Club 80-90 Forums

has anyone had this done on there van. if so how much did it cost to get fixed. ive just spotted a very small dripping

jed

if it's very small ignore it! when it throws the entire coolant supply over the raod worry about it then! unless you reckon you know enough i'd say leave well alone! which side is it out of interest! some say take the enjin out, others say do it in situ, either way it's a right pain if the head stud snapps as your tightening itup! but that may not be a problem with the 2.1!

I think the gasket was about 60 quid... (1.9DG if it matters)

We ran for 6 months or so with a small drip... Kept topping up without too much trouble. It was the frosty nights that made things worse though.

One morning I went to undo the expansion tank to top up and heard a hiss as the air went in, and the coolant came out all over my feet!

Mr. Baxter did ours, and I think he did it with the engine in. It's not a job to take lightly though - we were warned of the possibility of needing a new engine if the studs broke.

If you've just got a drip, then don't worry. Keep an eye on the levels, and always keep some coolant with you for topping up. Ours tended to only drip when stood, and not while driving along so we only needed to check before setting off really.
Start saving up and then if she does 'let go' you can take the plunge and see what happens!

-Yer got a nice van, Jed & yer aint that poor--I assume its the original engine-so takin heads off is probably gonna be snappin head studs--yer wanna go campin when the weather gets warmer--go to yer nearest VW van centre--order a recon VAG unit-& a clutch---get yer bloke to fit it--job done----

or appn contemplate a scooby or GiT conversion you know it makes sense

Ian.

stuckin88 wrote:-Yer got a nice van, Jed & yer aint that poor--I assume its the original engine-so takin heads off is probably gonna be snappin head studs--yer wanna go campin when the weather gets warmer--go to yer nearest VW van centre--order a recon VAG unit-& a clutch---get yer bloke to fit it--job done----

Its a 2.1 so chances are it wont snap it studs , the FULL gasket kit is around the £50 mark plus the gasket goo and then either you do it ya sen or like Dan says ask Si or ask some one else to do it , if your planning on keeping the van then get both sides done at the same time ...

Have you tried Ceramic (I think thats what its called) it about £25 a tin, and you have to drain all the water out, run it with clean then add this stuff and leave for hours (full instrutions come with it) anyway I know of two people who have used it and it cures cracked heads,blown head gaskets with a high degree of sucsess.

kit wrote:it cures cracked heads,blown head gaskets with a high degree of sucsess.

...but it really doesn't work too well on the wonderful T3 cooling systems!

Don't be tempted Jed, I've still got bits of gooed-up carp floating around my system from being tempted by such nasties.

Rad-weld, K-Seal, Barrs etc... were never really designed for such a large and wonderful cooling system as ours. You'll most likely bung up your radiator, heater matrix, pipework or some such long before your dripping stops! It's not a 'head gasket' at all. But then I think you know that already.

T'Onion wrote:get both sides done at the same time ...

Sssh! We didn't, and our van might be listening!

thanks for all the replys pms and phone calls folks. ive got it booked in at vw airfix near me for darren to have a look. its only a small drip but i want it right for our europe trip this summer.

jed

Coming down our way then Jed???

could well be si

jed

You would be more than welcome to drop in...

Mines doing the same thing , a few drips so I renewed the coolant and put in some K seal. One month later i.e day before yesterday I get a phone call that my van is dripping coolant all over the work car park. It must have droped about 1 litre but I did top up the expansion tank the day before. I now have a dilemer, do I drop the engine and risk the head bolts snapping or do I do I buy a reconed engine and have a massive bill. I want it sorted as its my surf van that I've spent ages sorting and luv it to bits and wont part with it but havent got loads of cash spare, what would you guys do?
Need advise as I've got a kite surfing comp in watergate bay at the end of March and my van has to get me there. Please help.
I'm based near Brighton.
Cheeers

booster24 wrote:what would you guys do?

I remember agonising over that one too! What I did was go for a gasket change. Your van is no good in it's present state so you need to do *something*. A gasket change is cheaper than a new engine.

If the studs snap you need a new engine, but if you weren't going to to the gasket route, you need a new engine anyway!

Of course, I'm assuming you're happy with the rest of the engine? If mine was burning oil, running like a dog, knocking etc.. I'd probably not have bothered with the gasket change!