Water leak on Pass side at block-- can I fix it in the van?

[pinetreeporsche]

Did it bad-  had a small leak, sealed it with Barr's stop leak in warm weather, forgot to add antifreeze, and had it blow on me while warming up in the driveway on an uder-20 morning.  When I got back out to it, it had stalled, and was steaming, and had lots of water on the driveway.   Still starts and runs (I had Mobil 1 oil in it, so hope the cylinders are OK-- I'll do a compression test), but now a very bad leak-- like an open faucet, I think only on the pass. side-- where the first leak was.  Several Q's:  Can I do it with the motor in the car?  What source has the clearest instructions?  If I can do one siede from under the car, and the second side turns out to need it, is the under-the-car fix so bad that I'll wishI had pulled it to do the whole job at once?    
AND:  What have people paid to have this job commercially done by a waterboxer specialist (cylinder seal, etc-- no head or cylinder work)?
Please give a price for doing one side, if you have had that done, or for both, and tell me if it's with the motor in or dropped down.  THANKS

[pinetreeporsche]

OOPS!  Forgot to say:  its an '87- a second generation water-cooled.  About 70,000 mi on a motor that previous owner got VW to replace after an initial 50, so the bottom end, etc are fairly fresh, at 70,000.  My previous ownership of air-cooled vans has included a bearings-up rebuild, although my time is tighter now than then, so am considering whether to pay for the work.   -Pinetree  -in the VA 'burbs of DC; i'f you're nearby, do get in touch!

[aviles]

while ive never done a head job myself, its my understanding that you must drop the motor to do it properly, the only thing you can get to is the valve cover gaskets with the motor in  

[beebrew]

Your gut is correct. In my opinion don't even think of trying it in the car. It is a big job. Be prepared for multiple other issues related to the general job. They can range for cracked rubber intake tubes, deteriorated fuel distribution lines, coolant lines, rotted exhaust. broken exhaust studs... the list goes on. Once you open the can of worms it can get messy. There is event the risk of disrupting the o-rings that seal the cylinders to the engine cases. Then the job becomes huge. This is not a job for the inexperienced mechanic without potential pitfalls.

[aviles]

exactly what beebrew stated its a big job with a million ways to go south on you, ive done brakes, gas tank reseal , fuel lines, vac lines, canvas on top,  reg maintenance items you know but i wouldnt dream of touching a head job :evil: its beyond my skill level

[MrLiMBO]

Actually, I've done several head/headgasket replacements IN the van.    Since I've never pulled the engine, I can't say its easier or not to pull the engine. Pulling the engine has its own challenges.  

In theory, you only need to remove the intake and exhaust then remove the head.  There is some coolant connections to remove too. If you' re replacing the heads, then breaking the exhaust studs isn't a big issue. Though if the heads you bought have a core value, some companies charge you for broken studs on the cores.  I've lucked out the last couple of times.  There was enough stud left I was able to heat the head and remove the stud without too much hassle.  

The biggest problem I find it trying not to remove the cylinders when I remove the heads. The cylinder sleeves love to stick to the heads.  Though I've never had the cylinders slide all the way out. (unintentionally)   I take my time and pry them off the heads before sliding the heads off.  

I may try removing the engine next time, but it seems easier to leave the engine in.