Date:         Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:26:56 -0700
Reply-To:     David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Engine Removal
Comments: To: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <d1ea9acf0803111813o54752587l16aa3fbe8f31ab03@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

You may want to put in a new set of Cofap cylinder liners as it is not
expensive but will make a huge difference to the final result of the engine
work. If there is no crack on the heads give them a good valve job and
test them for valve seating as it will be very critical to the final
result as well.

If there is nothing wrong with the short block (I know it's a big if)
putting in a new set of liners and a pair of heads in good shape the engine
can be back to excellent shape. The liners will take 3k miles to break in.
After that the engine will be in great shape.

I did all that last year in Spring to my 83.5 Westy. Now the Westy is so much
more fun to drive. Every dollar I put in and the time I spent turned out
to be all worth it. On a 35 MPH street it's hard to keep it below 45 MPH. On
the freeway It always wants to reach 70 even I only intend to keep it at 65.
If you have a good engine you know what I mean by that.

Good luck.

David


--- craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Hey Gang. As some of you may know, i've had nothing but engine troubles for
> about....a year and a half now. I just gave up. Something needed to be
> done...
> So i made arrangements with local Vanagon Guy Walt Spak to buy a good
> running 1.9 from him. I still have dreams of a conversion someday, and still
> hope to do one eventually, maybe on my next van. But i need to get this van
> running for the summer, and i am home from college on spring break after my
> spring break plans fell through, so i thought "What better time than now?".
> Yesterday i got down and dirty with it, and successfully removed the engine
> for the first time! I was supprised as to how smoothly everything went, and
> it was so nice having the engine out! I had every intention on replacing my
> engine and all the components, as i have vaccuum leaks, everythings rusty
> beyond use, and my fuel injection system just SUCKS. In addition, after last
> summers exhaust issues ($500 in labor to have them screw up and 'fix' their
> screwup after breaking a drillbit off inside my head...all in order to
> replace a single $2.50 exhaust gasket...), i had no intention on EVER
> reusing that head.
> With signs of headgasket leakage immenant, and a clutch that was too weak to
> make it out of the driveway... it was time to do something.
>
> A single college student with little mechanical background can remove a
> vanagon engine with only an assistant for the latter portions of the engine
> removal. To go a few steps further, today i pulled the entire intake,
> exhaust, fuel injection, and cooling systems, reducing my engine to a block.
> For curiosity's sake....i pulled the heads (some trouble with the cylinders
> trying to come out with the heads....). With the heads off it was obvious
> that this really IS a low milege engine (Supposedly a canadian rebuild) as i
> was told by the previous owner! Not a single crack between the valves, minor
> pitting, and everything looks as if its been working well! Long story short,
> it looks like i'll be reusing this engine and just replacing everything
> around it! Aside from a few broken bolts, and some concerns about fixing my
> one exhaust port "propperly", i think this should be a good candidate to
> make my van run and run well!
>
> Tommorow, I'll be dropping the gas tank (to revise my resealing of last
> year), and replacing the rusted out coolant pipes using a good used set.
> This should be quite a wrestling match, i have NO idea how well these will
> go in, as they were plently hard to get out of the parts car...
> Any tips for this?
>
> Once the engine's back in with a bunch of good new and good used parts, i
> can start on the body : )
>
> Thanks for all the help and advice from so many of you! I've learned so
> much, and i'm confident now more than ever in my abilities to work on
> vanagons!
>
> -Craig
> '85GL
>



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