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    I have no idea what the LULZ is.<br>
    My engine is not burning oil, but I can't pass the emissions test.<br>
    No leaks outside the engine.<br>
    My assessment is that there is leaking from the gasket into the
    combustion chamber.<br>
    <br>
    Todd<br>
    <br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 12/23/2013 1:21 PM, Jim Felder
      wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote
cite="mid:CAFnDXk2KS4QbLhFBhw73+VZOyD-ugELcbKN-L4BAe=ujCocMxw@mail.gmail.com"
      type="cite">
      <div dir="ltr">***FLAME ALERT***
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>Todd must be "doing it for the LULZ"</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>Google it.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>: )</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>But seriously Todd, if your compression test reveals head
          problems AND your engine is not burning oil between changes or
          leaking seriously, then just change the heads or have yours
          rebuilt. If doing the work yourself, you could get out for
          less than $500 and get at least another 100,000 miles out of
          the car. Or, you could buy new heads and have somebody else do
          the work and spend up to $2000 and get another 100,000 out of
          the car. Then you will have plenty of time to look for a
          bargain, maybe ten years.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>You will have a good chance to change lifter and water pump
          and the fussy little hoses to the oil cooler that always pop,
          and for almost free.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>The bottom ends almost never give up if treated OK.</div>
        <div>
          <div><br>
          </div>
          <div>Jim</div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="gmail_extra"><br>
        <br>
        <div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Dec 23, 2013 at 3:09 PM, Todd
          Last <span dir="ltr">&lt;<a moz-do-not-send="true"
              href="mailto:rubatoguy@comcast.net" target="_blank">rubatoguy@comcast.net</a>&gt;</span>
          wrote:<br>
          <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
            .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">After
            almost 230,00 miles my '88 Vanagon is displaying symptoms of
            a head leak - I have not yet confirmed this or done&nbsp;a recent
            compression test, but plan to do so.&nbsp; I have concluded that
            one of the worst things you can do to your van is not use
            it. Bad things happen when they are left sitting!<br>
            In any case I am looking at my options, and started out
            thinking about replacing the heads, then thought if I was
            going to do that, I might as well put in new piston rings
            too, and well, once you do that you might as well go a step
            farther and do an engine rebuild.&nbsp; Of course, once you get
            there, the question becomes, stock, modified (like GoWesty)
            or engine swap.&nbsp; In looking at these options, it looks like
            a cost of $5,000 or more. From what I have seen, Subaru
            conversions can reach over $10K.&nbsp; Yikes!<br>
            &nbsp;<br>
            I was wondering if I could get opinions on the best course
            of action in this situation, not wanting to spend tens of
            thousands of dollars. Would list memebers give me their 2
            cents worth and if possible, what the aproximate costs for
            the various solutions range from?&nbsp; I'm not sure if it makes
            more sence to just install new heads and hope for the best,
            or go full bore and swap the engine.<br>
            &nbsp;<br>
            What does the voice of experience say? Anyone out there have
            opinions on the GoWesty performance engines vs. a Subaru
            transplant?<br>
            &nbsp;<br>
            Thanks,<br>
            Todd<br>
            '88 Westy<br>
            &nbsp;<br>
          </blockquote>
        </div>
        <br>
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