Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 22:13:20 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: HELP!!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Greg, white smoke generally means an oil related problem. Valve guides
worn and oil siphons into the combustion chamber, rings/cylinders worn
and oil is passing by, etc. To clear the air (no pun intended) the
firwst thing you need to do is run a compression check on this baby.
That will establish a baseline for you. It will tell you what your
compression is NOW, so you can compare to it later after various work is
sone. It is a good ground reference point to establish in the beginning.
Write it down on a piece of paper and store with the rest of your van
papers for later reference. You will be glad you did.
If you can do the job yourself, great. If not, have a competent mechanic
do the job. He should be able to tell you if the rings are ok, and if
the valves are OK. There are characteristic sounds that leaking rings or
leaking valves make. If either are leaking you are in for some intermal
maintenance. You might as well find out now, rather than be aggravated
to death over time when you are out trying to do other things. You
certainly want to know because failure to recognize and understand what
the symptoms are telling you could result in a catastrophic internal
failure that would really be expensive to fix. When I first got my 88 GL
I had the white smoke, failed to understand the significance, and had a
piston burn through and leave me stranded at night in Clinton, Oklahoma
..... the middle of nowhere!!!!!
So do the comp test, and get that behind you, then proceed with other
sleuthing to solve the mysteries.
Good luck.
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Greg Curtin wrote:
>
> Everyone....
>
> Let me give you a little background on the vanagon I purchased this
> year. Spent $1800 on a 84 Westy and the seller said that there was a
> problem with the muffler...this is what caused it to sputter when
> revving up to first and throughout second and third. Well since then
> I have done what I call a little tune up work...very old air
> filter...replaced it and did the usual thick white smoe thing.
> Changed the oil, and then decided after reading a post on the list
> that the reason for the sputtering that the coil needed to be
> replaced. So ordered that and have replaced it with a Bosch 12
> volt...at the same time also replaced the spark plugs, dist. and dist.
> cap. Now once everything is back together the van will start will
> nice....rev up and then die???? What gives!!! Any help that anyone
> can give me will be greatly appreciated!!! Have not even had the
> chance to take this new baby camping!!! My son is getting a little to
> excited for it to sit and be a fort for him!!! If no ideas, then
> would also greatly appreciate any mechanics in the KC/Saint Joseph, MO
> area!!!
>
> Thanks all!
>
> -Greg
>
> 1984 Westy
>
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