---- J Stewart <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
> As I mentioned, I found receipts from a VW specialty shop ( that I know of and would trust) from 2004 and at 104,000 miles >saying the head gaskets were leaking. Now, would it be possible to nurse an engine along for 6 years and 34K miles with leaky >head gaskets?

That might depend on the magnitude of the leak, and whether other things are involved?  If only the gaskets themselves doing their leaky thing, no leakage into the combustion chamber, then some folks drive them incredible amounts of time that way.

>FWIW, in the 48 hours it's been parked in my driveway it has not leaked a drop of anything. Although my last '84 did this same >thing, and it definitely dis not have leaky heads, it was a 2.1 that i transplanted into it with new water pump, thermostat, etc. and >the temp gauge and gas gauge would both act up together. I replaced the resistor, the sending unit, the gauge, nothing ever fixed >it. Jeff

Jeff, from what little I know about these things, I believe the "head gaskets" can be bad, but only leak in cold weather.  At least that's what mine did.  I don't know yet if it was foolish or not, but I had the heads redone.  Won't know until winter if they still leak, though.
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David McNeely