Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 15:43:01 -0700
Reply-To: Craig Oda <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Craig Oda <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Engine pull on scale of 1 to 10
In-Reply-To: <41461988.8060007@adelphia.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
6.5 difficulty. I've never done a '71, but the primary difference is
that you really should clamp up the coolant hoses on the waterboxer.
What I do is get C-clamps and two pieces of wood, then seal off the
coolant hoses prior to disconnecting them from the engine. You
probably need 6 to 8 clamps since you might want to clamp off the fuel
lines too.
If you clamp up the coolant hoses, then it's not so bad because you
don't have to deal with as much coolant spilling all over your garage.
You've also got to drain the coolant from the heads with a little hex
wrench attachment to a ratchet wrench with attachment.
And, since you're pulling the head anyway, drain the oil.
If you have automatic transmisson, the main difference is that when
you put the rod spring back into the throttle body, you have to really
push the spring down to get the C-clip (or whatever that clip is
called) onto the end of the rod to hold the spring in place. I'm
referring to the rod that you adjust with a screwdriver and there is a
spring that goes around the rod.
Make sure you put sufficient locktite on the bolts that connect the
drive plate and torque converter. Mine vibrated off somehow, causing
the bolts to shear off the torque converter. Bentley says only 15
ft-lbs for these bolts. I also put lock washers on mine. transaxle
and engine still connected after 1,000 miles. :-)
I'm not sure if the waterboxer is heavier or lighter than the
air-cooled from a '71. If I did it again, I would probably create a
wooden frame for the engine to hold it on the jack more easily.
-- Craig
On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 15:04:56 -0700, Rocket J Squirrel
<j.michael.elliott@adelphia.net> wrote:
> I have a 1971 bus. I have pulled the engine a few times to take care of
> this and that.
>
> I have also recently acquired a 1984 automatic Westy with no A/C. At
> first glance, pulling its engine seems a bit harder. If, for example,
> one wanted to pull the heads and check the gaskets. Some kind of
> mechanical adventure like that.
>
> So, on a scale 1 to 10, assuming that taking off the gas cap is a "1",
> and pulling the 1971 bus's engine is a "5" -- how would you rate this
> year/model Vanagon engine pull?
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 71 VW Type 2 / 84 Westy: A poor but proud race.
> KG6RCR
>