So my aunt has an 85 Vanagon, it is overheating, someone told her that something is cracked..
I used to work on my bugs all the time, and the motor is similar, she offered it to me for free. I just have to fix it then I got a free car I already have a Jetta and a GTI. How much trouble is this in relation to a bug, as well as how much is a rebuilt engine, or to just rebuild the engine on this thing.
Plan on a new pair of heads, a water pump, and a gasket set.
Plan on $1k, depending on your shopping skills.
If you can score some reconditioned heads, you will pay much less.
Google for Boston Engine Exchange, or Boston Bob. Read.
After that, as long as you run ONLY GM Dexcool compatible (low Silicate/phosphate) antifreeze, it will probably go 300K++ miles.
At 205K, the 88 I got free still had full cross hatch on the bores, and does not burn a drop of oil. Compression is mid spec, and within It has made me a wbx convert.
Addendum to Newtons first law:
zero vehicles on jackstands, square gets a fresh 090 and 1911, cabby gets a blower.
EZ3.6 Vanagon after that.(mounted, needs everything finished) then Creamsicle.
Over heating could be a number of things - maybe just the thermostat housing or something not letting the coolant get to the main radiator. If nothing funky is happening with the coolant (ie. dissappearing or getting pushed out of the system by combustion gasses), then i don't know why cracked heads would be suspect.
Make sure radiator fans are working, thermostat is doing what it is supposed to, that you are actually over heating and not just a bad sender, etc...
If you do end up needing a set of heads, i have a great deal on a pair of better-than-new AMCs i no longer need...
Out of the dozen or so wbx heads I have seen, exactly one had one chamber without a crack between the seats.
OTOH, these motors don't seem to care. They are not known for losing seats.
The usual mode of death is water loss or failure to hold pressure via the heads corroding and leaking at the seals to the block.
(Supposedly due to incorrect anti-freeze. The PO of mine had the bad green stuff in it, and the heads were badly corroded. YMMV)
Thr radiator MUST be bled of air when the system is filled, there is a 8mm bolt on top of it just for this-- pull it and fill the tank while the motor runs, reinstall when you get steady liquid.
As far as anything else, it's just like any other water cooled motor... Make sure there is coolant, make sure it is flowing, fan comes on, belt tight, etc.
What originally killed mine for the PO was a water pump that was slightly seized or such--- it felt OK by hand, but slipped like hell when driven. They are cheap...
Addendum to Newtons first law:
zero vehicles on jackstands, square gets a fresh 090 and 1911, cabby gets a blower.
EZ3.6 Vanagon after that.(mounted, needs everything finished) then Creamsicle.
I already have a Jetta and a GTI. How much trouble is this in relation to a bug, as well as how much is a rebuilt engine, or to just rebuild the engine on this thing.