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Date:         Thu, 31 Oct 2013 18:11:57 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Organization: Cosmic Reminders
Subject:      Re: Fwd: Advice wanted (and maybe some sympathy) on what looks
              somewhat major..
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAHTkEuJwkcS=dDD5XXBR1b8fLUYc4K5bOFsnXY=cMtSU_2uCFg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

my comments are on the other list .. inline gas engines. Sympathy ...sure ....sending sympathy your way ! S lol..I used to really worry over what people's vans and vehicles needed to be right again .. I would just remind myself ..'metal wears out' ..and stuff wears out.

oil analysis on your engine would be interesting. Scott

On 10/31/2013 5:34 PM, Don Hanson wrote: > I'm sending this to the Big List too...While this doesn't concern a WBX > stock Vanagon, there are lots of inline-familiar Vanagon people who may not > read Neil's 'new' inline Vanagon-specific list. Sorry for the length, but > I wanted to give all the clues and specifics I could to help anyone who > wanted to help me... Thanks, Don Hanson > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> > Date: Thu, Oct 31, 2013 at 5:26 PM > Subject: Advice wanted (and maybe some sympathy) on what looks somewhat > major.. > To: "Vanagons and VW Buses (Bays) with VW inline gas engines" < > vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines@googlegroups.com> > > > The problem is my 84 5sp inline (ABA with 1.8l 8 valve head and > digifant) I think I may have worn out something. Here's the story: I > am guessing there's about 150k on the ABA 2.0 liter block, It's been well > cared for by me and driven properly since I got it with said "97k miles". > The head came off my original inline motor, a 92 Jetta 1.8 lite 8-valve > with mostly vanagon digifant stock parts...all installed with 83 diesel van > parts and the VW van 5sp. Nothing was done to the block when I put it in > about 60k miles ago other than swapping on the diesel oil pan and using the > windage tray from the Jetta motor, as well as some inconsequential parts > changed to allow the head to bolt on... > > The head was self-surfaced and properly torqued using the head gasket > suggested by Techtonics Tuning, pretty well respected VW performance > shop...This combo has been flawless for about 60k miles, but as expected, > old used stuff wears out and I couldn't afford to rebuild everything as I > did the motor...so most of it is original... I know the inline VWs are > hard on valve guides and those have never been touched, nor have any of the > valves, other than to have new guide seals installed when I changed > cams...way back (over 60k miles ago). I used new retainers too, but left > the springs and keepers stock (on advice again from TT) who said the stock > ones rarely need help...For the last maybe 20k miles I have been using some > oil and seeing some smoke at times...probably from the valve guides...I > hope...Remember, the valves and the head has been with me through two > motors without any work other than the mild cam change. > > Today I noticed I was down on power and running rough. Pulled the > plugs and found them at about 3/16" gap! Almost 50k on NGK Irridium > plugs. Fingers crossed, I installed new ones, hoping for a fix...Nope. > So I pulled plug wires, one at a time...and the two at the mainshaft end, > the clutch end...they didn't change the running much off or on....Uh > Oh....Next came a compression test, sort of. I can't reach the tester to > wrench it tight down in the plug cavities with the way my cheapo tester is > made, but I screwed it in finger tight and tested anyhow...twice around on > all four cylinders....Each time the readings were quite close on each > cylinder....from the alternator end of the motor...(back of the van) I had > 175, 170, 90 95 psi. Figures with the same two cylinders really low > that made little difference when the plug wires were removed...Also, the > new plugs....the two 'normal' reading cylinders showed a nice white burn > after a short run while the two on the low reading cylinders looked fresh > out of the boxes.... > > So I looks like I may have two bad cylinders for whatever reason(s)... > I know I will be at least pulling the head to work on the valves...is there > a way to know if the bottom of the motor is still ok? (without taking the > motor out?) I can get the head off in an afternoon probably and have it > reconditioned for about $400 with new valves and everything...or I can > probably find a junkyard head and just bolt that back on for ~$100-150, if > I don't have to pull the whole motor, I would rather not, since I work > mostly alone and that makes the motor removal more difficult... > > I've been scraping by on part time work when I can find it, all spring > and summer...slim pickings in the building trade now for a while...... and > now this will use most of what cash I cleared....so "inexpensive" is more > important than proper and complete...Maybe next time it breaks I'll be in > better $hape to do a complete job, but for now I need the van working > again, ASAP and As Cheap As Possible....ACAP... > > Advice on how to determine if I can get away with just pulling the head? > and if that is all that needs work, I can leave the motor alone for now, > hopefully. Ahhh, my "Golden Years".... > > PS, I am not losing coolant at all, nor do I ever have to add any...I am > using about a quart of oil every 1200 miles now....consumption (and a > slight constant leak) has slowly been increasing over the 50-60k miles on > the "new" motor.. My O2 sensor is working, it is in the header pipe that > comes from the two 'low reading' cylinders and each time I start the van it > hunts around for the right mixture for a bit, then settles down to a rough > idle. I was still getting 21mpg, right up till today and the motor had > great power....then it went 'off' pretty suddenly. There are no alarming > sounds under the van using a tube on the block and head to listen... >


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