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Date:         Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:56:00 -0400
Reply-To:     Scott Chapman <scott_list@MISCHKO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Chapman <scott_list@MISCHKO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Engine replaced but still the same symptoms???--Someone stick
              me              in the eye with a dirty spark plug
Comments: To: TJ Hemrick <x53gunner@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <s2t989ea5a21004081420w60a3ce67q52e9c84a29924bfb@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

My 85 Westy is surging at idle also. Please let me know what you find.

TJ Hemrick wrote: > I finally finished up my engine swap (took a long time as I only have one > day off a week). After a couple twists of the key, she came to life and oh, > what a relief. Unfortunately, that quickly turned to misery. The EXACT > same symptoms that plagued me on the previous motor were still present! It > has a constant surge in the idle. I replaced the entire motor with ALL the > components from the donor (ECU included-although I did try both). I already > swapped the fuel filter (previously) so that leaves; the coil and associated > wiring, the harness (which I do have the donor one and it's uncut), and the > fuel pump. The AFM has the capacitor upgrade and it has a new idle control > valve. I emptied the gas tank and I only had about a gallon left in the > tank and it had a bunch of flakes in it. Looked like paint chips is the > best description I can give. Desperate to actually fix something and the > need to stop the the dreaded overflow while filling up at the gas station > problem, I dropped the gas tank since I already have the parts on hand. > True to form, most of the lines around the tank are junk after 23 years one > of the crossover plugs was out of the tank, that's why it was leaking on > fill up. What a job. I truly hope the bean counter at VW who saved > .00000002 DM by instructing the engineering dept to keep the hoses as short > as possible has severely arthritic hands in his old age by now. That should > compensate me for the tortuous job at hand. No pun intended. It's a > horrible task to take care of. As if I wasn't already in a mood bad enough > to sell my syncro and the wolfies out of sheer disgust with the idle problem > and the oil pressure. Seriously, I'm thinking to myself, "Why am I under > this POS van on my only day off when I could be at the beach with my kids?" > I'm really doubting the whole Vanagon "experience". It's hasn't been > expensive, just grueling. > To throw salt in the wound, I've got the oil low pressure light on. Oil > level checked good even after a new Mahle filter and a few quarts of Mobil > 1. Oil pressure gauge reads good but I don't have new sensors in stock so > how do I turn that damn buzzer off? I practically ripped the instrument pod > off the dash getting the cover off. I blipped the throttle and the second > the buzzer came on I shut it down and after a few minutes, checked the oil > level. It was still good. > I left it up on ramps a few days just to step back from it all. I've been > hitting the list archives and the net searching for "gas tank removal" for > tips and insight. If anyone has any, I'd be welcome to hearing it. I just > bought some extra fuel line, clamps, and stocked up on oil. BTW, > Discount/Advance Auto has a nice sale on Castrol GTX (all grades). I think > it was $11 for a gallon jug. It's always been a pretty good dino oil so at > $3 a quart it could be a good deal. Just FYI. > > Later, > > TJ > > >


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