Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 00:48:08 -0500
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: SyncroHead@aol.com
Subject: 87 Vanagon Engine Swap Success (LONG!)
Hi all you Vanatics,
First, I'd like to thank all of you who took the time to answer my questions
during this engine swap. And a very special thanks to JIM777@EWORLD.COM for
giving up a couple Saturdays to come over and help me out. It sure helped to
have a second pair of eyes and ears when things got going and another head to
help think things through.
Second, a quick summary to let you know what this message is about:
The engine in my 1987 Vanagon Syncro failed. I elected to buy a low-mileage
used 1990 engine to replace it with. What follows is the summary of how the
engine swap went.
It was a warm autum afternoon.... NO, that's not my style. I just give you
the facts without much embellishment.
A. PREPARATION TO REMOVE ENGINE
First, I made a 15 minute video of my engine compartment area, attempting to
document the current condition of everything that I'd needed to remove or
disconnect. I figured if I got really confused, I could refer back to this
video and be able to see the way that the project started out.
Next, I tagged every hose, fitting, wire, and electrical connection with a
little paper-tag-on-a-string. On the tags, I wrote a sequential number (1,
2, 3,...), the area of the engine where the item was located and the page
number in the Bentley manual that said to disconnect it. Each side of the
connection (like a wire and the terminal it was connected to) got an
identical tag. I also wrote down in the book the sequential number that I
assignned. Note that numerous descriptions in my '89 Bentley were wrong and
that numerous items were not even mentioned. I just disconnected them and
wrote my own descriptions down in the book. I tagged everything, even if I
thought that there was no way I could forget where this or that went. It
helps in this stage to have a buddy to re-check thing that you may have
missed. Sometimes I've found that when you've seen something often enough,
you can miss the obvious and a fresh pair of eyes can catch it.
B. ENGINE REMOVAL
Before lowering the engine, you're supposed to use a special tool (VW #
^%&^%$!!!) to support the transmission from falling. The tool looks like two
short chains with a straight bar in between. I used one continuous chain
from side to side and it worked just fine. Note that on Syncro transmissions
you're supposed to loosen each of the front mounting bolts 3 turns (I think
it was 3) to let the front of the transmission pivot. I loosened the bolts
just like the manual said, but didn't realize until re-assembly that the
other end of the bolt has a nut on it (Duh!!) that was just spinning. So,
don't forget, you'll need to get another wrench up there to actually loosen
the bolts!
The Bentley manual showed a device (again, some VW tool no.) to support the
engine from underneath while removing it. To simulate this situation as
close as possible, I bought a transmission jack adapter for my floor jack
from J.C.Whitney. You remove the circular platform from the fop of the jack
and bolt this contraption on. The device worked exactly as it should have,
but overall, I think this was a mistake. Since I had the back end of the van
jacked way up to get the jack under it (and the engine out), the van was no
where near parallel to the ground. This meant that as I pulled the jack back
(parallel to the ground) that it caused binding between the engine and the
transmission (that were not parallel to the ground). We kept moving and
adjusting and eventually got the engine out. You can read more about it
later, but I wisely choose an engine hoist to install the replacement engine.
C. WHILE THE ENGINE WAS OUT
BROKEN BOLTS: I removed (or paid for removal) of two rusted and broken bolts
from the heads of the new engine and had a shop do a little welding on one
head that I damaged trying to remove a broken bolt. I've posted to the list
previously on this topic, so I won't bother go into any more detail here.
NEW HOSES: I have alot to say regarding replacing the hoses, so I'll save
that for a future post. I did replace all of the engine compartment coolant
hoses.
EXHAUST SYSTEM: Since my van is a Syncro and the replacement engine wasn't I
had to put my '87 exhaust parts on the "new" engine. The Parts Place catalog
is clear that the front tube is Syncro specific and that the rear tube is
generic. I had thought that both tubes were different, and now it's too late
to do a good comparison. While the exhaust pieces were all apart, I used a
wire wheel on a 4.5" angle grinder and removed all the rust. Being in So.
Cal. there really wasn't much, even after 8 years on the road. I then
painted all the exhaust parts (including the cat & muf) with high-temperature
exhaust paint. The paint I used was "Dupli-Color from the makers of KRYLON
products HIGH HEAT WITHSTANDS HEAT TO 1200F" and is described as "ideal for
engine manifolds, headers, exhaust systems,..." It almost all FLAKED OFF IN
JUST MINUTES AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE. The smoke and stench from burning
paint was a wonderful addition to staring the "new" engine for the first
time. The color WAS a nice "High Heat Aluminum" It is mostly still on the
cat & muff and flaked off of all the tubes. I even followed the directions
recommended for "maximum hard, high-heat resistant finish" and baked each
piece in my kitchen oven before installation. My wife LOVED that. I can NOT
recommend this product.
