yes, I think that could be 'overly hopeful' ..
andit's worth trying.
re-goop the nuts of course...that's an important seal there.

On 9/4/2013 9:54 AM, Tom Carchrae wrote:
> I've put this off long enough.  I got a few trips from my van this summer,
> but on the last day I drove it, it backed up the coolant in the reservoir
> (behind licence plate) three times in one day.  I would pull over when the
> blinking low-coolant light turned on, drain the coolant out into a bottle,
> start the vehicle, open the hot pressurized tank, and pour the coolant back
> where it belonged.
>
> Yesterday I took the valve covers off and used a torque wrench to inspect
> the tightness of the nuts on the heads - well, all the easy to get to nuts
> (so all but the two behind the air intake - I have only removed the air
> filter box so far).
>
> I have only done one side so far, but I found one of the bolts in the
> centre of the head to be slightly under spec (37lb).  I recall Dennis Hayes
> saying (email below) that this managed to solve head gasket symptoms 50% of
> the time if done soon enough.  I doubt I have been soon enough, but how
> does one tell.
>
> I am prepared to do the head removal but boy would I be happy if it was as
> simple as tightening some nuts.  Would I be overly hopeful to think that
> this minimal nut tightening this late would save me having to remove the
> heads?
>
> Tom
>
> 84 Vanagon
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, May 9, 2013 at 2:19 PM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
>   wrote:
>
>> One problem with relying on the sniffer tests is that they are looking for
>> un-burned hydrocarbons. In order for this to work in addition to the leak
>> you also need a combustion failure in the leaking cylinder. While cracked
>> or
>> loose heads may also cause a combustion issue you are in deep trouble by
>> the
>> point the sniffer tests pick it up. Keep in mind if those gasses can get
>> out
>> in some cases coolant can get into the cylinders. Antifreeze into the
>> cylinders and then into the oil can cause some real damage. Long before
>> antifreeze in the oil is visible the stuff becomes extremely corrosive and
>> can quickly destroy bearings along with crank and cam surfaces. It can also
>> destroy pistons by blowing out the tops and destroying the ring lands.
>>
>> If the engine has ever been overheated, (even before a rebuild) or has had
>> the heads off for any reason loose heads can be the cause. I probably have
>> a
>> better than 50-50 success rate in fixing these issues just be retourqing
>> the
>> heads if the problem has not been left so long that the head seals (inners)
>> or the tops of the cylinders have burned or pitted away.
>>
>> Dennis
>>