Date:         Sat, 18 Nov 2006 16:26:22 -0800
Reply-To:     Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET>
Subject:      Re: <no subject>
In-Reply-To:  <00a201c70b2a$72d45b00$6501a8c0@yoursz6x6sefxo>
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After crying in my beer I went back and like you said, started from scratch,
and eventually got the engine running. Whooopie!! I don't know why there was
little compression in number 1, and why it was sucking through the exhaust
on intake, but everything seemed to clear itself out by trying over and
again to get it started. The one thing that was out of whack was that the PO
had marked TDC on the fan pulley 180 degrees out, and I used that for
setting up initial timing. It was only after carefully watching the rockers
and valves as my son rotated the engine through it's cycles that I realised
the error. When I found the little (unpainted) nick for TDC, I found I had
set it up at 9 degrees after TDC. Using an ohmmeter on the points, I set it
up for 7 degrees BTDC. A little cranking later and it roared to life (by
then it was also flooded) a few farts and lots of smoke and it settled down
to a sweet-running engine, much smoother than before the rebuild; you really
couldn't tell the engine was running by looking at it. Been driving the van
all day and it starts with the barest touch of the starter. It's great
having the rig on the road again.


On 11/18/06 7:58 AM, "ROBERT DONALDS" <donalds1@VERIZON.NET> wrote:

> Nat
> sounds like you need to back up a little and take a deep breath
> lets not blame the heads for the no fire condition
> lets go back to basics the engine needs 3 things to run gas, compression and
> spark
> if you can find a compression tester start there
> a little testing of components goes along way
>
> Bob Donalds
> Boston Engine
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Nathaniel Poole" <npoole@TELUS.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 1:11 AM
> Subject: <no subject>
>
>
>> I feel so damned discouraged, and I get what Jake Raby says about Vanagon
>> AC
>> engines. I've done all the work on my vehicles without much problem all of
>> my life, and it's never been so much hassle as redoing this 2.0 AC. And
>> when
>> I get it all together, no go. Won't fire at all. Sounds weird turning
>> over.
>> It was late and so I did a quick 'n; dirty compression test by stuffing a
>> finger in #1 cylinder and almost nothing. Put my hand over the exhaust
>> output of right heater box and it sucks as much as blows. Check lifter
>> preload and the lifters aren't holding valves open. I am saving $$ for new
>> heads, and decided to slap in these "good" used ones, and this particular
>> head has recently been rebuilt. Yet the symptoms seem like the valves
>> aren't
>> sealing, although there's no dropped seats. I've spent I don't know how
>> many
>> hours on this sucker and it looks like it has to come out again. Any other
>> possible suggestions? I know the valve timing can't be off.
>>
>> Can the heads be pulled without pulling the engine?
>>