Greetings, all.

I'm reassembling the right side of my 1990 Vanagon's engine after a poorly
installed (by a pro shop, no less) rubber waterjacket/head gasket leaked
and had to be replaced.  Everything's apart, cleaned and ready to go back
together.

Is it usual practice to apply a tiny bit of sealing goop (I'm using the
non-hardening stuff) to the block surface where the inner end of the
cylinder sleeve contacts it?  I'm pretty sure that the outer end where it
contacts the cylinder head must be a dry fit, but the inner side has me in
a bit of a puzzlement.  Nothing is mentioned in The Book about sealing goop
there, but then again the book doesn't really give particular mention to
sealing goop technique anywhere else, either.  I see evidence of what might
have been a thin smear of goop on the mating surface at the block, but it
might just be the remains of a bit of oil blowby that's turned to tar.

Any thoughts and experiences would be helpful.

By the way, unlike my other previous (air cooled) VW Beetle and Van engines
I am finding the task of working on this engine to be less than a pleasant
experience.  I have found a ton of things where I scratch my head and ask
"Now why did they do that?", quite unlike the typical German "logical
reason for everything" approach that I saw in the earlier models (and in
general in my BMW motorcycles).  I know that it may upset some of the
faithful, but this whole water jacket thing is a stinky design IMO.

Regards,
Rob

              It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
                    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
                     Rob Scott, mailto:rob@unixguy.com
        Langley, Washington on Whidbey Island (a suburb with a moat)