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Date:         Thu, 31 Mar 2005 10:28:15 -0600
Reply-To:     Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Another Vanagon Burns Up
Comments: To: Al and Sue Brase <albeeee@MCHSI.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Little details on the Vanagon Fuel system can be the nemesis of disaster. With about ten years experience maintaining Vanagons, Porsche and another 40 years with every other type of vehicle that has come my way I've found it's important to stick with known brand products. On one occasion I bought Fuel Injection lines from PepBoys Auto. While installing the lines using the OEM smooth edge clamps I noticed that the line was soft and the clamps screwed fully closed. I knew that the other old hose didn't let this happen so I bought some Goodyear Fuel Injection line from NAPA and when it was installed the clamps had a good 1/8" of potential to tighten more later if required. (Durometer of the Rubber). I also noticed that the FI lines and the little short injector lines were two different ID sizes. The injectors short hoses were 7mm ID. The rest of the FI lines were 8mm ID. This all sounds too simple so I've also found splits in the steel fuel lines and pin hole leaks from the lines rubbing the body for extended time. With the plastic fuel manifolds on WBXers you have to exercise care in cutting the old lines off since the plastic becomes brittle after the many years of use. Most Air Cooled Vanagons had a dead end fuel delivery system that ended in the engine bay with the fuel passing out through the Fuel Pressure regulator back to the tank (One fuel inlet, one fuel outlet). I noticed that I was always getting lean burn on #3 plug and I eliminated this by installing a 85 up Vanagon WBXer fuel pressure regulator (two inlet lines, one outlet). By doing this I made the system into a full loop system and eliminated the #3 lean burn. There are a few tricks to learn with long term ownership of a Vanagon.

Stan Wilder Engine Ceramics 214-352-4931 www.engineceramics.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "Al and Sue Brase" <albeeee@MCHSI.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 9:43 AM Subject: Re: Another Vanagon Burns Up

> John: > Good idea on the firewall fitting. except that it doesn't even need to > go thru the firewall, it can go under the firewall. > And there is a super way to fix the short lines to the injectors and the > plastic manifolds at each side (what WERE they thinkin?) and hoses in > between. It is spelled S-U-B-A-R-U. Look at one of those engines > sometime. I used to think WBX's were good enough till I got a Subie > laying on the floor. Now I think those German engineers deserve to be > unemployed. Getting close to time for me to bring my Vanagon into the > 90's at least. there are NO plastic/ rubber/ combustion failure fuel > lines on a Subie- they are all metal. The injectors sit in a manifold > wiith o-rings! > The VW fuel injected engines have been regularly imolting the cars since > the 411-412/ 914 days of the mid 70's!! Precious little has changed thru > 1991. VW should be ashamed of themselves for not fixing this a long time > ago. I'm surprised some enterprising lawyer didn't file a class action > suit. Certainly there were deep enough pockets there. > I cannot think of another company that has had such a big part of its > cars burn. > And oh, BTW, plastic fiberglas, it's all GRP. And it burns at somewhat > lower temps than steel. Mine are steel. If someone needs a GRP one, they > are for sale. SAVE 20 LB! > Al Brase > > John Rodgers wrote: > > > If you can find an aviation hardware catalog, either papaer or on the > > web, you can look through the "AN Fittings" section and find hardware > > designed specifically for firewall applications. If it fits the firewall > > of an airplane, it will fit the firewall of a Vanagon. > > > > Some of the fittings are stainless, some are aluminum. In either case, > > they would ba good application for our vans.. > > > > Frankly, I would like to install one of those, plus convert all the > > rubber FI hoses over to the aircraft type flex fuel lines - Aeroquip > > specifically. . These are a hose with a braided stainless anti-chafe > > shielding on the outside, and AN hose fittings swedged on the ends of > > the hose. A different "T" connector would be required to make the split > > for distribution to eich side fo the engine. Such hoses might reduce the > > fire tendencies of the Vanagon. > > > > Regards, > > > > John Rodgers > > 88 GL Driver > > > > jbange wrote: > > > >>> Along with the fuel lines, please don't forget the nylon firewall > >>> fitting > >>> (white, or now yellow, it points down at the engine at a 45 degree > >>> angle, > >>> mounted about the mid span of the firewall) with the fuel supply > >>> pressure > >>> hoses attached. It really can be broken with the greatest of ease > >>> as I > >>> found out doing my engine conversion. Please change it too. > >> > >> > >> > >> Regarding this firewall bulkhead fitting: is there a reason not to just > >> eliminate it entirely and just run a continuous fuel line through a big > >> ol' grommet instead? I haven't looked at it yet, but it sure sounds > >> to me > >> like it's there for manufacturing convenience more than anything else. > >> > >> John Bange > >> '90 Vanagon "Geldsauger" > >> > >> > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.8.6 - Release Date: 3/30/2005 > >


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