Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:56:49 -0800
Reply-To: dj <djct2@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: dj <djct2@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: FW: bucking in parking lots, motor revs up and dowm
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Pascal, hi again, Your story sounds familiar but you are a few years ahead
of me. I know what you mean about the internet, I work my business all day
then on the internet at night. find I haven't been getting enough sleep
though. When you say "keep an eye on is your oil pressure on the 90", should
I get an oil pressure gauge? I think there is just a light. What can be done
if it see it go low? I also need tires on the 90. deek
_____
From: Giasson, Pascal (DNR/MRN) [mailto:Pascal.Giasson@gnb.ca]
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 5:19 AM
To: dj
Subject: RE: bucking in parking lots
Hi Deek,
Wow, you have been busy! Looks like you fixed a lot of the common issues
with these rigs.
I bough our 84 Westy in 2003 and I was quite intimidated by the water boxer
motors at that time. Like you, the last time I seriously tinquered on cars
(VW Beetles) was in my teens. I call the '84 the new campers as I was used
to the Bay window campers.kind of funny calling an antique a new camper.
Anyway, through the internet and the shop manual I learned a lot and did
quite a bit to it. Last year I rebuilt the top end with a lot of
help/advice from people through the internet. Obviously I'm not as
intimidated by it anymore. I did spend a lot of time on the internet
researching the vanagon in the first few years and it is amazing what people
do to help others.
I consider mine a hobby. If it were a daily driver I would likely not have
it as it takes too much time and money to keep on the road. I do almost
everything to it myself to keep the cost down.
I agree, they are an obsession/addiction.but they do keep the mind occupied.
The 90 and the 84 are quite different. One of the main things to keep an
eye on is your oil pressure on the 90. At 150K they tend to throw a rod
through the crankcase, but they should give you warning by low oil pressure.
That failure is caused by the stretch type rod bolts used in the 2.1, the
1.9 did not use a stretch bolt and does not have the same problem.
Have fun!
Pascal
_____
From: dj [mailto:djct2@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 3:48 AM
To: Giasson, Pascal (DNR/MRN)
Subject: RE: bucking in parking lots
Pascal, hi, thanks again for all your help. I will try the things you say
but I am kind of afraid, some of it seems over my head. When I bought this
van I never imagined how much work I would be doing. I haven't done any
mechanic work since my teens when I worked on Austin Healeys, I am now 62 so
you can imagine. Wow it seems like there is so much to know and it all seems
so over my head but I am hooked and I really love the van, I have owned a
few porches when I was younger and a few vw's over the years and always
loved them. Been mostly Japanese for about 15 years now. 2 88 honda accord
hatchbacks, very few problems and fun to drive for a Japanese car. I never
dared to go back to the german cars as I didn't have the money to pay to
keep them going. Now I jumped in big time. Bought time 84 full camper for
$3,500 and expected to put about $1,000-1,500 into it and then take it to
maui, use it there leave it with a friend and come back when ever have a
home and transportation there. I am now at about $5000 and hundreds of
hours. But I have learned so much and the next time I buy one I will know
what to look for. I did buy a 2nd one as I knew I didn't want to be here in
s. cal with out one. Really hooked.. The other is a 90 weekender which I am
having better luck with, I bought it for 3,500 because none of the interior
lights worked and It had an oil leak that the owners mechanic thought needed
the motor pulled to fix. I cleaned it real good and took it to the same
mechanic and I found the leak and fixed it for $106. and another home
mechanic spent hours in the shop manual and tracing wires and fixed all the
interior lights for $60. now everything works , needs some stuff but I guess
it all evened out. I got lucky. See below the list I have done on the 84.
deek
buy and Install new back screen.
buy and install bushing for sliding door
install cover for sliding door
buy and install new interior light on door side
buy and install new skylight seal
buy and install new skylight arm
buy and install new window cranks
buy and install nut covers for luggage rack nuts
buy and install window screens
buy and replace kitchen light (florescent)
buy and install fan
buy and install side mirrors
Replace coolant overflow hose
Wax
Hide stuff, tools
clean fridge
resolve rough idling
buy and install aug battery
Install false bottom in storage under seat and other areas, this is to hide
tools when shipping. (hope it works)
buy and install replacement seat belt passenger side, from junk yard
screen for skylight
done
buy and install tail light
Replacement panels for side door and rear hatch door made luane plywood
buy and install cover for propane vent
repair/install luggage rack
buy and install rear view mirror from junk yard, mind was all falling apart
on the windshield side. Didn't notice it when buying.
new lids water and electrical inlets. These were missing, I didn't know they
were supposed to be there
buy and Install new skylight lens. This was cracked and duct taped
buy and replace trans oil
oil change 2 times, first time they put in the wrong oil and heard tappets,
called vw place and they said I needed 20w 50 oil. The oil change place put
in 10w 30. they did the 2nd change free.
buy and replace visor clips
Fix windshied washers. They were clogged
glue door passenger panel
Install canvas patches for pop-top tent. Install strips to hold canvas to
pop-top. They were missing and I didn't notice.
