Actually, an engine swap is much easier since you don’t have to remove the exhaust, just drain and disconnect everything.  It shouldn’t take more than an hour or so to drop, and about the same to install. Then you can swap the exhaust, etc., while the engine is on a stand, much easier.

 

Do you have an oil pressure gauge on your rig?  That’s the only way to know the condition of the mains, which will likely be at their wear limit over 250k miles or so.  (6 psi idle, 28 psi @ 4000rpm, hot engine)

 

I’d still consider putting that head back on (with new gaskets of course) and do the other side, then swap. If it has factory heads, it may be a low mileage original engine that has had no major work.  The best engine you can get today IMHO!

 

And, put a new clutch in while you are at it, this engine may go well over 200k!

 

Good luck!

 

Stuart

 

From: J Stewart [mailto:fonman4277@comcast.net] 
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2014 5:45 PM
To: Stuart MacMillan
Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Cylinder Head Cleaning/Checking Question

 

Well, there is a lot more involved in swapping engines than just a head, and I'm hoping to do this in one day, maybe a weekend. Plus, I was taking it on faith that this engine was in really good condition, after all it is kind of hard to assess the condition of an engine when it's already out of the vehicle, like a compression test for example. Plus, my current 1.9 still runs so damn nice I don't want to give up on it just yet.   Jeff

Jeff Stewart

 

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