You can do the clutch in a non-vw (regular old murkan Harbor Freight stand
or similar) with some 6 inch pipe nipples to use as standoffs to give you
clearance to get to the flywheel, clutch and pressure plate. Use allthread
to hold it all together. I have use this setup dozens of times with no
problems at all.

Jim

On Thu, Sep 5, 2013 at 12:13 PM, Tom Carchrae <tom@carchrae.net> wrote:

> Thanks Angus.  I saw this home made hoist - which I think Neil linked to on
> the samba (unfortunately his hoist pics were broken links) ;
> https://sites.google.com/site/wavanagon/87westfaliaenginework
>
> Stuart, thanks.  Princess auto seems to have quite a few stands, not sure
> if I could easily attach the VW adapter (or if it is needed)
> http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Engine-Stands/1000-330-120-105-105.c -
> but seeing as I'm not going to be able to roll the stand around, perhaps
> buying an adaptor like the one you linked might be a better choice if I
> fasten it to something of adequate strength.  I should look around some
> more, or see if anyone in Vancouver is not mid-rebuild and would like to
> sell or loan me one.
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 5, 2013 at 9:09 AM, Angus Gordon <birdworks@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > Tom, the 2x4 hoist is to lower the engine down to the ground, not to
> hoist
> > it up into the vehicle. Lower it onto a piece of plywood and you can pull
> > that around on the gravel.
> >
> > Angus
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 5, 2013 at 4:34 AM, Tom Carchrae <tom@carchrae.net> wrote:
> >
> >> Scott:  in terms of stand or hoist - I don't have a garage.  I've been
> >> prepared to work on the heads without removing the engine, but if I am
> >> going to go to the trouble of undressing the top of the engine, I may as
> >> well pull the engine out and have a look at the clutch and so on, and it
> >> sounds much easier to work on the heads if you can rotate the engine.
> >> Good to know that I could rig up a 2 x 4 hoist, my drive is gravel, so a
> >> hoist with wheels would be nearly useless.  I'm thinking a 2 x 4 hoist,
> >> then slide it to the centre of the van, mount on a stand, and work away.
> >>
> >> And yes, there have been enough heebie geebies, although I have had
> >> several
> >> decent shops look at it and none have been sure it was a head gasket
> >> issue.
> >>  It might be a cracked head that farts under load... any which way, I
> >> suspect the heads have had abuse and could at least use the JB beauty
> >> treatment on their pockmarks, if not replacement.  They are AMC heads,
> and
> >> I think they've been on there for less than a decade.
> >>
> >> ORR; too right.  I get awfully confused in metric imperial Canada.  I
> grew
> >> up in Ireland, where the distances were in miles and speeds in KM/H - no
> >> wonder they produce some good mathematicians.
> >>
> >> Tom
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, Sep 4, 2013 at 9:42 PM, OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@comcast.net>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> >                 Tom
> >> >
> >> >         220�C = 428�F ~ I doubt very much that your engine would have
> >> been
> >> > able to achieve that CoolentTemp ~ pretty sure it would have seized
> &or
> >> > blown all sorts of hoses off long before it got to that Temp' ~ If you
> >> > meant 220�F then that's not really terrible ~ not good but not
> terrible
> >> ~
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >               ORR ~ DeanB
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >  On 4 Sep , 2013, at 9:45 PM, Tom Carchrae wrote:
> >> >
> >> >  Jim: I guess I got lucky - no coolant drips.  But you make a good
> point
> >> >> about what a crazy system that is and why it is prone to failure.
> >> >>
> >> >> Scott: I have tried a few blue caps.  I need to make a cap tester
> >> and/or
> >> >> run the van with a pressure gauge on the expansion tank when the van
> is
> >> >> running.  (Test # 2 from
> >> >> http://web.archive.org/web/**20050309065156/http://www.**
> >> >> bostonengine.com/articles/**waterboxes.html<
> >>
> http://web.archive.org/web/20050309065156/http://www.bostonengine.com/articles/waterboxes.html
> >> >
> >>
> >> >> ).
> >> >> I've previously done a test for exhaust gasses, but no CO2 detected.
