Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (May 2016, week 4)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Tue, 24 May 2016 01:05:15 -0600
Reply-To:     Steve Williams <steve@WILLIAMSITCONSULTING.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Williams <steve@WILLIAMSITCONSULTING.COM>
Subject:      Re: finding crack in Amsterdam, part 2
Comments: To: Mark Drillock <modrillock@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CABDJR_ELnEqszgud=gSqEFo4AavH_gGF6+L0XAAYSC61C_tSBQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed

Hi Mark,

What an epic! I feel your pain and truly appreciate your taking the time to vent...er..share your trials and tribulations with us all!

All the best with your repairs and your travels!

Cheers, Steve W.

On 24/05/2016 12:26 AM, Mark Drillock wrote: > After spending the 3 day weekend at the campground in Amsterdam I went > early Tues morn to the storage place to let them know I was expecting parts > to be delivered there from Van-Cafe.The parts had already been dropped off > by DHL and they were shocked at how fast that happened from California. > > Since the new head and gaskets were now in hand they said I could use part > of their shop starting Wed afternoon and would come tow me back from the > camp before lunch. On Wed this happened and they put my van on their only > lift. I started pulling the exhaust and then the head, hoping there would > be no other issues along the way. It all came apart without too much > struggle and nothing broke in the process. Alas, once the head came free > there was a visible crack all the way through the cylinder wall itself, > making the cracked head the least of my worries. I could catch my > fingernail in the crack and clearly would need to replace the piston and > cylinder to get the engine running again, not just the head. > > I called the shop guys over to show them the ruined cylinder. The manager > asked if I was able to make the fix if the parts could be had. I said yes, > but I would need a little help. He called around and found a parts place an > hour away that said they could get a set the next day, Thursday. I would > need to go to pick it up from the parts place Thursday once it was. Then I > cleaned my work area and they pushed my van outside to a place where it was > not in the way of their very busy operation. I rode my bike back to the > campground where I had rented a small cabin to stay in while my Westy was > at the shop. > > So early Thurs we went out to the town where this VW parts store and repair > shop was. I wanted to see their shop and ask about the possibility of them > taking over the job if I couldn't manage it. The place was called > Bus-Brothers and there were lots of bay window buses as well as what we > call Vanagons parked out front and in the shop service stalls. I liked what > I saw but it turned out that they were booked up solid for a few months > with no chance of helping me with my problems any time soon. He also said > that what I was trying to do wasn't a job many shops would try, as they > would just tell the customer to get a rebuilt engine instead. The new > piston/cylinder set was delivered during lunch while I was talking to them > so I paid for it and went on my way back to my dead van. > > Once back at the shop, I asked if there was a place I could work on the van > where I would be less in the way. I would need all my wits about me to do > this fiddly job and didn't want the time pressure of being in the way of > their main service lift and their guys working around me. They opened a > nearby garage door, pulled out the vehicle parked inside, and pushed my van > in. So I had a nice covered work area with level paved surface to work. Did > I mention it was raining? > > I spent about 4 hours at the shop, getting both right side cylinders and > pistons out of the engine. The shop closed before I was done doing this but > they let me stay after hours, alone in the shop, and go about my work. I > told them I would need to make a tool to pull the piston pins and they > showed me where they kept lengths of threaded rod and other materials. I > would need to cut one to length and use spacers and nuts to press the pins > out of the rod ends to free the old pistons. It all came apart fine, just a > little tedious and complicated. I could have stayed later but I wanted a > fresh day to begin putting the new parts in. I was beat by this point > anyway, as I hadn't been sleeping well with all the worries in my head. > > Here I was, engine apart on Thurs night and my wife was flying from Calif > to Berlin on Sat where I was to pick her up at the airport. This seemed > unlikely as that was over 400 miles away and me with no van. > > Mark


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.