Re: Newbie w. a couple of questions

[Steven Ayres <comwest@att.net>]

<x-flowed>Mackenzie=> I dont think that I would be able to do so in any sort of a
=> timely fashion without buying another car.

If you have anyone do a rebuild, plan on the car being down for at least 
a month.
An engine swap is considerably faster, but make sure it was built by 
someone who knows and cares about what they are doing. Do not under any 
circumstances buy from GEX.

=> My mechanic said that I could drive on this engine as is for years, ...

But he thinks studs are pulling out? This is not a condition that 
remains stable. If so, you will soon start hearing popping from the 
loose head on every fire. Driving it makes it worse.

=> I'm going through 2 or 3 tanks of gas a week as is, and hate the thought
=> that this is my fate.

This does not say how far you are driving in that time, but it sounds 
like your mileage is vary bad in comparison to a previous condition. I 
would not expect this from loose studs. I think something else entirely 
may be wrong, perhaps in addition to the stud problem.

=> I dont think that my mechanic did a compression or torque test, just 
tried to
=> tighten, and knew that if he went further they would break

If it happened as you describe here, I would recommend a second opinion 
from someone more diligent.

Steven Ayres, Prescott AZ
66 Big Ghia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

</x-flowed>