Date: Fri, 3 May 2002 00:36:12 -0400
Reply-To: Jason Willenbrock <pooncerelli@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jason Willenbrock <pooncerelli@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: trip report with engine woes and choices
Content-Type: text/html
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<P>here is my 2 cents,</P></DIV>
<P>i do not know your mechanical ability but let me tell you a story. i bought a 90gl about 4 years ago and drove her hard cross country and in love with the van and life. i eventually had the invitable headleak problem after owning the van for less then one year. i, like you had a loan on the car. what to do what to do. i had no mechanical ability at the time except for changing the oil. i decided though, that i wanted to own the van for the rest of my life, and if this was going to be a recurring problem with these cars then i was going to learn how to do it myself so i can save thousands. i did! i bought bentley and researched the procedure on replacing the head gaskets and set out to do the job with the help of a non vw mechanic. i learned so much about my van and grew a serious relationship with her. i replaced the gaskets and was able to figure out how everything on her works and what to look for when traveling to see what will go wrong. well, since then i have successfully done the brake work, replaced entire exhaust, repack her cv's, redid all coolant lines and flush radiator, replace water pump, replace altenator, replace starter, replace clutch master cylinder, and i even replaced the engine! i did this mostly on my own because i wanted to. i wanted to control this van rather then the van control me. of course i screwed some things up along the way but i did it. and now i would never get rid of her. i know her inside and out. my advice is to do the same. do the heads yourself and do everythng else to fix her. learn your van and treat her right and she'll treat you right. you will never have to worry when traveling long distances because you will be able to handle anything. do not do the tiico. keep her pure because that is what she is meant to do. do not bastardize your van. love her for her faults and know how to deal with them and you will never look back. trust me!</P></DIV>
<P>jason</P>
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<P>90gl<BR><BR></P>
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<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: Dart 330 <DART330@HOTMAIL.COM>
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<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: Dart 330 <DART330@HOTMAIL.COM>
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<DIV></DIV>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
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<DIV></DIV>>Subject: trip report with engine woes and choices
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<DIV></DIV>>Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 10:24:47 -0500
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<DIV></DIV>>
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<DIV></DIV>>Well it has been over a month since I posted to the list, and I
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>finally have
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<DIV></DIV>>time to discuss my problems.
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<DIV></DIV>>
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<DIV></DIV>>First off, I drove to Panama City, Florida from Columbia, Missouri
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<DIV></DIV>>the last
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<DIV></DIV>>week of March which which is a 16 hour drive. The van did great
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>except the
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<DIV></DIV>>fuel filter started to clog in Alabama, luckily I brought a spare.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>Every
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<DIV></DIV>>time we stopped I checked under the van for leaks, topped off the
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<DIV></DIV>>oil and
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<DIV></DIV>>coolant if necessary. I had a rather high coolant consumption which
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<DIV></DIV>>I
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<DIV></DIV>>thought was due to air in the system. After a few days down there I
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>go to
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<DIV></DIV>>gas up and I look underneath to see blue coolant dripping. This
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<DIV></DIV>>bothers me
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<DIV></DIV>>since I still need to drive 16 hours home. I find the leak is coming
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<DIV></DIV>>from
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<DIV></DIV>>the rear bottom corner of the right head gasket. I go to the local
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<DIV></DIV>>VW shop
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<DIV></DIV>>and they said that 9 times out of 10 the gasket isn't going to blow,
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<DIV></DIV>>just
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<DIV></DIV>>get continually worse. I go and put a big bottle of stop leak in and
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>hope
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>for the best. On the trip back it appears the stop leak worked, no
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<DIV></DIV>>coolant
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<DIV></DIV>>drips and no change in the tank level. We made it home just fine,
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<DIV></DIV>>what a
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<DIV></DIV>>great trip. Then I go camping this weekend and when I went out
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<DIV></DIV>>Monday
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<DIV></DIV>>morning there is a big blue puddle in the drive.
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<DIV></DIV>>
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<DIV></DIV>>I have been debating on what choices I have with this Vanagon. I am
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<DIV></DIV>>still
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<DIV></DIV>>paying off the loan for it, it is the coolest car I have ever owned,
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<DIV></DIV>>and I
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<DIV></DIV>>love to go camping. I see myself having this van for the rest of my
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<DIV></DIV>>life.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>After being on this list for over a year it seems that ever
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<DIV></DIV>>waterboxer leaks
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<DIV></DIV>>from the heads eventually. Is it true that no matter what,
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>eventually ever
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>single one will leak sometime down the road? If this is the case,
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<DIV></DIV>>then there
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<DIV></DIV>>is no hope owning a car for most of your life with an engine problem
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<DIV></DIV>>that
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<DIV></DIV>>cannot be fixed. If this is the case I see no other alternative then
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<DIV></DIV>>to get
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<DIV></DIV>>a Tiico. For now I will just do the head till I have the van paid
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<DIV></DIV>>off, but
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<DIV></DIV>>when it starts leaking again I feel I have no other choice then to
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<DIV></DIV>>go for
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<DIV></DIV>>the inline-4. I love the boxer engine, if there is a way to make it
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<DIV></DIV>>work I
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<DIV></DIV>>would love to hear it.
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<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>All comments and suggestions are welcome, I need input on deciding
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<DIV></DIV>>my vans
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>future.
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<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>Thanks,
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>Nathan
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>85 Westy
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<DIV></DIV>>60 SO-23
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>86 Cabriolet
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<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>_________________________________________________________________
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