>  I
> >> >> have wanted to plumb a pressure gauge into the cooling system for
> some
> >> >> time
> >> >> now - I am not brave (stupid?) enough to put it in on the dash, but I
> >> am
> >> >> definitely going to rig up a temporary one to the expansion tank.
> >> >>
> >> >> When I bought the van, I took it to a mechanic, who said, "hey your
> >> cap is
> >> >> bad, we changed it" - and he did some work on my heads, what I am not
> >> sure
> >> >> although it involved valve adjustment to fix low compression.  After
> >> this,
> >> >> the cooling system started blowing up here and there and nearly $2k
> >> later
> >> >> I
> >> >> was broke and annoyed and have not returned to that mechanic.  I then
> >> said
> >> >> screw this and have most of the work on the van myself since.  I
> drove
> >> it
> >> >> across western Canada and the cooling system blew up twice more on
> me -
> >> >> after the first time, I changed the cap to another spare I had
> bought.
> >> >>  The
> >> >> second time was due to air in the radiator and a giant traffic jam (a
> >> >> massive mud slide on Hwy 1) and the van actually overheated (went to
> >> >> ~220oC
> >> >> and it was full of water) and the coolant sensor popped off - its
> >> >> whereabouts are still unknown.  Both times the van was pretty heat
> >> soaked
> >> >> and running at slow speeds - I learned a lesson there.
> >> >>
> >> >> So, yeah, it is probably due.  And I actually enjoy working on it, so
> >> it's
> >> >> not all bad.
> >> >>
> >> >> Btw, are there any engine stands and hoists that are specifically
> >> designed
> >> >> for working inside your van?  :)
> >> >>
> >> >> Tom
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> On Wed, Sep 4, 2013 at 6:25 PM, Scott Daniel <
> >> scottdaniel@turbovans.com>*
> >> >> *wrote:
> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>  PS to my last post.
> >> >>> Make sure it's not the blue pressure cap. Try another one. They are
> >> >>> notoriously flakey sometimes.
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> On 9/4/2013 4:37 PM, Jim Felder wrote:
> >> >>>
> >> >>>  The head bolts and the heads do two things simultaneously, and do
> >> only
> >> >>>> one
> >> >>>> of them very well.
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> They hold the aluminum ring that serves as a true head gasket; that
> >> is,
> >> >>>> that gasket confines the compression gases to within the cylinder,
> >> >>>> without
> >> >>>> leaking it to the outside world. The other thing that is going on
> is
> >> >>>> that
> >> >>>> the head also squeezes a rubber gasket between the head and the
> water
> >> >>>> jacket on the block. This is imprecise. Normally, the compression
> >> head
> >> >>>> gaskets do not fail very often. That is not true of the outer water
> >> >>>> gasket
> >> >>>> which is held in place by the same head bolts. Think of it s a
> circle
> >> >>>> (actually two circles on each side) of metal, with very precise
> >> clamping
> >> >>>> pressure to hold in the combustion gasses, surrounded by a rubber
> >> gasket
> >> >>>> which deteriorates, holding in the coolant.
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> Guess which is going to go first?
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> Yep, the rubber. If your head bolts are tight enough to contain the
> >> >>>> combustion gasses, but you are leaking water, you are not going to
> >> >>>> affect
> >> >>>> the rubber more than a thousandths or two by tightening the already
> >> >>>> tight
> >> >>>> bolts holding the compression gaskets in place. If you are leaking
> >> >>>> coolant,
> >> >>>> it is because your rubber gaskets have a breech somewhere, not
> >> because
> >> >>>> there is not enough pressure on them.
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> It always makes me feel better to go through the procedure or
> >> tightening
> >> >>>> the bolts as you suggest, but, in the end, you will have to pull
> the
> >> >>>> heads
> >> >>>> and replace the outer rubber gaskets.
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> Jim
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> On Wed, Sep 4, 2013 at 11:54 AM, Tom Carchrae <tom@carchrae.net>
> >> 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
> >> >>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>
> >> >
> >>
> >
> >
>