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Date:         Thu, 28 Sep 2000 18:06:09 EDT
Reply-To:     Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeffrey R <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Replacing thermostat on 1.9L
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 9/28/2000 1:53:39 PM Pacific Daylight Time, dbeierl@attglobal.net writes:

> I've done this -- had to remove the oil filter as I recall. A minor > nuisance but didn't actually take long, probably lost a quart of coolant. >

David, Chris, John, and Pheadra--

Thanks for the responses.

I took out the oil filter ealier this morning with great pride before I went after the thermostat. I was stylin' so I thought. Because that made sense. But the exhaust pipe was still in the way of dropping the bottom of the thermostat housing. And believe me I tried and tried and that son of gun was not going to pass the exhaust manifold. I mean all I needed was a quarter of an inch--but no way. Might be a differnce of a different manifold or slightly different thermostat housing that are in David's busses--although I see they are roughly the same vintage as mine with the 1.9. So go figure? But I will say I have an early 83.5 and some of the factory components I have found different than on 84s and even later 83s. I've come to calling my bus "the prototype." Although they were all prototypes for the busses they sell in South Africa with an "actual" engine--the in-line 5 cylinder.

Anyhow I just went to take off the thermostat housing and of course one of the bolts broke. So off comes the water pump--sort of. That's what I'm in the process of doing now. And yeah, you have to dig for that mother. I've got one stubborn alan bolt holding me back at this point. everything else has come off. Well I mean it's all still in there, but all the bolts except the one stubborn alan are off.

This falls under the huge pain in the A$$ catagory. Not because its such a pain, but it seems like if the tolerances were a few millimeters greater I would have all this trouble--cutting down an alan wrench and the like. So the real frustration is some Jacka@% came up with and approved all this design and I don't have his or her phone number to vent my frustration. (you see I truely believe I could have designed it better while still knowing full well I could not have)

Makes me long for that in-line four conversion from tii. But I'll wait til they figure out that exhaust resonanace that is just too loud for me. (As if I have the cash).

So my guess is the water pump will have to be replaced as, even when I get it on the bench, I 'll bet I won't get that broken bolt out.

Well, woe is me--But thanks all for the information and suppoet. Now I'll call Ken for the parts I need and wait. Luckly my buddy who I "dropped by" for "a few days" on my way to LA is a former VW dealer mechanic and has sympathy and understanding for my broken bus in his driveway. Although I think he's losing patience for the 2 hour drive to and from the VW dealer here for parts.

Thanks again-- Jeff


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