Pulling heads & cylinders from a VW Vanagon, ...can it be done without pulling the engine? Options

[Radmacdaddy]

Anyone who reads this and knows who it's from knows that I am in a time crunch. I will be with me new van in two days time, so will know more then, and could possibly answer this question myself...

anyway... I see pics of the heads being removed from a 70's vw van while the engine is in the van here: http://benplace.com/heads.htm

So, my question is, is this also possible on a vanagon with the updated design... mine is a 1980.

Finally, is there any reason I can't go further and remove the cylinders as well from there?

Ultimately, I am thinking this is far quicker than my newbie self removing the engine, without all the tools at hand without having to build them or buy them (I'm $ crunched too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif))

Thanks for any thoughts... this has been a great active forum!

[Cap'n Krusty]

A floor jack will work fine. You say you're short on time. Be forewarned that any work on these engines involving pulling the heads usually means you're opening up a can o' worms. That means considerable downtime. They can only rarely be rebuilt, and the new heads available come with junk valves. BTW, there are a lot of shops, including mine, that won't even touch these engines at anything less than what you might consider an outrageous fee. That's because we've learned our lesson. Too many warranty claims. I just quoted a guy $10K for a motor. Unfortunately, that didn't scare him away. Guess I'm gonna have to up the quotes!

The Cap'n

[Radmacdaddy]

A floor jack will work fine. You say you're short on time. Be forewarned that any work on these engines involving pulling the heads usually means you're opening up a can o' worms. That means considerable downtime. They can only rarely be rebuilt, and the new heads available come with junk valves. BTW, there are a lot of shops, including mine, that won't even touch these engines at anything less than what you might consider an outrageous fee. That's because we've learned our lesson. Too many warranty claims. I just quoted a guy $10K for a motor. Unfortunately, that didn't scare him away. Guess I'm gonna have to up the quotes!

The Cap'n

Thanks for your forewarning... hopefully the Gods are with me on this one... we'll just see, eh?

This is a rebuilt engine with 30k on it. What can of worms issues might I fall prey to?

thanx cap'n

[Radmacdaddy]

ok, here's a question...

The issue is: big loss of power. 1st gear fine, 2nd bogs BIG time. Pedal to the floor, no power.

1st-I'll do a compression test
2nd-leakdown test

say, I find the leak in the rings (hear the hiss there not around the heads), I pull the heads in place, take out the cylinder sounding rough (if it's just one), and if I get in a pickle I can pull it from there, yes?

But, let's say I get lucky... get everything out and only have to crack one or two cylinders... get it back in... and pray with gratitude for my lucky stars!

I'm just thinking I can go one stage at a time and not start with a pull. I hear what everyone is saying, but wonder why it would make a dif when I pull 'er?

Set me straight if I'm wrong, please (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[r_towle]

ok, here's a question...

The issue is: big loss of power. 1st gear fine, 2nd bogs BIG time. Pedal to the floor, no power.

1st-I'll do a compression test
2nd-leakdown test

say, I find the leak in the rings (hear the hiss there not around the heads), I pull the heads in place, take out the cylinder sounding rough (if it's just one), and if I get in a pickle I can pull it from there, yes?

But, let's say I get lucky... get everything out and only have to crack one or two cylinders... get it back in... and pray with gratitude for my lucky stars!

I'm just thinking I can go one stage at a time and not start with a pull. I hear what everyone is saying, but wonder why it would make a dif when I pull 'er?

Set me straight if I'm wrong, please (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Look for the basics.
Fuel filter and pump.
Ignition, valve clearances and all your plugs.
replace all the plugs, points , rotor and cap.
replace the air filter.
See if your shifter bushings are all ok...bring a whole set with you.
e-brake...make sure its free and not sticking.

Rich