Date:         Sun, 15 Dec 2002 18:16:04 -0500
Reply-To:     Myron Lind <mdlind@RICA.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Myron Lind <mdlind@RICA.NET>
Subject:      TDD setback

OK, big bummer today.

The project 1982 Westy getting the NEW(!) TDD (mechanical TDI) from Overland
and rebuilt/regeared 5 speed transmission (Thanks, Daryl, so far so good on
the transmission) was getting close. Engine and transmission were in. Lots
of small custom pieces (new left motor mount, fabbed water pump pulley shim,
new coolant tank bracket, fabbed VR6 air box mount and air cleaner, several
modified coolant fittings, new battery location, etc, etc, etc). I also had
modified the left motor carrier bar to be able to mount a newer Jetta style
motor mount instead of the rather expensive van mount. Saab Intercooler
installed. Exhaust designed, half finished, new battery, new starter, new
cooling system, new CVs, new shift linkage, new anything rubber, etc. Also
most of the interior is out getting recovered, sound and noise insulation in
all the door and other panels, recovering the peeling off vinyl stuff with
some awesome looking cloth. New door and window seals, too. I put in the
fuel tank last night, plumbed all new hoses, added a fuel line for a small
diesel powered Espar furnace, quit after a couple hours of working with only
a flashlight after my trouble light broke (duh--trouble light). Got a new
trouble light this morning.

So, today I fill it up with coolant, hook up a few more wires, pour some new
fuel in, check the oil, check the coolant, check for anything dripping.
Everything looks perfect. Start cranking, get oil pressure, get all the air
bled out, and after some cranking it fires up. I am excited. I have been
working on this van from when I get home from work until 2-3 in the morning
for the last two months. I have taken days off work to try to finish this
thing. I have built snow sheds so I can work in the snow, rain covers to
work in the rain, etc. (I don't have a garage). So, she fires, and idles
along being kind of noisy with no muffler yet, and I am adding coolant to
the tank when ##THUNK**--$$SCREECH!!--%%CLUNK@@. And all is quiet.
Especially me. My wife, who just happened to be standing there says "that
didn't sound good".

A quick call to Karl Mullendore, and then off comes the timing belt cover,
and I opted to pull the valve cover as well. Since I spent so much time
carefully designing my air intake system and cooling system, all this stuff
came off rather easily. There are all sorts of shiny metal discs all over
the head, one is still trapped under a cam lobe, the timing belt is now kind
of loose, and once I find the timing mark on the crank, the cam appears to
be off by about 15-20 degrees at this point. It ran between 2-3 minutes.
Coolant also leaks out the head gasket, so it appears the thing took a
couple of pretty good hits.

Another call to Karl. He is going to call Overland first thing in the
morning, but this is the sort of thing that can really keep me from sleeping
well. And, I have heard rumors of Overland sort of leaving people sort of
hanging--now I really am bummed. At very best this will delay me a week or
so and cost me several hundred more dollars. Karl says Overland is no longer
supplying this older engine style. And, of course, we were planning to use
this van for an around the country trip in a month as we home school our
kids, thus the urgency of working non-stop on it.

So, I think I will just try to be philosophical (at least it didn't catch on
fire---HA HA HA), and go play monopoly with the kids. And hope for good news
tomorrow. Hopefully Overland will come through and this thing can still get
done.

Myron Lind
1982 Westy Diesel TDD/5 speed project
Harrisonburg, VA