Fix backup lights
repair screen for pop-top
repair surface rust with POR-15 and touch up paint. I heard rust is a big
problem I Hawaii and I should really take care of any before getting there
repair back heater leak
remove rusted propane tank, have it sandblasted and painted buy and install
new tank fill valve and test,
get fridge working on propane, lots of work to get it going.
attach front bumper rubber piece
silicone around spray heads
buy and install bumper ends caps
have clutch master and slave cylinder replaced
tappet sounds (needed 20-50 oil)
tune up by vw shop
solar shower
flush cooling system by VW shop
tune up
buy and Install sliding door opening screen. .
Ck coolant hose leak in storage under rear seat
remove and sandblast and paint with por-15 and appliance epoxy. Tank was
leaking at the valve and rusty, found out HI is very fussy about condition
of propane tanks, some places wont fill them if they are more than 5 years
old, others wont fill any rusty tanks.
guages working gas and temp gauges
oil change
new cat and muffler and misc repairs by VW shop
new master and slave cylinder
owner manual
shop manual
compass
inverter
remove rear bumper straighten and add new bumper end caps
buy and install new seat covers. Seat were a mess under old covers,
buy and new windshield wipers
install new fuel pump by VW shop
buy and install new rear door struts
new window cranks
re-attach front grill and paint
install second battery
battery monitor
window side screen
_____
From: Giasson, Pascal (DNR/MRN) [mailto:Pascal.Giasson@gnb.ca]
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 5:26 AM
To: dj
Subject: RE: bucking in parking lots
Hi Deek,
Sorry I did not get to my emails this weekend. Glad to hear it worked.
It's a nice feeling eh! I have no problem if you use any of our
correspondence.
The thing with VW mechanics is that they may not necessarily have a lot of
experience with Vanagon. Also the 1.9 was only produced for two years so
they likely have not seen too many of those either. That is what is so
great about the internet...you can get tips from people who know these
vanagon very well.
Regarding turning the big idle adjustment screw all the way in and the motor
still running. From my experience that does not sound normal, it should
really slow the idle down and the motor should not run very smoothly. But
that could be caused by a variety of different things. All what that screw
does is control the amount of air getting past the butterfly valve in the
throttle body. If your throttle body is really worn then the screw might
not do much as there may be air getting past the butterfly valve where it is
suppose to seal on the throttle body. Similarly as your mechanic said there
may be a vacuum leak. You might want to ask the question on the list and
see what responses you get. Just describe what happens when you screw the
idle screw in all the way.
Have you tried setting the idle as per the Bentley? It might be that the
idle stabilizer is compensating for the idle screw being screwed in, but you
should get some change in the idle when screwing the big idle adjusting
screw in. Also, if you do try to set the idle, you will be checking your
timing and if you set it to spec it will make the motor a little sluggish so
most people set it a little more advanced. I think spec is 5 after top dead
center (ATDC). Mine is probably set at top deal center (TDC). (there is
information in the vanagon archives and on the Samba on this as well, and it
is specific to the 1.9l motor. The 5 ATDC setting was to meet the emission
standards)
Having said all that, if it seems to be running fine, I would not be too
worried about going on your trip. You can then pick away at it and try to
fine tune it latter.
Pascal
_____
From: dj [mailto:djct2@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 1:35 PM
To: Giasson, Pascal (DNR/MRN)
Subject: RE: bucking in parking lots
Pascal, I think it worked, driven some yesterday and no problem so far. Took
less than 60 seconds. I will keep you posted. I will put all our
correspondences together and post if you don't mind. It might help others.
Really strange if this works as I had 4 different mechanics check this out,
2 were vw specialists. one said could be vacuum lines or air box and could
be very expensive, he would have to keep to van maybe a few weeks and try
various things could be very expensive. He diagnosed the cause by turning
what I called the idle adjustment screw all they way in and said because the
motor keep running it meant it was sucking air in from somewhere. 2 others
said they didn't know and to wait till it go worse i went with the 4th one
who said a tune up and timing adjustment should fix it. They are vw
specialist. It didn't work and cost me over $350, I am sure what they did
was needed but how could they fail to do this? Thanks so much. This was
holding up my plans to take it to maui. If it holds for a few days I will
buy my ticket. deek
_____
From: Giasson, Pascal (DNR/MRN) [mailto:Pascal.Giasson@gnb.ca]
Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 9:29 AM
To: dj
Subject: RE: bucking in parking lots
One thing they say to do is put some paint or something to prevent that
screw from moving once it is set. I did not do that.but I intend to
eventually. I thought of using some blue loctite.
Yes please let me know how you make out.
Pascal
_____
From: dj [mailto:djct2@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 12:38 PM
To: Giasson, Pascal (DNR/MRN)
Subject: RE: bucking in parking lots
Yes, found it, it says one full turn after click, I will try and let you
know. Thanks,deek
CalTel Systems
Dj Martin
Phone: 760-712-2178
Fax: 305-418-7425
email: djct2@yahoo.com
web: www. <http://www.calteltelecom.com> calteltelecom.com
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