Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:14:33 -0700
Reply-To: Scott - IMAP <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott - IMAP <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Now: Vanagon Passion. Was: ... Brake Drum:
In-Reply-To: <CAE_+Nq0kLMUrfTbQwRVZ0NWpe+rLE3Y0+JLMtTsiUHFeiD59rA@mail.gmail.com>
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I used to want to do one myself for Vanagons.
that John Muir book is Brilliant..
and the drawings ...just incredible.
there'd be a blow-up drawing of a whole engine ..and it was technically
accurate ! ..
down to the last valve keeper even.
PLUS ..if you never saw a car in your life...
that book would tell you how to replace points and all that.
I do not agree at all with his statement to disconnect a VW Bug electric
choke ..
that's a great little mechanism. I've had to 're-set' about a thousand
of them ..
they had a habbit of flipping over inside the cover or something and
needed to be put back right.
totally awesome book all right. ..
I've posted many times about a simple waterboxer no-start situation and
how easy it is to quickly get to 'why not' with a few simple tools ..
with a remote starter swtich and a NOID light it takes about a minute or
two to see if the ecu is firing the injectors and if there is spark.
if it does have those two ..then you think about fuel...and 'usually' if
the fuel pump runs when you turn the key on...fuel pressure is 'usually'
good to the injectors.
Ultimately you need a simple fuel pressure gauge to be sure.
I just installed an entire 2.1 Digifant Fuel Injection system onto my 85
was-Digijet system.
Amazingly ..the 2.1 harness fits just fine, and interfaces with Temp
Sensor II in the 1.9 cooling system .
All I really had to do was put in a 2.1 distributor and AFM and hook
things up. Even kept the 1.9 tail light ECU location .
works like a charm, and man does it run better on that 2.1 engine than
the old Digijet did.
19mpg with a way-too-much-stuff load.
but it wouldn't start at first.
for some reason the injectors plugs did not want to plug down onto the
injectors ..
didnt' take long to figure that out with the above method.
Let's put it this way ...
in my overvation many people don't see Possibility very well.
take that brilliant Idiot's Guide for the VW Bug ..
while it may not be for a Vanagon ...many of the principles are the same .
You could for example, balance a torn-apart waterboxer engine just like
he shows for an air-cooled engine in that book.
There also is a version for the Rabbit ..which I have a copy of,
and even one for Honda Civics ...same format, drawings etc.
I talked to the publishing company one time..they told me there were
getting out of the how-to-fix-your-own car book market. How sad.
it's way fun to figure stuff out and fix stuff, etc etc. !
( recently ..in Yosemite ...my 85 Adventurewagon was THE ONLY car there,
of thousands ..that was not a modern SUV/Crossover or modern big pick up
truck ..
really weird. My AW was older by 20 or more years than virtually every
other car there. My friend along said numerous times...we get the award
for coolest car there. )
cheers, Scott
On 6/30/2016 1:38 PM, Rob wrote:
> We need an Idiot's Guide to the Vanagon.... With the simple stuff. Just
> like John Muir had in his book. Won't start (does it have gas?). Red light
> on, Won't stop. A Tune up. Basic tools.The Simple Stuff.
>
> I had many a long talks with John Muir by the side of the road & I didn't
> even know he was dead (by then) but I learned.
>
> Many years ago I brought up Muir's book on this list & was put down because
> his was an air cooled book, I stopped mentioning it. Everytime I hear of
> someone getting their van towed because the clutch went out I figure they
> never read Muir's book...
>
> Simple things... like the coolant light is blinking or how do you put oil
> in the engine?
>
> Just a thought...
>
> Rob
> vwrobb@gmail.com
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 30, 2016 at 4:25 PM, Mike Miller <mwmiller6@att.net> wrote:
>
>> Haven't responded to Scott's posts for a few years but this one I want to.
>> Scott,
>> You have to know what you're looking at to have looking at things be the
>> first step. You've been working on these vehicles, and others, for so long
>> that you don't remember what it's like to simply not know anything about
>> how the things work and what they look like fixed, or broken.
>> Some of us don't.
>> If you don't believe me ask BenT what I know about engines and brakes and
>> tires and wheels, etc.
>> Mike
>>
>> On Thursday, June 30, 2016 1:18 PM, Scott - IMAP <
>> scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Funny you should say that about posting right away.
>> I see that quite frequently ..
>> like people will ask about what can cause a symptom and they havn't
>> LOOKED at anything ..
>> like not even remove the engine cover and just LOOK in there ..even for
>> obvious stuff.
>>
>> ( I figure they 'just want to post' ...or they're too lazy or don't
>> trust themselves enough to actually LOOK at the thing or system to
>> start with. )
>>
>> I posted a Friday question once..'What is The First Step' in any
>> diagnositc procedure.
>> The very, very first step.
>> i got answers like 'get out the Bentley Manual' and things like that..
>> seems so OBVIOUS ...
>> or maybe it's Too Obvious ..but ...jeez ....when a vehicle doesn't work
>> like it should ..
>> for gosh sakes ..LOOK like with yer eyeballs and hands and fingers at
>> the affected area of the vehicle.
>>
>> and sure ..if people want to post before they do that ...fine ....kind
>> of a waste of everyone's time tho ..
>> if they look ..
>> then they can at least show that they are doing something ....did not
>> see anything obvious ..
>> or maybe a question about something that may not look right...
>> to post without even looking or checking ....
>> hmmmmm...
>> ....I think some people just want an excuse to post sometimes.
>>
>> hey ..by the way ..
>> One of my vans doesn't run exactly right ..what do people think could be
>> causing that ???
>>
>> < example of a really useless question lacking Any info to go on. >
>>
>> it's all good,
>> Scott
>>
>> On 6/30/2016 12:36 PM, Neil N wrote:
>>> Hi folks.
>>>
>>> I'm doing my best to be careful with my work. Work "slower", think more.
>>> One bad habit of mine is posting too quickly on an issue or potential
>> issue.
>>> Hopefully though, what I ask and-or show in images, might be something
>> someone
>>> else has run across or wondered about.
>>>
>>> My Vanagon Passion may be out of balance these days but I'd suggest that
>>> most if not all folks on this list are VERY passionate about
>> Vanagons/Buses,
>>> and want to keep them running properly or help other folks to same.
>>> That passion can see different forms I guess.
>>>
>>>
>>> Neil.
>>>
>>> ---------
>>>
>>>
>>>> Just use yer brains and do careful work, and for sure..
>>>> expect that on most jobs that the very first time you do it ..
>>>> it will be a learning experience and may not 'automatically' work out
>>>> perfectly the first time.
>>> --
>>> Neil n
>>>
>>> Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>
>>>
>>> 1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>
>>>
>>> 1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical <
>> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/>
>>> Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>
