Date:         Sun, 2 Apr 95 21:44:54 PDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Kautz <dkautz@hpsidms1.sid.hp.com>
Subject:      Motor is out, but....

  I pulled the engine out of the '74 this afternoon. Sure would be nice
  if they had left that rear apron removeable. The engineer who made that
  change does not want to meet me until I've forgotten about this job.

  Actually everything was going smoothly until I decided to jack the car
  up just a little bit more so as not to have to remove the rear bumper <it 
  never pays to be lazy, right>. Since my garage jack was already under
  the engine - it had been separated from the tranny and lowered already- I
  used the flimsy VW jack. No sooner have I lifted the bus of the jackstand
  on one side, the jack kind of hinges and collapses and the whole nine yards
  falls - it was a good thing I hadn't removed the wheels. Now I have a dent
  in my engine compartment apron where it busted off the pilot jet solenoid,
  the only damage to the engine I have spotted so far.

  There sure is a lot of @##$%^ plumbing on that engine. It took about an
  hour to get all that stuff and the sheet metal off! Great luck with 
  fasteners though. Everything came undone easily - not a single broken
  stud or bolt.

  How much end play should an engine with 110K on it have? I haven't 
  measured yet but it eyeballs at about .020". The center hub of the 
  clutch disk is also loose, Is this uncommon? 

  Unfortuneatly, our income taxes are competing with this project for my 
  attention and it may be closer to Easter before I can really tear into
  this project. In the meantime, I remember someone posting that they
  have a "collection" of pilot jet solenoids. Having just destroyed one
  with my laziness, I am interested in purchasing a replacement. If 
  you are listening....



  Thanks,

  Dave