Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 21:04:29 -0400
Reply-To: Maynard Southard <echomhs@GIS.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Maynard Southard <echomhs@GIS.NET>
Subject: Re: '82 diesel resurrection death?
Daniel:
I too bought my first Vanagon Diesel while a PhD student. You will be amazed
at how you can (get) keep this beast running without a lot of money.
My rabbit diesel once emitted that awful screech and the oil light glowed
brightly. Turned out that the vacuum pump had seized. The vacuum pump
provides brake boost (and some minor ventilation flap movement). This pump is
driven by the intermediate shaft and it in-turn drives the oil pump. When the
vacuum pump seized, the oil pump also stopped and the intermediate shaft could
not turn. The intermediate shaft is driven by the back of the timing belt.
The screeching was coming from the timing belt dragging across the immovable
intermediate shaft pulley.
Before you drop the oil pan, make sure the ignition is off, the car is in
neutral and block the wheels. Put a wrench on the crankshaft and turn it
clockwise, paying attention to the intermediate shaft pulley. If it is not
turning with the movement of the timing belt, then the vacuum pump or oil pump
may be seized. If it does turn, you might still want to check the vacuum pump
before dropping the pan (the screeching could be coming from inside the vacuum
pump). Just remove the hold-down clamp, note the orientation of the vacuum
pump, then pull upward on the pump. It should come right out, like a
distributor on a gas car (it is in the same location). Once out, try turning
the gear by hand. Does it move freely? If so, then look down into the hole in
the block from where you just pulled it. Do you see the top of the oil pump
shaft? It has kind of a screwdriver blade end to it that mates to the shaft of
the vacuum pump just below the gear when the vacuum pump is installed. Try
turning the oil pump shaft (I think you can use a socket on an extension - but
make sure the socket doesn't fall off the extension into the hole!! Then
you'll have to drop the pan to retrieve the socket.) If the oil pump turns
freely and the vacuum pump turns freely and the intermediate shaft turns
freely, then ...
Drop the pan.
BTW, when you reinstall the vacuum pump, you have to make sure the "blade" of
the oil pump shaft mates to the "slot" on the bottom if the vacuum pump. As
you insert the vacuum pump, the gear begins to mesh with the gear on the
intermediate shaft. This causes the vacuum pump shaft to turn and usually
means you have to try a couple of times to get the blade and slot to match.
Good luck.
Maynard Southard OvO '79
'82 Westy Diesel "Reinhardt"
'93 EV GL "Klinger"
'00 Golf GLS TDI "WooHoo"
'84 Jetta GL TD "Donor"
On Monday, July 30, 2001 7:27 PM, Daniel Snow <snow@HAAS.BERKELEY.EDU> wrote:
> I just picked up a 1982 diesel, two tone brown and tan with a sunroof.
> All original and nary a spot of rust. Best of all, it was nearly free (had
> to trade a 1500-watt camping generator for it). It had been sitting for
> five years.
>
> The PO claimed that the engine was "bad." I towed it home, put in a
> battery from my other car, and it fired on the first crank. But it emitted
> a fearsome skreeching sound at about the frequency of the engine RPM.
> The oil light didn't go out. The engine died, and is very reluctant to
> start, though it does catch. I'm sure I ruined it by not pressuring up the
> oil system. Dumb me.
>
> My VW diesel buddy thinks I should take off the oil pan and/or the head
> to diagnose the damage. I think I can just take off the oil pan and look
> at the bearings and the cylinder walls from below. I'm no proctologist,
> but I think I should be able to see enough to make a judgement. I have two
> questions:
>
> 1) Is the oil pan removal sufficient?
>
> 2) In case the damage is terminal and I can find a 1.6d block at a
> junkyard for CHEAP, anyone in the Bay Area know where to rent a hoist or
> better yet care to spend a saturday giving me pointers and watching me
> swear? I am on the ultra-low student budget and am financing this venture
> by selling off "assets" (mopeds and other foolish toys).
>
>
> Daniel Snow
> PhD Student
> University of California at Berkeley
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