Date:         Wed, 16 May 2001 18:17:22 -0700
Reply-To:     Henry Jackson <hjackson@well.com>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Henry Jackson <hjackson@well.com>
Subject:      diesel running after 5 year nonoperation
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

Thanks to all who gave suggestions about how to safely get my newly acquired diesel camper running after sitting for 5 years in my friend's driveway.  Here is what I did:

I could not easily get the injectors or glow plugs off, so I did not add Marvel Mystery oil to the cylinders.  I did however add a quart to the new oil and filled the oil filter with fresh oil.  I pulled the vacuum pump and the oil pressure sending unit and used a 13mm socket on a drill to spin the shaft of the oil pump until oil started to come out of the oil pressure sending unit hole.  Replaced the sender and continued to spin the oil pump for a while, until I felt that oil must have gotten to just about everywhere under pressure.

Added an other quart of Marvel Mystery oil to the fuel tank and topped it off with fresh diesel.  Couldn't figure out how to drain the old fuel from the tank, so I figured adding as much new fuel as I could with the additive would help.

A fresh battery installed, and away I cranked.  Two tries at about 10 seconds of cranking and I remembered the cold start knob.  Pulled it out and tried again.  Started right up.

Now I have to mess around with the brakes a bit, clean out all of the mouse turds in the cabinets, wash the fungus off of the poptop, and straighten out a little crinkle in the driver's side door, and I'm off on my first trip.  What the heck, the price was right ($1) and I only wasted 1 1/2 days of non-billable time getting it to run.  :-)

Thanks again for all of the advice.

Henry Jackson


82 Westy

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