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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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