Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:57:36 -0700
Reply-To: Bill MacLachlan <billmacla@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bill MacLachlan <billmacla@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: white clouds out of the exhaust
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hi all.
I need a bit of feedback here and perhaps some moral support.
I've had my van for the past ten years - an 82 converted from diesel to an
1800 inline4 just before I bought it.
Early last summer I had a local shop install a replacement motor. Used
motor. Inline 4. 1800cc.CIS injection. Same as the one that was in there.
Since I picked the van up early summer I've put just over 100 miles on it.
It's been back in the shop 4 times, and today after work will be time # 5
Here's what happened
I left the van at the shop to have the motor replaced. That's what I asked
them to do. It was with them a couple of weeks. They called and I authorised
installation of a fuel pump cut off relay ( pump was wired directly- relay
makes sure it shuts off if the motor stops). I went to pick the van up and
it was running terribly. Not fit for driving. I left it with them for
another few days. They replaced a few motor electrical connectors ( cut the
old ones off, taped on used ones). I paid for the work in full, (
significantly more than the original estimate), drove the van home.
#1 drove it to work next day. It wouldn't start at lunch time, so it was
towed back to the shop. They worked on it. I paid for a couple of shop parts
and a fuel pressure regulator that was apparantly not working right.
#2 drove van home. Wouldn't start the next day. Took transit to work, van
towed back to the shop. Eventual cause of not starting..... blocked oil
pressure relief valve- high oil pressure- hydraulic lifters- open valves- no
compression. Nothing to do with the parts I paid for.
#3 asked the shop if it was ready to go for emissions testing. They said
yes, I took it, it failed catastrophically. In ten years I've never seen
numbers that bad. Drove it back to the shop.They adjusted it, it passed
emissions ( very well). I paid for the second test.
#4 drove it across town. oil light came on. Oil leaking onto the intake
manifold. Took it to the shop. They found it overheating, replaced two temp
sensors on radiator, replaced valve cover gasket. I paid for the temp
sensors. Mechanic told me the brownish white goop on the end of the dipstick
was condensation inside the motor accumulating in the oil pan, and this was
the reason for white clouds coming out of the exhaust a couple of days
previously when I started the motor. ( I actually thought the van might be
on fire!).
Friday evening I drove just out of town, and it overheated. ( cold radiator,
cold hoses to radiator). 10.00 pm. dark. unknown suburb of town. I let it
cool off, drove to the destination. Stopped when it heated up again, let it
cool off. Looking in the engine compartment I saw the airfilter box under
the CIS fuel distributor had been mounted so that it was wearing a hole in
the main coolant return line from the radiator. Taped a bit of cardboard to
stop the damage progressing. Let it sit Saturday. Started it up Sunday
morning. Intensely rough uneven, running, smoothing out a bit. Thick white
clouds coming out of the tail pipe, even when the idle settled down..
Switched it off, started up again after a half hour, drove home. Stopped
twice to let it cool down when it overheated.. Parked it at home. Went to
put it in the underground at 11.00. Ran so rough that the gearshift was
jumping around.
I am exhausted by the grief I've had over what should have been a two day
motor replacement. This afternoon I have to deal with more when I take it
back to the mechanic. My guess is he'll tell me the overheating is due to
the thermostat which was used from my old motor.
Any suggestions on the white clouds at start up? They don't happen every
time. I think they happen if the van has driven for a while, is left
overnight , then started up.
Bill M
