Date:         Tue, 17 Oct 95 16:08:10 MDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         aburczyk@dres.dnd.ca
Subject:      Re: '82 air-cooled parts sources?

SIR was the rebuild outfit used to provide most of the technical expertise and 
photo ops used in " How to rebuild volkswagen aircooled engines", the authour's 
name escapes me but I have the book at home and will try to remember to look it 
up tonight.  The authour raved about how good the place was but didn't mention 
the address or phone number anywhere in the book.  Do you have an address and/or 
phone listing for them?  Could I have it too?

Thanks

Andy
> 
> 
> Hi folks!
> 
> I haven't written much so here's a brief situation intro:
> 
> I bought an '82 Vanagon L in pretty good shape for $450.  Yeah, I had to tow
> it home, but with only 78K and a pretty good interior I figured I couldn't
> lose.....  I did hear the engine run before I bought it.  So did everyone else
> within a three mile radius.  Dropped valve seat I figured...
> 
> I dropped the engine, cleaned it up and opened it this last week.  It was
> missing a few screws on the sheet metal so I figured this may have been done
> before.  I pulled the right head (and managed to crack a fin, dang it!  It was
> REALLY stuck to one cylinder).  I pulled cylinder #2 to get at the wrist pin
> and was a bit surpised at how loose it was....  but then it wasn't slippery
> rings, it was free play!  There was about 3/8" of free play!  I got the
> cylinder out further and could look inside and see the loose rod bolts!  I
> loosened the rod bolts with my fingers!  What a sight!  The molten bearing
> material had oozed around the outside of the rod and hardened on the body of
> the rod.  One rod bolt had stretched to the point where it had necked down in
> diameter to 75% of original.  Apparently, someone had rebuilt this thing
> before and FORGOT TO TORQUE ALL THE ROD BOLTS!!!!!!  AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!
> 
> It looks like one came loose and then the other rod bolt stretched as it took
> all of the load. This bent the rod bolt hole and the cap on the bottom of the
> rod opened up. The slamming around that this created cracked the cylinder. 
> 
> Anyway, as I have dismantled this thing, the list has been getting longer and
> longer.....  Man this is gonna cost me!  I am looking for part shops, and
> finding tons of 'em that carry bug stuff, but hardly any that carry vanagon
> stuff!  The ones that do charge double or triple for the vanagon parts. The
> worst place to buy parts is certainly the dealer. ($245 EACH for pistons and
> cylinders, HAH!!!)
> 
> Anyway, has anybody dealt with SIR in Santa Ana?  They are the only place I
> have called that even come close to being reasonable.
> 
> Please post your favorite parts house that also sells parts for '82 vanagons!
> I need to start ordering and rounding up parts.
> 
> Gary Nichols 
> '82 Vanagon L (currently in pieces in little boxes, big boxes, 
>                   bags, empty Hershey's cocoa cans....)
> 
> 
>