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Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly
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Jim Bear
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 12:37 pm    Post subject: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

OK. See my bus thread here to see how I got here...and here is where I am--

I picked up a brand spanking new set of HAM heads about three months ago. They are sitting in the back of the bus. The old heads are off and the engine has just been sitting waiting for me to order all seals and other items to replace and reassemble. That being said, I also drained the oil and it has been sitting like this for about four months...is this bad? Geesh, it would be just my luck.

I am looking to start reassembly within the next two weeks. Per this image, am I cool putting the heads on at this point? Any clean-up? Just get them on there?

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Any other suggestions or recommendations? Also, does anybody know of a tutorial/step by step out there (short of the rebuild book) for reassembling all tin and what-not. Thanks in advance.
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Spike0180
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 1:14 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

At the very least, clean your mating surface. I would clean up as much as I could while I had it off.
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Wasted youth
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 1:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

I would not just bolt up the heads. At the very least, now that the jugs have been loosened, you'll probably get oil leaks where they mate the case. You could get away with it... maybe.

You also need to confirm deck height and measure the head combustion chamber displacement to ensure correct compression ratio.

The tin placement is fairly well described in Tom Wilson's book.
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mike77777
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 1:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

make sure there are no sesame seeds in the crankcase before starting up.
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kevin77westy
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 1:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

You also need to "mill" or lap the cylinders into your new heads using valve grinding compound to ensure a nice seal between the jugs and heads since we don't use head gaskets any more. Use the cylinder that will live in each head chamber to do this. Since you have to pull each cylinder to do this you should check the tolerances of the P&C's. If they check out then clean em up, re-hone the jugs and do a ring job. If P&Cs do not mic out well then get new - its cheap compared to those nice purty new heads. Nice opportunity to take a peek at your camshaft too and make sure all is well on the bottom end. Did you already check your endplay?
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Clatter
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 2:26 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

Dag.

If I had a motor all out of the bus and sitting there like that,
And brand-new set of HAM heads to put in it,
It shore would seem a shame to not at least clean it up a little bit,
Much less open it up and make sure it's OK inside..
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timvw7476
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 3:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

Remove the carbon from those piston faces.
Berryman B-12 & rags works decently, glove up & don't breath it in too much.
Well ventilated work area helps too. If it seems like too much fun, you don't
have enough ventilation. : )
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orwell84
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 5:33 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

Clatter wrote:
Dag.

If I had a motor all out of the bus and sitting there like that,
And brand-new set of HAM heads to put in it,
It shore would seem a shame to not at least clean it up a little bit,
Much less open it up and make sure it's OK inside..


I would split the case and check everything out now that you've gone this far with disassembly. You've gone through the trouble of buying new, good heads, why not start fresh? It is time well spent. You will learn a ton and future diagnostics will be easier because you will know the true condition of all of all your engine.
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

Take a look at your cam and lifters, they are the parts of the bottom end that wear out with high miles. I would certainly check out the pistons and cylinders carefully and rering the pistons if they are suitable for reuse.

Since you have new heads you shouldn't need to lap the cylinders to the heads, just lap the cylinders to a piece of window glass and leave the heads alone.
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lil-jinx
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 3:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

Read Clatter's bus motor build,for some how to.
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SGKent Premium Member
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 4:50 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

depending on how far you want to take this. Personally I'd do a full rebuild but that may be outside your budget right now.

Go by your GM dealer and ask for Top Cylinder cleaner (in spray if they have it).

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

spray a little on the piston tops. cut a paper towel to lay on the piston tops if you can't rotate the engine as in an engine stand. Lay the paper towel on the piston top with it wet with cleaner and spray again lightly. The paper towel will hold the cleaner. The next morning remove the cleaner and towel. Spray with Berryman's and all the carbon will come off.

Very gently lever the cylinders up max of 1/2" DO NOT PULL THEM OFF. DO NOT PULL THEM OFF.

Clean the case and liner base on all 4. Put some RTV around the base and push them back down. Bolt on your heads. Follow the torque pattern. Go 1/3, 2/3, 3/3 the torque. Then go around clockwise and double check the torque. Do it again 8 - 12 hours later +/-. Change the oil and filter before you start the engine. Change the oil again after it runs 15 minutes. Save your pennies to go thru the whole motor when you have the time and money.
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Manfred58sc
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 8:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

I would hone and re-ring while you are there and look at the cam. Also really clean everything ( I like simple green on the outside and diesel/atf mix for carbon ) so that the engine runs cooler. T-4 is precious metal these days.
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Jim Bear
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 11:51 am    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

Great insight all around, thanks. Per a conversation with Amskeptic right after determining that I had a loose heli-coil on the old heads, we discussed options. We came up with me trying to get a few more years of camping and traveling with my kid before she graduates high school before I go full rebuild. We were at that point only thinking that I needed to re-Heli-coil. The old heads were actually doing great despite several ticking time bomb factors--later assessed and condemned by Len Hoffman. The engine had just been assessed and tuned by Amskeptic prior to the engine pull/Heli-coil discovery. On that Itinerant visit we discovered that I had been running for almost 9 years (about 15k miles) with a crunched exhaust manifold gasket and steady exhaust leak that even Amskeptic had not noticed in several years of visits. We remedied that, tuned, and the bus was running better than it had ever run for me. Colin was impressed as I recall at how well it ran. So that is where I am. I'll likely go SGKent's route and get on the road. Any other feed back is welcomed. Colin...where are you >>>echo<<<
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'85 Vanagon Westy - George In the Stable 2020-?/'74 Weekender - Ophelia In the Stable 2007- ?/'69 Beetle Convertible - SOLD 2017-2020/'67 Beetle - September SOLD 2013-2016 Sad /'67 SO42 Westy - Sage SOLD 1996-2001 Sad Sad/'69 Transporter - Baby Blue SOLD 1995-1995/'72 Westy - Nelly - SOLD 1990-1995--STOP FRACKING
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Jim Bear
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 12:14 pm    Post subject: Re: Stock 1800 New Heads and Reassembly Reply with quote

Great insight all around, thanks.

Per a conversation with Amskeptic right after determining that I had a loose heli-coil on the old heads, we discussed options. We came up with me trying to get a few more years of camping and traveling with my kid before she graduates high school before I go full rebuild. At that point we were only thinking that I needed to re-heli-coil. The engine had just been assessed and tuned by Amskeptic prior to the engine pull/Heli-coil discovery. On that Itinerant visit we had discovered that I had been running for almost 9 years (about 15k miles) with a crunched exhaust (on #3!) manifold gasket and steady exhaust leak that even Amskeptic had not noticed in several years of visits. We remedied that, tuned, and the bus was running better than it had ever run for me. Colin was impressed as I recall at how well it ran. The old heads were actually seemed OK short of the heli-coil issue, despite several ticking time bomb factors--later assessed and condemned by Len Hoffman. So that is where I am.

I'll likely go SGKent's route and get on the road. Any other feed back is welcomed. Colin...where are you? >>>echo<<<
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'85 Vanagon Westy - George In the Stable 2020-?/'74 Weekender - Ophelia In the Stable 2007- ?/'69 Beetle Convertible - SOLD 2017-2020/'67 Beetle - September SOLD 2013-2016 Sad /'67 SO42 Westy - Sage SOLD 1996-2001 Sad Sad/'69 Transporter - Baby Blue SOLD 1995-1995/'72 Westy - Nelly - SOLD 1990-1995--STOP FRACKING
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