Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 12:38:32 -0700
Reply-To: gary hradek <hradek@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: gary hradek <hradek@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: 2.3L WBX build, install, test drive
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Damon,
Also assume that the simplest thing is wrong
first. Check hard hard it is to turn the motor over
by hand when it is hot and when it is cold? Use a
wrench on the back pulley nut. gary
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 21:52:39 -0700
From: Damon Campbell <damoncampbellvw@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: 2.3L WBX build, install, test drive,
and confounding questions... (pretty darn
long)
I finished up the 2.3L WBX engine last week, and got
it running this week (couldn't work on it over the
weekend because of that whole "wedding" thing getting
in the way - and i mean mine :-). So we fired it
up... or at least tried to. Really difficult to crank
over, but with a boost (4 year old battery...), it
fires up, and we are all happy. A mellow drive to
Santa Cruz over hwy 17 shows it running strong, and
willing to get up hills with enough power in 4th gear
- not crazy amounts, but enough to accelerate a bit,
too, and not have to downshift (even at 40mph). It
drives really well... smooth, quiet, and enough power
to feel solid and not wholly underpowered.
However. And this is a *big* however, there are two
problems...
1) When hot, even with a brand new battery, the
engine simply won't crank over. At best, you may get
1/2 a lazy revolution. It cranks over and fires up
cold with some difficulty, but it does.
2) Oil pressure is low (grrr...). When at full temp,
idle is around 5psi and at say, 3000 rpm, we are
closer to 20-25psi. These obviously aren't great.
Not even close to good.
The confusion is that these seem almost contradictory.
No hot start almost seems like a bearing binding, but
low oil pressure and smooth running seems like
excessive clearances? Just stabbing in the dark here.
I'm just about ready to pull it apart again and take
it to volkscafe and have them rebuild the shortblock
again, just so i know it is done right (quick plug for
Peter's awesome customer service, btw). But i want to
know if any of you have any thoughts on what these
problems may be. In the stand, the crank turned over
fine with no resistance, and with pistons installed,
still felt pretty darn smooth... I'm pretty much at a
loss, and could really use some help here.
Thanks much to the list gods,
-Damon
(on a positive note, i have a really good idea of what
is going on in the engine back there, and how to
kludge up a 2.1/1.9 hybrid...)
=====
'84 Westy (Sparky)
'65 Kharma Ghia (Dharma)
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