The Spanish heads have a step cut in that eliminates the need for the
gaskets.  Adding the gaskets will reduce the compression ratio.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Young <young@SHERLOCK.SIMS.BERKELEY.EDU>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Monday, August 17, 1998 5:53 PM
Subject: Re: Shims, sealing rings, etc.

>Several years ago I bought some new heads for my '81.  I realize now that
>they were probably the heads made in Spain (AMC?).  Anyway, they came
>with clear instructions that head gaskets were *not* to be used.
>
>Maybe you have one VW head and one AMC head?
>
>Can anybody explain why the Spanish heads don't use gaskets?
>
>
>
>On Mon, 17 Aug 1998, Harmon Seaver wrote:
>
>> Just got a pair of rebuilt heads for my '81 2.0L from BusDepot, they
>> look good and came quick. However, one has a pair of cylinder shims and
>> a pair of head shims -- the other has just a pair of cylinder shims and
>> a note *NOT* to use head shims.
>>     I'm a bit confused. Don't have a Bentley for this engine, only a
>> Haines, but it talks about "sealing rings" on the heads. So is the head
>> shim in addition to the sealing rings from the gasket set? Seems like
>> that wouldn't give the greatest seal. OTOH, the earlier air-cooled
>> engines had no head gasket at all, and they did fine.
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>Tom Young               young@sherlock.SIMS.Berkeley.EDU
>Lafayette, CA  94549    '81 Vanagon
>---------------------------------------------------------------------