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Date:         Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:24:24 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: white clouds out of the exhaust
Comments: To: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

for sure it sounds like some head gasket/head/cooling system serious issue. Usually white clouds, if from coolant, also smell like anti-freeze.

Usually coolant going out the tail pipe, if that's what it is, is not hard to diagnose. Compression test and cooling system pressure testing usually reveal something pretty obvious. And if the white clouds smell like coolant, no progress will be made until the head comes off.

what a go-around nightmare ! sorry this is happening. reading 'taped wires' makes me question the workmanship. Black electrical tape is never a 'real' wire splice repair in my opinion. it'll always get gooey and fall off eventually. Proper crimp splices with shrinkable tubing over the splice at the minimum. There is also 'liquid electrical tape'.........brush-on vinyl, that comes in black or red, that makes a rather decent seal on a wire splice.

good luck man ! Sorry to hear about this saga. I imagine you just had a 'good used' engine installed. there is always risk there of course, unless you really know the history of the used engine.

And........while the 1.8 inline 4 is quite good about head gaskets in general, I find that almost ALL used VW engines could use head gasket work before going into their new home. It's 'the' area that wears the most, or has to deal with pretty extreme pressures and heat cycles, more than any other part in the engine.............valves and guides would be next, then the head itself. Scott

----- Original Message ----- From: "Jake de Villiers" <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 12:34 PM Subject: Re: white clouds out of the exhaust

> It sounds like your head gasket is seeping coolant in the combustion > chambers. If the head was warped from overheating, its a pretty common > result. > > If it were my van, I'd stop beating my head against that wall - it doesn't > sound like your shop has a f*cking clue. Take it to Vancouver Transmission > in Surrey. 604-590-8404 They are smart and they are competent - > just > what you need. :-) They'll tell you whether it makes more sense to just > replace the crappy motor you have in there now, rather than fix it. > > > On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 11:57 AM, Bill MacLachlan > <billmacla@gmail.com>wrote: > >> 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 >> > > > > -- > Jake > 1984 Vanagon GL > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie" > Crescent Beach, BC > www.crescentbeachguitar.com > http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27


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