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Date:         Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:51:54 -0800
Reply-To:     Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: WARNING(virus check bypassed): Re: Re: Death Valley
Comments: To: Robert Fisher <refisher@mchsi.com>
In-Reply-To:  <010c01c73ff9$bc90c7c0$657ba8c0@MAIN>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

I'll enthusiastically second that motion Robert.

A WBX on the cradle and carrying the entire exhaust is a piece of cake to install compared to almost anything else. Its the closest thing to plug & play.

Bolt it in, connect the fuel line, wire it up and bleed the cooling system; sure beats pulling the head and dropping the pan on my '57 Chevy pickup to re & re the rod bearings.

As long as you've got some dry, level ground its not that bad.

Its probably better to do your maintenance on a preventive basis, though. :)

Seeya, Jake

On 1/24/07, Robert Fisher <refisher@mchsi.com> wrote: > > Well I believe the original scenario was the choice between replacing a > ventilated piston on top of Mount Crumpet or paying a $2K bill to get > towed > down from there. I can't see paying $2K (even if I have it) for a two-hour > tow so that leaves me to consider my other options. > > I've 'replaced' the pistons in my WBX (rehabbed them anyway, had to take > them off, re-ring them and put them back on) and in the process I pulled > and > replaced the engine. Given the two jobs I'd pick the engine R&R every time > pretty much regardless of the circumstances. I know that some of you have > done the piston work with the engine in the van and even do that routinely > but I think I'd only do it that way if I absolutely had no other choice. > To > my memory pulling and replacing the engine was pretty simple and > straightforward and didn't take very long, and the piston work was pretty > much the opposite. BTW, I have an automatic, if it matters. > > As for the tools to do the engine R&R, I take my tool box with me on long > trips, and I don't recall needing anything for the job that I didn't have > in > the box. On the other hand, I had to create a doohickey to get those > pistons > off and on and I don't even know where that is at the moment. I could > re-create it easily enough in a hardware store, but I certainly don't > carry > it around. > > Obviously you'd need to get the van off the ground and keep it there, but > I > always carry bottle jacks and I have often taken a small floor jack on > trips. Basically I think the biggest practical issues assuming you > actually > got ahold of another engine would be getting the van up in the air and > dealing with the coolant. When I go camping, anyway, I take firewood and > lots and lots of water as well as at least one bucket and a dishpan, so I > think I could finagle that part of it and if I actually had gotten into a > town to rent a truck and find and buy an engine hopefully I would've had > the > foresight to get some ramps (among other thing) while I was there. > > Having said that I think it's pretty clear that if you could get to a town > and get a rental truck you'd rent the truck and a dolly and pull the van > out > yourself before you'd do any of the rest of it; then you could find a > storage place or something to do your work, or find a mechanic and a motel > room. > > So basically I don't know that the skills, or the tools (outside of the > jacks and such) would be beyond what many folks on here have already > indicated they have and carry. I don't know what to tell you about the > confidence. I can count on one hand the number of times I've paid a > mechanic > to do anything outside of smog checks and tire work. I don't think I'd > feel > the same about doing an engine swap out of just about any other vehicle in > that situation but of the ones I have done the Vanagon was so easy, > comparatively, that I was amazed. > > So give these choices: A $2K tow (and all the rest of the expense that > would > follow), rehabbing a piston in a camping spot, or swapping a WBX in that > camping spot (assuming the availability of a working used engine, a rental > truck or the equivalent, etc.) I'd go for the swap. I think it'd be easier > and take less time than rehabbing the piston and it'd probably be cheaper > by > half than the tow. > > Cya, > Robert > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Michael Elliott" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 7:50 AM > Subject: Re: Death Valley > > > > Robert Fisher typed: > > > > <snip> > >> In all seriousness I wonder if wouldn't be simpler to take > >> an engine to the van and swap 'em out. Get a ride to one place or the > >> other, > >> rent a truck, buy an engine and go back. It'd be cheaper. > > Robert, if I am reading this correctly, that you would drive an engine > > out to your Vanagon which is sitting on some dirt road in the middle of > > nowhere and swap in a replacement engine, then I am mightily impressed. > > If it was an aircooled engine, then I reckon it might be possible for > > even me to do it -- barely -- if I was lucky enough to have all the > > needed tools at hand and had a helper (at least for my '71 -- the engine > > never goes in easily because of that stupid mustache bar) . But if you > > could do that with a WBX engine, my hat is off to you. Your skillset, > > the collection of tools you pack, and your confidence far exceed mine. > > > > -- > > Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott > > 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus > > 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") > > 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano > > KG6RCR >

-- Jake 1984 Vanagon GL 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie" www.crescentbeachguitar.com


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