Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 17:10:19 -0600
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: Using American engines for Vanagon swap - why the heck not? -
Long
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Remind me again what kind of Vanagon this is.
--------------------
For every person who has gone to Texas and had problems ............ I
been here 59 years and its always been a problem.
--------------------
If this dying van is an Air Cooled I might have some advise. As you all
know by now I don't know nuthin about waser boxers.
Stan Wilder
83 Air Cooled Westfalia
On Fri, 22 Mar 2002 15:33:07 -0700 STEPHANIE WOLZ
<wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET> writes:
> It idles, but if you give it gas, it dies?
>
> Sounds like a bad vacuum leak. Check to make sure the band clamps
> around
> the boot at the throttle body and the AFM are tight, and that the
> AFM is
> electronically connected.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Karl Wolz
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Walter Evens" <wrevens@MYEXCEL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Friday, March 22, 2002 2:35 PM
> Subject: Re: Using American engines for Vanagon swap - why the heck
> not? -
> Long
>
>
> > Hi John:
> >
> > The Astro Van folks do not have a list like this (that I know of),
> however
> > they do have a web ring of sites where people post what they have
> done to
> > their vans. They too have to make improvements like upgrade the
> computer
> so
> > you can go more than 3/4 throttle. Some have even swapped their
> V-6s for
> > V-8s.
> >
> > You are right. I took what I read as Vanagons being unreliable.
> I guess
> I
> > expected it to be a balance of Pros and Cons and then read more
> bad than
> > good. I didn't realize the list was a self help support group for
> Vanagon
> > owners. Sort of a Vanagon Owners Anonymous. (It is Friday,
> right?) The
> > only improvement I would make to this list would be to have a
> forum on a
> > site where you could go and read what you wanted and then make a
> post
> rather
> > than have 100 to 200 e-mails dumped in you in box every day.
> >
> > I may end up keeping my Vanagon for my vending route. I just need
> to
> either
> > get it going my self or take it to the local fix it guy and have
> him do
> the
> > job. We had snow on Monday. I had to go "down the hill" Tuesday
> and
> > Wednesday. Yesterday was sort of overcast in the afternoon and
> today is
> > really windy. Unfortunately my garage is currently a
> mini-warehouse.
> >
> > I posted my problem to the list but really didn't get an answer so
> I'm
> just
> > taking my Bentley and trouble shooting. It idles (when it starts)
> but it
> > won't go past idle. When I press on the pedal I get nothing and
> then if I
> > let off the pedal, it dies. I suspect, injectors or ECU. So far
> I have
> > check the plugs for spark, which they have and checked the fuel
> delivery
> > rate and it fills a quart jar 4/5 full. Next I was going to check
> the
> > injectors. Again, the weather hasn't been too good for
> wrenching.
> >
> > Like I said, my experience with Vanagons (until this one) has been
> mostly
> > positive even with all the supposed idiosyncrasies. I'm a week
> end Gold
> > Prospector and would love to eventually have a Westy Syncro with a
> trailer
> > made out of a Volkswagen pick up bed. It would work much better
> than the
> > Astro Van with a tent trailer and a roof rack for my equipment.
> >
> > Have a great week end.
> >
> > WE
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <jbrush@aros.net>
> > To: "Walter Evens" <wrevens@MYEXCEL.COM>;
> <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Friday, March 22, 2002 12:37 PM
> > Subject: Re: Using American engines for Vanagon swap - why the
> heck not? -
> > Long
> >
> >
> > > >a car and had to have something quick. Besides the guy at the
> Bone
> Yard
> > > >told me most Vanagon owners have a second more reliable
> vehicle. He
> > > >drives a T-Bird to work.
> > >
> > > One man's opinion. :(
> > >
> > > >tired of worrying about making it home if I drove it somewhere.
> Every
> > > >time I fixed one problem some other problem would develop.
> > > <snip>
> > > >front of my house waiting for me to fix it (the weather has
> been cold
> and
> > > >windy here in So Cal, believe it or not).
> > >
> > > >I have been on this list for about a month and a half. I have
> read
> posts
> > > >from people with similar problems, fix it and then something
> else
> breaks.
> > > >People taking a trip (or even afraid to take a trip) and then
> complaining
> > > >about some sort of mechanical problem they encountered on the
> way home
> or
> > > >sometimes barely making it home. People stuck in places like
> Northern
> > > >California or Texas because their Vanagons broke down.
> > >
> > > Walter,
> > >
> > > This list is here to help people who have problems. You won't
> find too
> > > many postings from people without troubles. There are countless
> numbers
> of
> > > Vanagons out here running like the proverbial clock, (my 81 is
> one of
> > > them) but you won't read much about them in this group.
> Sometimes a trip
> > > report validates the reliability of the Van, but if you are
> going to use
> > > what you read here to decide if your Vanagon can be trusted, you
> may as
> > > well just burn that thing to the ground, and get used the Chevy
> Van.
> These
> > > great folks are here to help people with trouble, what do you
> expect to
> > > find except people asking for help?
> > >
> > > If you want an idea of the health of the general population, and
> you go
> to
> > > the doctor's office or the hospital, you will come away thinking
> that
> > > everyone is sick and in need of surgery. If you hang out at the
> > > unemployment office, you will soon figure that everyone is out
> of work.
> > >
> > > For every person who has gone to Texas and had problems, there
> are a
> > > thousand times that number who have gone, and come back home
> with no
> > > difficulty.
> > >
> > > If there was a newsgroup for the Chevy Astrovan, it would be
> mostly
> filled
> > > with people needing help fixing this and repairing that, and
> your
> opinion
> > > of the vehicle might be altogether different.
> > >
> > > Just something to consider.
> > >
> > > Regards from Utah,
> > >
> > > John
> > >
>
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