Date:         Sat, 30 Sep 1995 20:42:36 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Gregor Durstewitz <GDURSTEW@oimb.uoregon.edu>
Subject:      1800 engine in...finally! [longish]

    Dear list,
 i'd just like to thank everyone on the list for the countless words of
wisdom and encouragement...it made a big difference and was the main
reason why the whole project never ceased to be fun. the engine is finally in
and the 73 bus is running beautifully. since i got lots of "private"
requests, here's a report on what i did:
  about a year ago i bought a white 73 westy for 900 bucks (great body +
interior, but #3 cylinder compression was only around 100). it was still
running okay, but a few weeks ago i got a 74 bus for 300.-, body thrashed,
but the 1800 engine had 130 on all 4. so i decided to swap engines. it was
my first engine drop, so i tried to do things by the book. since you
asked, here's some hints the way i see 'em:

1.when disconnecting the thing, LABEL EVERYTHING ! st.muir is right, no
matter how obvious things may seem when you take them apart, label them
anyway! by the time you put things back together you will have forgotten
everything incl. mom's maiden name...i went through 2 rolls of labeling tape
and 50 ziplock bags to keep little things apart, and i still wish i would
have been more thorough...

2.take plenty of time. shit happened whenever i tried to do too many things
on one day.

3.if your bus is about as old as mine, you'll need lots of rubber parts.
just about every rubber gasket \ o-ring \ sleeve \ hose that you really look
at will not pass the test. this was the single biggest surprise for me in
this project.

4.when things turn sour as they certainly will at some point or
other: quit whatever you're doing and start to paint things ! it will be
an uplifting experience. i painted both bumpers bright red and all engine
tins in a melange of green- yellow-black...makes you smile every time
you open the hatch...

5.since lots of you asked: here's a list of what i did while i was swapping
engines. maybe i should have done more, but these things seemed to make
sense at the time:
  cleaned up engines and engine compartments, installed new
fuel gauge sender unit + o-ring, put in new clutch (clutch disc + pressure
plate + throwout bearing + pilot shaft bearing + engine front oil seal + o-
ring inside flywheel [caution, folks! the latter one was not part of the
clutch kit from ROCKY MTN. MOTORWORKS but REALLY needed
replacing...otherwise the kit was excellent: all original SACHS germany
parts, no cheap shit...], checked bearings and soldered new carbon brushes
into alternator, installed new rubber elbow for alternator air cooling,
replaced ALL fuel and vac lines and installed extra in-line fuel filter,
cleaned oil coolers inside and out [boy, did they need that!] and replaced
grommets, installed new engine mounts (you know, those angled rubber
thingies), installed PERTRONIX electronic ignition to replace points and put
in BOSCH platinum plugs, adjusted valves and timing, put in new engine room
seal, cleaned up cooling fins and removed various objects (previous
owner had lost 2 sparkplugs in there, leaving them to rattle around
eternally on the cooling fins...), installed oil temp gauge in sumpplate,
replaced all filters.

6.specific problems: only one that really worried me: when we put the engine
back in we had it supported on a hydraulic jack and got the lower engine-
tranny-bolts started. no problemo. but then we couldn't get it any further
in although engine and tranny seemed perfectly aligned. tranny input shaft
seemed to be stuck at the pilot shaft bearing. we finally lifted up the
engine's tail end even more (wedging our hips under the muffler...), wiggled
a little and the tranny shaft slides in like a greased pig...i had been
worried they wouldn't fit for some reason or other because it's an 1800
engine and a 1700 tranny, although everybody said it wouldn't be no
problem...when you're lying under the bus trying to wiggle those 300 pounds
into place you're are all alone with your worries...

  well, that's my report from my first engine swap. it was my first, so take
it with a grain of salt. both buses are up and running, which comes as close
to a miracle as i've ever been. and needless to say, i'm about 4 weeks late
for our Waikiki bush bash...sorry martha!
  greetings from oregon,
                            gregor, 73\1800 westy "FESTUS"
                                    74\1700 bus "FOR SALE CHEAP"
























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Gregor Durstewitz                      =============
Oregon Institute of Marine Biology    /_| |__||__| :|     toff
University of Oregon                 0|    Festus   |     toff
Charleston, OR 97420                  '-()-------()-'