Point well taken Stuart.  I'm not deluding myself into thinking I have
the skills, tools or experience of these guys.  And of course, everyone
should carefully digest advice you get for free on the internet.    All
said, I am still deeply grateful for the time all of you take here with
your own experiences and knowledge.

When I got my van last summer, I had not done any mechanical work for
nearly 20 years - my last stint was as an owner of a Citroen 2CV, a
600cc aircooled engine.  I do enjoy the work.  Climbing under and
groping around for the breather hole in the transmission awoke those
memories.  Our 4k trip across the rockies (w/ wife + 2 small kids) was
an adventure and I got way more involved in getting it back on the road,
in part because I got impatient waiting for mechanics who didn't seem to
know/care about it.  The first break-down took a day (tow truck +
mechanic), second took me 2-3 hours (taxi to FLAP), last one took me 1
hour (bought a good luck hose, hurrah, fixed during a lunch stop).
Formative memories for the children likely, hopefully positive,
perhaps... :)  They love and fear the van at the same time.

If I have a go at my engine, it will be at least part
recreation/therapy.  The thought of a 3-4k mechanic bill scares me off -
that should go to the Bostig fund - and I've nearly spent that much with
this mechanic already, so I think I'll see how far I can get myself.
Surely a stud won't break on me...   I do worry a bit about how long
this van has had this gasket issue (if that is what it is), but it has
not been overheating, so I'm cautiously optimistic.  We'll see.  I just
hope that I can get/keep it in a condition to actually enjoy camping in
it this summer.

Tom

On 13-05-09 07:58 PM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
> That's just the beginning!  Figure $3000-$4000 by the time you drive off
> with tax and all the other stuff you'll need to replace just to get a decent
> warranty from the shop.
>
> All good advice here, but you really have to be a fearless DIY mechanic with
> a decent collection of tools, jacks, jack stands, workbench, spare time,
> etc., and prior engine messing experience to tackle the WBX.   I'm an
> experienced DIYer and won't tackle it.  If you have AMC heads, then it's
> been "rebuilt" before, and probably not the bottom half, only a head
> replacement.
>
> I'm on my fourth WBX.  It's in my "new" '85 van and is the original engine,
> and hope it will last for one more summer camping season before I do the
> Subaru conversion I'm acquiring parts for.
>
> The stock engines can go for a long time. Dennis can attest to that because
> he knows how to take care of them and drives the flat east coast between NY
> and FL (pushing 300k miles I think?), but rebuilds don't last anywhere near
> as long and are very expensive.  You simply can't get quality parts for the
> WBX today, and they are labor intensive to fix, so it's a waste of money
> IMHO.  You'll likely have to get a complete new exhaust system that doesn't
> fit well too (yours is 30 years old!), so add that to the cost.
>
> Do you know how to extract a broken stud?  You will likely need to, and it
> can be easier to get a new head.  Alistair has a story on how he heat
> hardened a broken stud trying to drill it out that he'll share with you.  I
> felt his pain:
> http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0408D&L=vanagon&P=R38163
>
> You and I are mere mortals, not gurus with real shops like Alistair or
> Dennis. You can try to patch it up as cheaply as possible (and it won't be
> cheap), but you will likely need new heads (of questionable quality) since
> the eroded sealing surface cannot be machined.  Your best alternative is to
> find a serviceable used engine and start saving for a Subaru or Bostig
> conversion if you want to keep the rig for the long term. There are plenty
> of them around the Northwest. I'll have a serviceable one available next
> winter (I hope).  Note I didn't say "good," just "serviceable," and likely
> serviceable for only a short time.
>
> Again, good luck.  I've owned one of these since 1986, and I've learned my
> lesson now.  Sort of-- and it's been painfully expensive.  Spread out over
> 40 years it doesn't look so bad though, and I'm spending more again now
> since I've jumped back into the abyss.
>
> Whatever you decide it will be worth it, since there is no replacement for
> these rigs.
>
> Stuart
> '85 Westy, fourth in a series of VW campers
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Carchrae [mailto:carchrae@gmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2013 10:57 AM
> To: Stuart MacMillan
> Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: coolant overflow fears and thoughts
>
> Thanks Stuart.  I know it...   I just called a local shop and they said
> it would be around 1500 to do the head gasket job, and another 500 per head
> if they need replacing.  Sigh.
>
> Tom
>
>
>