Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 20:36:40 -0600
Reply-To: Steve Blackham <steph@USWEST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Steve Blackham <steph@USWEST.NET>
Subject: Rebuild from HELL
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
Recently I purchased a 83 Vanagon for $500. I knew it had a bad
tranny but figured I needed an excuse to go to sunny So. Calif to see
Rancho. That was the easy part.
When I bought the van I did a compression check. 130 #s all around.
Great no problems. I put the new tranny on the old engine and stuck
it back in. Now it had a knocking noise that sounded like a piston
slap. Great so I will have to rebuilt the engine. No problem as I
have a fresh rebuild from a 78 sitting in the shop. I ripped the
cooling fan off the new engine and tried to swapped the one of the
Vanagon. Close but not close enough. The "bay" heat boxes don't
clear the Vanagon engine carrier. Bugger! So I quickly rip the
Vanagon engine down and send the shaft and heads off to the machine
shop. The shaft is fine but the heads have cracks (seats still in
place though). My machine shop used to weld these and rebuild but
doesn't like to do air cooled any more. He offered me a set of AMC
new heads for $250 each. Figuring in that I didn't need to worry
about getting back the infamous core charge and wait 6 weeks I
figured I'd go this direction. Great so far.
I finally got to cleaning the case and didn't like what I saw on the
rear bearing journal. Sent it out to my machine shop for a line
bore. Now no one in SLC does these on a T4 engine. Great now I would
have to wait 3-4 weeks while I ship this to the coast. Checking my
stash, I find that I did have a good 78 bay case so I had the machine
the engine carrier threads to 12 mm and I drilled the hole for the
dip stick change myself.
I ordered the needed parts from various parts houses depending on
price and quality but was hitting a brick wall on the oil pump.
First I ordered it from RMMW thinking that they are usually quick to
ship. Well not this time. Two weeks and then they shipped me a
MELLING pump which will not fit a Vanagon (engine carrier in the
way). I give Bus Depot a call and tell them my problem and they say
no problem. They have aluminum ones ready to ship today, that was
ten days ago and it finally arrived today. Guess what they sent
me--- The same MELLING pump I just sent back to RMMW. Are the Gods
agains me or what.
I know we are driving unique vehicles and that parts are getting
harder to get but it is sure getting frustrating. Between parts
clerks who don't know what they are talking about and a shipping
system that takes 10 days to go 1,000 miles, this hobby is beginning
to drive me NUTS. Guess I'm just spoiled. The last T4 engine I built
cost me a little over $600 and took 2 weeks including parts shipping.
That was a little over a year ago. I'm making up for it with this one.
Guess I am going to have to do this all again, as I like to have a
spare engine on the shelf, as I don't like the frustration of a down
vehicle and being at the mercy of parts clerks, machinist, and alike.
I was hoping the next spare I built was going to be for my waterboxer
but funds now are too lean to do both.
Thanks for listening to me vent. I feel better now.
Steve
--
Steve Blackham
Centerville, Utah
77 transporter converted to camper (Westy top)
83 Vanagon (New and current project)
87 Weekender
