Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:42:34 -0700
Reply-To: neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Engine Removal
In-Reply-To: <d1ea9acf0803171817j443794fxac2b54f1a7cbd6b3@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hey nice writing.
A thought.
On the bell housing (clutch housing), if you can, slide the cross
shaft to drivers side and put a little greeze on the exposed passenger
side end. Also try greezing the bushings on the driver side too.
Rawk on!
Neil.
On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 6:17 PM, craig cowan <phishman068@gmail.com> wrote:
> I see no way that a "crook" could give me a different set of heads, even if
> he had a huge stock of used 1.9 heads. The reason being, they have NO cracks
> between the valve seats, have already been beadblasted with great detail,
> and have some distinguishing "repairs" to threads, along with an epoxy fix
> on the coolant pipe attachment. I also have plenty of pictures, and it would
> take the machinist an exorbatent amount of effort in order to pull this one
> off. I think noone would be dumb enough to hand me a set of cracked, greasy,
> clearly baked on-stuff cylinder heads, when i presented them with the set i
> did.
> While the heads are getting done, i made my parts orders today and must
> highly recomend Ken Willford of Vanagain for all your future parts needs!
> Furthermore, last week's conclusion of the "Great spring break Vanagon
> Build!" ended as follows:
>
> I ended up cutting my steel pipes in the rear at two locations a foot apart
> for easy fitting of the couplings. I used marine grade coolant hose in 6''
> sections as my couplings, with all stainless steel hose clamps (2 per side,
> 4 per coupling) to assure this repair will last a long time. I was hoping to
> get 8'' or 10'' couplings, but they only had a foot of the stuff....and i
> was running out of time. It will work, and it will last a long time, at
> least the remaining life of this van. I must say though, i would rather
> never have to crawl under my van with a SawZaw and "a plan" ever again.
> In the process of cutting the "right pipe" (Which is the pipe that the rear
> section was replaced with various bits of coolant hose coupled by metal
> couplings over the course of the previous owners life), the vibrations of
> the sawzaw shaking the "left pipe" which was believed to be "ok". It was
> rusty but complete.....developed a pinhole and leaked a ton of coolant!
> Thats a narrowly avoided failure! So, my pipes are back together, with stock
> sections of "good" steel pipes, though i did use two "left" pipes as my
> repair sections.....it all seems to fit together so far.
>
> The Bellhousing....
> I always thought that i was having clutch issues associated with "a weak
> clutch" as in, worn out. Having little experience with stickshift cars, and
> NO experience outside of my own stickshift vanagon, i didn't know i had a
> much larger problem...
> We discovered the pilot bearing had ceased to exist, but had not damaged the
> input shaft.
> The bellhousing however, was a problem. The lever on the side was so tough
> to move, that putting vicegrips on it and all of your weight was not an
> efficient means of actuating it, a hammer was brought into the equation.
> That bellhousing was abandoned, and another was found, with a similar
> problem but to a lesser degree. After working it quite a bit, and using
> plenty of KROIL and WD40, those problems have dissapeared. The bellhousing
> is ready for reinstallation!
>
>
> Then came the waterpump....
> Well i know the replacement of a 1.9 waterpump is not a "GREAT" job to do
> with the engine in the van....but mine was simply rediculous! We have the
> engine sitting on a table, all the necessary tools at hand, ALL the
> accessories off the engine, and it took FOUR HOURS to get off. The final
> method of removal involved using a dremel to cut away at the waterpump's
> housing on the lower right bolt, heating it up, and pounding away. With the
> proper leverage, it was removed. The job simply would not have been possible
> with the engine in the van. THIS IS WHY WE ALL NEED TO OWN A TUBE OF
> ANTI-SEIZE!!!!! Clearly, my engine was stored in a barrel of heavily
> oxygenated water for most of its life, as the rusty fasteners were simply
> rediculous. We are now approaching the uphill section of the battle, and
> reassembly will be soon!
>
> The game plan:
> I'll be spending this week anticipating parts arriving, and concentrating on
> my education. However, this weekend will be spent getting the van ready to
> accept the engine. By this i mean, fixing the hot foot problem,
> reassembly/reinstallation of the gastank, replacing the fuel lines,
> assembling an intake/fuel injection system, and further
> beadblasting/painting engine components. If all goes well, the following
> weekend will be spent putting the heads on, and bolting the whole thing
> together! Then theres a clutch, and brakes to be bled....
>
> For those of you avidly following my woes, this is your update. I hope you
> enjoyed it.
>
> -Craig
> '85GL
>
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 8:21 PM, pdooley <psdooley@verizon.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > David, I am a little paranoid about taking anything in for service.
> >
> > I would mark the parts with a very small, inconspicuous marking or symbol
> > in
> > a very inconspicuous place that will not get ground down or machined off
> > by
> > the shop.
> > Take several digital pictures of the part with the markings showing before
> > dropping off at the machine shop.
> >
> > You may still get screwed in the end but at least you can prove your point
> > and give the crooks a good scare.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> > David Kao
> > Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 5:49 PM
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject: Re: Engine Removal
> >
> > When I was much younger and inexperienced I sent a BMW 2002 head to a
> > machine shop for a valve job. They called me the next day and told me
> > that I had a crack on the head. I rushed back to the shop and saw
> > a head that I could not recognize and it had a severe crack. My head
> > did not have a crack like that before I sent it in. I could not do
> > anything to prove that it wasn't the one I sent in. I swallowed the loss.
> >
> > A few years passed by and I saw on the news that the machine shop was
> > busted by police. The district attorney received many complaints about
> > the shop and launched an investigation. The shop owner was indicted
> > and the shop was closed. My BMW was not smog compliant and I eventually
> > gave it up to charity. The incident of the head prevented me getting too
> > deep into rebuilding it. I am glad that I gave it up.
> >
> > But I have since developed a fear of going into a machine shop. I am
> > not trying to say all machine shops are run by crooks. What will you
> > do to avoid being victimized by machine shops? Of course I am now
> > much more experienced and I probably can avoid it by natural gut
> > feeling about a machine shop. But I am not sure how to identify a
> > good one from a bad one without getting some business done first.
> >
> > David
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
> >
> > > Craig, send your heads out to a machine shop. They will do a valve job
> > > for you and also repair the exhaust studs no problems for not much
> > > money. They will also clean the heads and when you get them back you
> > > won't recognize them. Have fun and if you need anything please feel
> > > free to give me an email or call.
> > >
> > > Sincerely,
> > > Ken Wilford
> > > John 3:16
> > > www.vanagain.com
> > >
> > >
> > > craig cowan 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
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Do You Yahoo!?
> > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> > http://mail.yahoo.com
> >
>
--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia - "Jaco"
http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
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