Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:07:06 -0500
Reply-To: Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Subject: Re: Different Kind Of Valve Adjustment Question? NOW What's next?
In-Reply-To: <71d9cdf90807180843j3b0a3c1cwdbe41f2ee52f8493@mail.gmail.co m>
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>Thanks to Jake and Scott and all that replied either publicly or
>privately. Forthose of you just joining in, we're talking aout a
>90GL 2.1 with a Haltech engine
So far, the compression for cylinders 1, 2 and 4 is around 130 with
1.5 turns and #3 is around 115. A day or two later while in WI., I
pulled the rocker covers off and #3 had slipped to the point of the
pushrods now spinning by thumb and index finger once more. I
tightened them to 1.5 turns, but now I'm almost out of
adjustment(rocker arm screw is pretty much flush with the jam nut)
and I'm wondering if this could be both #3 lifters leaking
simultaneously or whether both intake and exhaust valves are getting
ready to fly or whether it's just worn adjuster screws. I have a
feeling that the screws will be the cheaper fix, then lifters, then
new heads or camshaft. At some point, a warm engine compression test
with all plugs out and throttle body wide open has yielded higher
compression readings than the 130.
The motor's symptoms over vacation are as follows.
1. With a new 87 degree thermostat in place and new radiator and a
bled cooling system, the motor warms up way too quickly and has
forced me to drive without the T stat for now. I do know of the
consequences of doing that. I also replaced the Fan switch and have
heard it run at low speed during idling and traffic. As I drive on
the highway, as long as the water temp stays in the 100C range, the
motor doesn't stumble very often, but if it gets below 90 C., then it
will stumble more. Most stumbling occurs at about the time you would
expect the accelerator pump to kick in if the engine were
carburetted. It does stumble from a cold start, but not overly
so. When stuck in traffic the motor still gets way too hot for my
liking despite the Tstat being gone. Resuming to highway speeds
cools things back down to normal.
2. Engine power is not great and the motor will not idle under most
circumstances. I have a VDO vacuum gauge hooked up to the dash and
monitor it closely. Mopst of the highway driving at 60 or so with a
moderate load of vacation gear would yield vacuum readings in the
5-10 in. range. The times it does idle in the 1200rpm range the idle
vacuum is in the 15in. range. I sprayed ether all over the normal
leak-prone spots on the motor, and got no engine rpm rise, so I am
assuming that a vacuum leak is not the problem. Low compression
might be the reason for lack of vacuum. The trip up to Wisconsin, I
had a mild tailwind and was getting over 19MPG, which is outstanding
for this particular van. Even towing the 91 automatic shell back
home, I got 15 despite all this other crap going on. The engine has
never died or quit running for me, but my dash-mounted fuel pressure
gauge has been reading about 5-6psi low at both idle and full
power(24psi under high vacuum and maybe 30psi floored). I used a
known good spare fuel pump and replaced both upstream and downstream
fuel filters and no improvement. I wondered if the Fuel Pressure
Regulator might be going bad, but it may not be getting enough vacuum
to operate properly. I have a known good one I could swap.
3. The thought has occurred to me that the O2 sensor might be toast,
but the gas mileage isn't bad enough to have that problem is it? I
don't know if I've replaced the O2 sensor since Boston Bob rebuilt
the motor in 2001, so I guess it is possible that's one of the problems.
4. The fuel injectors are the originals from 1990, but I didn't want
to pull them out for testing while in the boonies in WI., for fear of
ripping a seal that I couldn't replace. I should test them also for
spray pattern and volume.
5. I don't think the rebuilt Haltech unit is to blame either,
although I've not tried to re-program it since it came back from AUS.
Summary: The hot motor could be from a stealth air pocket, but the
motor has been started and stopped enough now that I have no air at
all in the expansion tank and the cap is a new blue one and the
coolant level has stabilized in the overflow tank. The motor was
running hot before the new radiator and fresh coolant, so the new
parts didn't help there. I guess the low compression could be
causing the hot motor issues too. I will test the O2 sensor although
the Haltech sensor is a 3 wire and not the 4 wire like VW uses. The
Haltech coolant temp and air temp sensors are only 3 months old, so I
don't suspect them. The timing is right on as well.
This maybe TMI, but better to offer too much.
Thanks
DM&FS
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