Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2002 17:36:28 -0700
Reply-To: Matt Ratto <mratto@UCSD.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Matt Ratto <mratto@UCSD.EDU>
Subject: return to ol' blue - the diesel to gas conversion
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Gents,
I hope the vanorama in SF went well - I hoped my conversion would be done in
time, but the best laid plans of etc...
This last week, I got back to the van and with my brother's help managed to
almost complete the conversion. Got the intake mounted (after lots of piece
by piece grinding in order to make room), old exhaust manifold, down pipe,
and muffler (I know, I'm looking for a less-constrictive one), water lines
back on, fuel pump and lines installed, alternator and belt, and even the
fuel distributor in place. We moved it over to where the battery was
situated (like most), removed the shelf and installed a cross member for it
to rest on lower down. I found some rubber adapters and an aluminum pipe
(like a big stretchy straw) at Home Depot, and the whole thing looks durable
and clean. We needed to drain the tank of diesel, and did so by attaching
the fuel pump to where the existing line entered the engine compartment, ran
a line from it down to a jerry can, and then drove all over San Diego trying
to find a place that would take it off our hands. I also looked in my
neighborhood for someone with a diesel vehicle but no luck. We finally ended
up taking it down to the Harbor Island fuel dock.
Still have to extend the throttle cable (no problem) and do the wiring
(yikes!) The engine is from an 1986 Golf with the CIS FI so it's not too
bad, but looks very confusing to me. I think I may have missed some parts:
the Bentley shows a KA Jetronic control unit which I don't have and don't
remember seeing. If anyone has any advice about this or the wiring in
general I'd sure appreciate it. Next time, I'll probably get David Marshall
to make up a new harness, but for this one I wanted to do it all myself
(with a lot of help from my brother.) And speaking of this, does anyone have
any advice on how to make it easy to attach a different FI in the future?
Eventually I may want to put a more powerful motor in. I was thinking about
making a nice labeled switch panel on the firewall. Any suggestions?
Let's see...what else? I am waiting on some custom made FI lines from
Troutman - some of the parts he needs are waiting to be machined. After a
lot of looking around for hose and barbed fittings and all the rest, I've
mostly decided to have him make some. I did get some barbed fittings to
adapt the existing lines, but am having a heck of a time finding the right
diameter fuel line ( 5/32? ) and small enough clamps. Also, I cut the
existing ones up figuring out how they were made. I guess I could just find
some lines at a wrecking yard and use them, but I still don't know where to
get the clamps. So again, I'm looking for suggestions...
Oh, and one more question. I pulled the oil cooler from the diesel and was
going to attach it, but the shaft on the oil filter bracket (I don't know
what it's called) is too short. I was thinking of taking the shaft from the
diesel and using it, or even using the entire bracket, but wasn't sure; a)
how to switch the shafts without damaging the threads, or b) if using the
diesel oil filter bracket would screw anything up - the one in the gas motor
has a pressure switch in it as part of the dynamic oil pressure system.
Sorry for the long email, but maybe it'll help some other sap who decides to
do a conversion. I know this post doesn't have anything about Stan's love of
domestic animals, flames about selling on list, tires, bleeding the cooling
system, or any of the other normal info, but I hope it's interesting anyway.
Matt
-----------------------------------
Matt Ratto
Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Communication
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, CA 92093-0503
http://communication.ucsd.edu/mratto
mratto@ucsd.edu
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