Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 13:32:21 -0500
Reply-To: Darrell Boehler <midwesty@MIDWEST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Darrell Boehler <midwesty@MIDWEST.NET>
Subject: Re: Boston Bobs history of vanagon hydraulic lifters and the
bentley book
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hi All,
I had a local (Carbondale Illinois) vanagon owner drop by today and he was at witts end with a 2.1L running rich and low power
after he had done an extensive top end rebuild. He had adjusted the valves per bentley (just touch and then tighten 2 rounds) . He
had not changed or removed the lifters.
I found a bad digifant pin 19 or o2 ground problem very quickly but it still ran terrible. Pin 19 ground is the one that
shares space with the hall connector (exits the cable in the same lace out) and should be grounded on the left head.
Having just read Boston Bob's disertation on adjusting valves we checked the compression it was ok while cranking like 120 psi
on all 4. While running pulling plug wires cylinder 2 and 4 showed little rpm drop. We rechecked compression on 2 and 4 with the
engine running and they showed little compression. We readjusted the valves with .006ths clearance per Boston Bobs artical and
all was good. We plan to run this way a while before readjustment. We are so fortunate to have the likes of Boston Bob on our
list. This lifter problem would most probably have been a several day bug. Thanks to Bob we were finished in 3 hours.
Darrell
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Donalds" <bostneng@FCL-US.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2001 4:06 PM
Subject: Boston Bobs history of vanagon hydraulic lifters and the bentley book
> Fellow Vanagon types
> I have been reading the posts on adjusting lifters with interest, as I
> am
> currently putting together an article on my experience with vanagon
> hydraulic
> lifters.
> The vanagon book published by Bentley is about to be reprinted. For years,
> Bentley Publishing has worked hard to review comments from the those that
> have taken the time to write or phone things in that they felt needed to be
> corrected or clarified every time the book is reprinted. The next printing
> will include some 50 changes. One of these changes will be about bleeding
> and adjusting the hydraulic lifters. There were 2 versions of how to bleed
> the
> air out of the hydraulic lifter before installation. They where on pages
> 15.7 and
> 15.24. both where confusing and vague. Bentley also has in the vanagon CD
> released last year added what they call an "editors note". This note says,
> in part
> That there is a problem with hydraulic lifters becoming air bound and that
> preloading
> Hydraulic valves should be considered optional This editors note will also
> be in the
> newest printing of the big green book.
> With the help of Erin at AVP, plus the constant feed back from my
> customers and the nice people of this list, I have come up with a simple
> method for removing all the air from the Hydraulic lifters prior to
> installation. This method does not solve or prevent the lifters from pulling
> in air after the engine has been sitting and it is not a solution for air
> bound lifters that DO expand when the engine heats up. Air bound lifters DO
> hold the
> valves when the engine warms up.
> The 006.ths clearance cold is needed when air is present in the lifters
> 0
> lash will not do. The most common symptoms of air bound lifters are poor
> performance running rich and low manifold vacuum.
> It has been my observations that preloading properly bled lifters will
> self adjust in as
> little as 10 minutes.
> It has been my experience air bound lifters will NEVER self adjust when
> preloaded
> or bleed because of the air that is trapped above the check valve.
> The extent of the problem varies widely. I know there will be those that
> disagree with me.
> My completed article will be posted on my web site in the very near
> future.
> Bob Donalds
> http://www.bostonengine.com
>
| 
