Date:         Mon, 25 Nov 2002 11:48:06 -0800
Reply-To:     zolo <zolo@FOXINTERNET.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         zolo <zolo@FOXINTERNET.COM>
Subject:      Re: I got it! 89 Vanagon Westy
Comments: To: steve@WERIGI.COM
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

---- Original Message ----
From: steve@WERIGI.COM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: RE: I got it! 89 Vanagon Westy
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 13:14:43 -0500

>You might remember me asking for advice on buying this 89 Westy. I
>bought
>it. And I like it. I really really like it. Thanks to everyone for
>your
>help. It's super clean and no rust (rare in the Detroit Metro Area).
>Now for
>my next set of questions. What should I do next? In respects to
>taking care
>of the Van. This is my first Camper Van, so I'm kind of green at
>this. But I
>do own a 98 GTI VR6 that work on quite regularly. Mostly upgrading
>go fast
>parts. Any help would be nice. And I do have maintance records since
>92.
>
>
>
>Steve
>
Check if there is green or pink coolant in the system.  Make sure
that your engine is properly grounded.  You have to find out what
"proper" mean.  Well, as far as I know it must
be;body-head-block-head-body.  Make sure the current goes diagonally
through the heads to the next cable that goes to block.  If you would
break it down and classify the problem messages on the List, you
would invariably find that about ninety percent is related to water
cooling problems.  (I prefer to drive an air cooled one)  But if all
is well taken care of and the pipes and radiator and heater cores are
doing well along with the heads properly grounded.  By now you must
know which coolant you have to use.  Of course, with good grounding
it almost does not matter if you would use the wrong one.
There is not much one has to do regularly.  One more thing still
comes to mind that most don't mention ever.  It is the hydraulic
fluid that never gets changed and thus collects water from the air,
collects down at the cylinder seals and make lovely little craters
around it, making the cylinder fail and us wondering how it happened.
Is there a yearly change ever mentioned anywhere? No.  There are
seven hydraulic units on the car that get affected and taken out of
commission, almost instantly sometimes.  One has to suck out the old
fluid on top and pour in new one, then open the the bleeding nipples
until the old fluid in the pipes get out.  Remember, there is old
fluid in the pumps too.  The clutch is the same kind of system using
the same reservoir.  Nothing too complicated only a thing that is not
really talked about.  Cars that stand longer, fail more often.
Others will give you more advice.
I would clean the car thoroughly and wax it with TR3 that is in a
blue narrow tin can from "Schucks" in my area.  Different part of the
country those chain stores are called something else.  TR3 is the
same all over.  If you can't get it, you would probably look it up on
the internet.  Small thing that is.
Blah, blah, blah...
More from our friends...
Regards and good luck with the new home.
Zoltan