Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 21:36:32 -0400
Reply-To: Justin Mayrand <jmayrand@METROCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Justin Mayrand <jmayrand@METROCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Oil Change Screwup - HELP!
In-Reply-To: <21D717E8-A1DA-4690-A53B-B93890A78BAA@ELPASOTEL.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
Also,
The clip on my ECU has a catch on one side that needs to be engaged
to act like a hinge, and then the rest of the connector is pushed on.
I did not know this when I installed the new engine and it did not
run right until I checked and fixed it. ...JMM
Justin M. Mayrand
1980 Westy "SuperVan"
On Jul 19, 2006, at 8:06 PM, David Johnson wrote:
> Thanks for the input. I actually was restless enough I went out and
> pulled everything apart again, and looked. I learned two things.
>
> 1. There is no way I could have done what I was afraid of doing.
> The nut was perhaps a bit over tight, but not enough to put major
> torque on the bolt sticking down.
>
> 2. I have no oil screen. The screen cover is there, with a stiff
> and brittle gasket (so I will replace that) but there is no oil
> screen. Just empty space. So, I will probably track a screen down,
> even though as you say, the filter will catch the gunk anyway.
> Anybody have any thoughts on that?
>
> So, having satisfied my fears there, I went further along my "repair
> trail." When I had changed the air filter, I had pulled the main,
> keyed electrical connection to the fuel injection control module
> (before I realized I didn't have to do that, yes, newbie error). I
> went back to that point and looked again, and found one of the pin
> receptors there had gotten pushed back in so it was not making good
> contact, or contact at all perhaps, to the pin farthest over to the
> passenger side of the vehicle. I will use a hemostat to pull that
> out after I get the oil screen in town tomorrow, and hope that solves
> the stuttering problem. It certainly would make sense to me, since I
> recall the Air Flow Control system makes a shift in the way it
> operates when the engine warms up. Since I had gotten just far
> enough down the road to really warm the engine up, and the stutter
> really only happened when the engine was at higher revs, I am
> hopefully this will solve the problem.
>
> On that note, anyone know the what the pins are on the AFC control
> module going from left (driver) to right (passenger) side?
>
> thanks for all the help - what a great list and community!
> David.
>
> On Jul 19, 2006, at 5:39 PM, Justin Mayrand wrote:
>
>> Hey All,
>>
>> In short, no.
>>
>> On my 1980 Westy, I remove this cover w/ every oil change (as well
>> as the drain plug), to get all the oil out and to clean/check the
>> screen. I have always reused the old gasket, and have zero leaks
>> (this is after about 6 or 7 oil changes). I have yet to find
>> anything in the screen (because of the oil filter, of course), but
>> still pull it. ...JMM
>>
>> Justin M. Mayrand
>> 1980 Westy "SuperVan"
>>
>> On Jul 19, 2006, at 5:43 PM, David Johnson wrote:
>>
>>> Ok. I think I have messed up big time, but want feedback. I was
>>> getting Blue Midget, my 1980 Vanagon Westy ready for a trip over the
>>> weekend. As part of this, I went ahead and did an oil change (first
>>> time on this car). But I didn't ready my John Muir completely
>>> before
>>> I did it, and so I screwed at least one thing up, but I am wondering
>>> about more.
>>>
>>> 1. When I drained the oil, I saw the big disc shaped thing with a
>>> bolt in it, and figured that was the drain plug. So I undid the
>>> bolt
>>> (13mm), and it was a huge mess. As I finished draining the oil from
>>> this, I saw the larger bolt that I then figured out was the drain
>>> plug. So no problem, but a mess.
>>>
>>> 2. Did the filter, but then realized I didn't have a new gasket for
>>> the disc cover thingy. But I saw a gasket up in around it, so I
>>> thought I might be able to just tighten it a little more and make
>>> the
>>> seal work. Engine started right up, no leak problem obvious, oil
>>> pressure light flickered for a minute, but then went off, and no
>>> other problem. Also did the air filter at the same time, but that
>>> was easy.
>>>
>>> 3. The following AM, got on the road, and about 5 miles along,
>>> started to get a hesitation while running. It was almost like it
>>> was
>>> running out of gas, except the fuel tank was full (or like the
>>> clutch
>>> was slipping). So, turned right around, limped it home, shut it
>>> off. I did not get a chance to check if the engine was overly hot.
>>> Switched over to our Eurovan for the trip, and went camping anyway.
>>>
>>> 4. Now, I have read the John Muir "compleat idiot" guide more
>>> thoroughly, and talked to my Dad who used to have a Bug. He said
>>> overheating can cause a similar symptom, which if somehow I impeded
>>> the flow of oil, would lead to overheating, of course. And then I
>>> read in the "compleat idiot" guide that if I torque the oil screen
>>> bolt down more than 9lb it will damage the cam shaft. Problem is,
>>> the piece I was working on was not a bolt, it was a nut. There is a
>>> little bolt coming down that this nut goes onto and holds the
>>> disc in
>>> place.
>>>
>>> So. Did I completely f* up my car by ignorance? What gasket am I
>>> actually asking for to seal this disc if I have to redo things? I
>>> asked for an oil screen gasket at Autozone on the way home, but it
>>> seemed far too large and more complicated than what I pulled off.
>>>
>>> Any help would be really welcome here - I want to get this car fixed
>>> again if I can, but need to know what I am up against. Until I
>>> get a
>>> solution, I am not driving it of course, as if I was running with
>>> too
>>> little oil, I already took 10,000 miles off the engine anyway.
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> David.
>>
>>
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