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Date:         Sat, 18 Jan 2014 22:48:57 -0800
Reply-To:     "SDF ( Scott Daniel Foss )" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "SDF ( Scott Daniel Foss )" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Organization: Cosmic Reminders
Subject:      Re: Volksiebus - 88 Transporter  - Rough Running Engine
Comments: To: JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <52DB6213.5030103@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

I sure wish people.. well, do whatever you want .. but trust me ..vanagons do NOT have 'truck suspesnsion.

they have the EXACT same type of suspension mercedes cars of the 70's to late 70's have .. coil springs all around. double a-arm front suspension with anti-sway bar.

rear independent trailing arm rear suspension ( trucks have solid axles in the rear ..even leaf springs ).

the only thing a Benz car has that a vanagon doesn't is a rear anti-sway bar. But .. vanagons have Rack *Pinion Steering ( PS on most too ) ..all pure 'sports car and really good=handling car types suspenions compenents. NOT truck-like in the least.

Call it that if you want ..but it's not. Oh I'll bet your dress in drag ..that would fit !! lol :-)

Oh vanagons are great ..extememly versitle with many great attributes. I regard the type.. 2WD, Doka's. Syncro's n all as the very best overall VW ever, of any type.

If your Bentley is greasy fingerprint- stained and getting ratty ..that's a good sign !

Waterboxer bottom ends are pretty good all right. the 1.9's last maybe 250,000 miles.. and mostly, 2.1's a little less than that.

'Left forever' though ..it not retired at some point, before it's too late, they'll blow badly.

Having an oil pressure gauge helps when miles are high. I see high miles bottom ends doing 20 psi at 65 mph on a warm day with 20W50 ...'enough' but not 'abundant' OP let's say.

Waterboxers do very well stock. It's a traditonal strategy of VW un their oppossed four cylinder aluminum engines to make them semi-underpowered. Helps longevity.

yep ..it's the head area that's weakest. But not that hard to re do. the pistons/barrlles almost don't wear..the least main weak part of the engine, and the bottom end is the 2nd weakest part. like 3 head or even 4 head jobs per bottom end.

what fun ! scott jim lahey

On 1/18/2014 9:26 PM, JRodgers wrote: > Scott, > > I hate to admit it - but I love these cantakerous, crochity old Classics > of ours. Yeah, they are a big PITA at times and little Pita's at other > times - and you can multiply those pita's by the number of vans you have > - but I would not have anything else to drive. I like my big, boxy, high > seated, omnivision windscreen, rough riding, truck suspension -( not > Cadillac) hard to get in and of when dressed in drag(Just KIDDING > Volks), load hauling, touring-camper-travel-lodge, emergency shelter for > six on an avalanche blocked road, emergency delivery room type > vehicle!!! There's NOTHING out there like a Vanagon. There just isn't. > > I'm slowly learning how to take care of mine adequately - though > sometimes it/they stump me. But sooner or later I get through it - and > mark up in the Bentley - "Another lesson learned!" > > Really, they are hard to beat. And Jim Felder mentioned to me a feature > about the WBX engine that I had not really thought about much until he > spoke of it - but the WBX is well matched to the van. And the WBX lower > end is actually hell-for-stout. If they weren't - the engine modifiers > into dune buggies would not be cutting them down and building power > engines out for the for the boonies. That - and given the replaceable > steel cylinder barrels they have - makes them an engine for longevity. > The heads may be a weak spot - but I don't think the rest of the engine > is. For a good reliable vehicle - just keep it stock - and keep it well > tunes - and don't mistreat it - it will last a long time before the next > rebuild. > > John > > On 1/18/2014 10:54 PM, SDF ( Scott Daniel Foss ) wrote: >> lol John.. >> Have you heard about relationships that were strained due to shortage of >> Vanagon Reliability issues ? >> >> I have , it happens. All the more reason to understand them very well. >> They really are not that complicated at all. >> About the very worst thing >> they can have is truly ellusive electronic glitches....but those are >> pretty rare actually in my experience. >> the vast majority of the time whatever ails them is very, very fixable. >> >> and why anyone would not have a whole set of known-good spare fuel >> injection parts just for substitute-type testing and self-rescue is just >> beyond me. >> They don't have to be expensive or hard to get. >> >> I just got, for example..at a pick n' pull junkyard that I know pretty >> well...a whole 94 Subaru Legacy wiring harness ( just a bear to get out >> of the car , not easy at all ) .....the whole EFI harness plus the ECU, >> plus an Air Mass Meter hanging on the wires .. >> heck .. >> I would charge 8 to 100 for the ecu ..at least 75 for an AMM and up to >> 150 for the harness.. >> I jokingly offered the older guy there 50 bucks..( I would have paid $ >> 175 with no complaint at all ) >> he said 'fine.' >> I paid them $ 100 ...and it was cheap at that ! >> >> about getting parts in junkyard..or from any decent parts store ..or >> your VW dealership .. >> 'Relationship' ...it makes all The Difference in the World if you >> develope a relationship with the people you deal with in those worlds. >> It only took me about 50 years to learn that one really well. >> >> Re the spare known-good parts .....if you don't have another Air Flow >> Meter or distributor or ECU to try when you're having weirdness that you >> can't figure out ..how'r ya gonna get very far on these fine machines >> when they don't behave ?? >> >> Many shops are just as lost as many non-professional vanagon owners are >> ..so you gotta figure it out yourself to be assured of Vanagon Success. >> >> well, 'reality' is a 'loaded' word, I don't use it really. >> >> there's only 'Perception' I think.. >> it only appears to us that this 'movie we call life' is 'real' .. >> we don't actually actually know that it is. It only looks like it >> might be. >> >> Earth could be a grain of sand on a beach in another Universe for all we >> actually truly truly know. >> >> I suppose I could say 'the reality of the sitation is that there is a >> blockage or leakage of fluids or electrons going on that is keeping your >> vanagon from running really right'. >> >> I still am reluctant to use the word, even in a reasonable way like >> that. >> >> I trimmed I trimmed ! >> S. >> >> On 1/18/2014 7:53 PM, JRodgers wrote: >>> Scott you are right. Reliability is key! Nubiles don't like to be >>> kept >>> waiting on the side of the road and get quite disturbed while you are >>> behind, over, or underneath getting black grease on your fenners >>> massaging the bumps on your machine that broke down when you ought >>> to be >>> in the van comforting her and massaging her bumps with your clean >>> fenners! Nubiles also get quite disturbed when waiting time begins to >>> exceed the period that their perfection remains intact, and reality >>> begins to emerge from underneath the paint and powder as it wears off >>> and fades! >>> >>> Yessiree, good reasons to learn how to maintain reliability in your >>> Vanagon. >>> >> >


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