Date:         Mon, 15 Aug 94 20:59:45 CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject:      Re: 139297.4 miles -> BOOM!

On Mon, 15 Aug 94 19:46:06 CDT <huie@cpd.tandem.com> said:
>engine.   Loss in oil pressure, clanking sound from the right side
>(possibly a collapsed hydraulic lifter under the valve cover?) ...
>Or, possibly the engine sucked a valve or thrown a pushrod.   They all sound
>the same, to me.  No black smoke, just a terrible clanking sound from the
>right side.

having had both, trust me: they are NOT the same sound! :(  the sucked-valve
is stomach-deep-gut-sickening, conjuring horrible images in the bowels of
your mind. really bad. there is NOT a shred of doubt in your mind that the
engine has been deeply and fatally injured.

the lifter, on the other hand, is more like: shit, i think i broke something.

if it was still driveable, it's probably a lifter. maybe. if the gods are
smiling on you this week.

>It sounds like a rebuilt engine will cost me around $3000, including
>installation.   Is this reasonable?   The body and interior of the car

$3K??? that sounds way high to me. a whole rebuilt engine shouldn't be more
than, what, about $1500? plus labor an stuff, maybe $2000 at the most. now,
if you mean THEM rebuilding the engine in their shop, yeah. what with the
additional labor of them doing the rebuilt work, it could climb up to $3K.
but it still seems high to me. imho.

>is still in great shape.   Has anyone else had this experience with
>their Vanagon?   If it is only a collapsed lifter, then the cost will
>be more in the $200-$400 range.

well ... IF it is the lifter, then you'd might as well do a bunch of
long-term preventative maintenance while you're doing it: replace ALL the
lifters and pushrods (the one is likely bent or badly scratched). and do the
pushrod tube seals (cause you are gonna have to take them out anyway). and
stuff like that. so the $200-400 might climb a bit to over $500. but the
engine would last you longer. hopefully.

remember, however: i r not a mechanic. i r a bus-driver. and my lunched valve
was a long time ago: $800 to rebuild (a lonnnnnng time ago). and on a beetle
engine. the lifter was on an 80 vanagon. i think the total was about $200
back then.

joel