in. I could not do
>  anything to prove that it wasn't the one I sent in. I swallowed the loss.
>
>  A few years passed by and I saw on the news that the machine shop was
>  busted by police. The district attorney received many complaints about
>  the shop and launched an investigation. The shop owner was indicted
>  and the shop was closed. My BMW was not smog compliant and I eventually
>  gave it up to charity. The incident of the head prevented me getting too
>  deep into rebuilding it. I am glad that I gave it up.
>
>  But I have since developed a fear of going into a machine shop.  I am
>  not trying to say all machine shops are run by crooks. What will you
>  do to avoid being victimized by machine shops? Of course I am now
>  much more experienced and I probably can avoid it by natural gut
>  feeling about a machine shop. But I am not sure how to identify a
>  good one from a bad one without getting some business done first.
>
>  David
>
>
>
>
>  --- Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
>
>  > Craig, send your heads out to a machine shop.  They will do a valve job
>  > for you and also repair the exhaust studs no problems for not much
>  > money.  They will also clean the heads and when you get them back you
>  > won't recognize them.  Have fun and if you need anything please feel
>  > free to give me an email or call.
>  >
>  > Sincerely,
>  > Ken Wilford
>  > John 3:16
>  > www.vanagain.com
>  >
>  >
>  > craig cowan wrote:
>  > > Hey Gang. As some of you may know, i've had nothing but engine troubles
>  for
>  > > about....a year and a half now. I just gave up. Something needed to be
>  > > done...
>  > > So i made arrangements with local Vanagon Guy Walt Spak to buy a good
>  > > running 1.9 from him. I still have dreams of a conversion someday, and
>  still
>  > > hope to do one eventually, maybe on my next van. But i need to get this
>  van
>  > > running for the summer, and i am home from college on spring break after
>  my
>  > > spring break plans fell through, so i thought "What better time than
>  now?".
>  > > Yesterday i got down and dirty with it, and successfully removed the
>  engine
>  > > for the first time! I was supprised as to how smoothly everything went,
>  and
>  > > it was so nice having the engine out! I had every intention on replacing
>  my
>  > > engine and all the components, as i have vaccuum leaks, everythings
>  rusty
>  > > beyond use, and my fuel injection system just SUCKS. In addition, after
>  last
>  > > summers exhaust issues ($500 in labor to have them screw up and 'fix'
>  their
>  > > screwup after breaking a drillbit off inside my head...all in order to
>  > > replace a single $2.50 exhaust gasket...), i had no intention on EVER
>  > > reusing that head.
>  > > With signs of headgasket leakage immenant, and a clutch that was too
>  weak to
>  > > make it out of the driveway... it was time to do something.
>  > >
>  > > A single college student with little mechanical background can remove a
>  > > vanagon engine with only an assistant for the latter portions of the
>  engine
>  > > removal. To go a few steps further, today i pulled the entire intake,
>  > > exhaust, fuel injection, and cooling systems, reducing my engine to a
>  block.
>  > > For curiosity's sake....i pulled the heads (some trouble with the
>  cylinders
>  > > trying to come out with the heads....). With the heads off it was
>  obvious
>  > > that this really IS a low milege engine (Supposedly a canadian rebuild)
>  as i
>  > > was told by the previous owner! Not a single crack between the valves,
>  minor
>  > > pitting, and everything looks as if its been working well! Long story
>  short,
>  > > it looks like i'll be reusing this engine and just replacing everything
>  > > around it! Aside from a few broken bolts, and some concerns about fixing
>  my
>  > > one exhaust port "propperly", i think this should be a good candidate to
>  > > make my van run and run well!
>  > >
>  > > Tommorow, I'll be dropping the gas tank (to revise my resealing of last
>  > > year), and replacing the rusted out coolant pipes using a good used set.
>  > > This should be quite a wrestling match, i have NO idea how well these
>  will
>  > > go in, as they were plently hard to get out of the parts car...
>  > > Any tips for this?
>  > >
>  > > Once the engine's back in with a bunch of good new and good used parts,
>  i
>  > > can start on the body : )
>  > >
>  > > Thanks for all the help and advice from so many of you! I've learned so
>  > > much, and i'm confident now more than ever in my abilities to work on
>  > > vanagons!
>  > >
>  > > -Craig
>  > > '85GL
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >
>  >
>
>
>  __________________________________________________
>  Do You Yahoo!?
>  Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
>  http://mail.yahoo.com
>

--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia - "Jaco"

http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/