While assembling the exhaust system I used only stainless steel nuts, bolts,
& washers, and was sure to use anti-sieze compound.
The Syncro's exhaust system uses a heat shield along the rear tube below the
muffler. Mine was rusty and had a broken bracket that had been rattling for
some time. A VW replacement would cost about $60, so I use some aluminum
sheet metal and cut & bent a new one into shape. Being aluminum, it should
last longer than the original. One of my '87 muffler support brackets (yes,
these are Syncro specific, so I could not use the one from the '90) was
discovered to be broken and was replaced.
MOTOR MOUNTS: The "new" engine came complete with the engine carrier bar
(again a Syncro specific item) and motor mounts. One of the 1990 mounts was
broken clean through and one was bent. Each of the four from my 87 were in
one piece, but they all looked like they'd seen better days. I decided to
replace all 4 at a cost of $94 after my 10% off coupon from the local dealer.
After my engine was out I was surprised to discover that the big aluminum
bracket thing that bolts between the engine and the 4 motor mounts was
loose. I could literally jiggle it around with my hand. I wonder how long
it had been like that.
MISCELLANEOUS: The big aluminum shield thing that runs along the back of the
engine compartment and that the primary coolant reservoir mounts to is a
Syncro specific item. The 2WD version is not as tall as the Syncro's.
D. INSTALLING THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE
Using the engine hoist to hang the engine from worked much better than did
the jack to support it from underneath. In fact, I was able to install the
engine without any assistance. The only hang-up was this: I had the engine
at the right height and very close to the right angle to slide it in. I
lined up the lower mounting studs that protrude from the bottom of the engine
with the holes in the transmission and pushed, but it just would not go in!
I figured that I needed to adjust the angle a little, then the height, then
the angle again, but it just would not mate-up. Finally, after about 20
minutes (and my engine to trans silicone stuff starting to set-up), I pulled
the engine back away from the trans and stared at it a while trying to
discover the problem. I was pretty frustrated! Then it dawned on me. The
splines on the transmission shaft were not lining up with the splines on the
clutch! Double DUH!! I twisted the pulley on the engine a little bit and the
engine went right in. Smooth as silicone!
E. HOOKING UP ALL THE ENGINE STUFF
I expected the time from removal to installation would be either 2 or 3
weeks, depending on how well the changeover items went. My work interviened
and I had to work many hours on 3 straight weekends to meet a project
deadline. To a lesser extent, the broken bolts interveined, but the bottom
line was that it was now about 6 or 7 weeks since the engine removal. Having
all of those tags really paid off!! It's amazing how much you can forget
over the course of those weeks! It's also amazing how easy it was to connect
hose #23 to flange #23. This part went quickly and easily and there was no
need to refer to the video tape. One Syncro gotcha did come up though. I
forgot to install the exhaust bracket nut & bolt on the front tube before
re-installing the engine/trans protection bars. These bars perfectly prevent
installation of this bolt and had to be removed and re-installed in order to
install the bolt.
F. ENGINE RUNS!
After a quick jump from another car's battery, the engine quickly clattered
to life! We had a lot going on here. The lifters were clattering like
crazy! So much so, that I feared that it was something worse. Smoke was
burning off the exhaust pipes from the not-so-high-temp-paint! This paint
also stinks while it burns. And all this while we're trying to follow the
coolant installation procedure: watch the RPMS at the driver's seat, watch
the coolant level at the engine bay, watch the bubbles at the radiator, watch
the clock on your wrist, stop the engine, start the engine, add collant, open
this, close that....! We also discovered a small leak from one of the fuel
injectors.
My first real scare was the lifter clatter. You migh remember the post "1990
Engine Clatter" or something like that. It turned out to just be lifters
after all. The clattering is completely gone now. There was no need for any
oil additives.
My second scare was the intermittant oil light operation, previous post was
"86+ Dynamic Oil Pressure...". After figuring out how this system works and
riging some lights directly to the oil pressure switches, I've deduced that
this was not a real low oil pressure condition, but something goofy going on
in the pressure monitoring system. I've also had intermittant non-operation
of the tachometer that I believe is related.
G. ON THE ROAD
Upon taking my first test drive last Sunday, I went about 3/4 mile to a gas
station and filled up on gas, checked the tire pressures and checked the
small (1 drip every 30 sec) from the fuel injector. The air compressor at
the first station didn't work well, so I went another 3/4 mile to another
station that wanted $ for their air. I hate this! It's not that it costs
much, but it really irritates me to pay for air! Another 1/2 mile circling
back toward home to another station, I get air, check the fuel drips & wipe
fuel off the fuel injector hose. I head toward home making one more stop.
Upon returning to the van I find a 6" wide path of gasoline behind my van,
leading right up to my fuel injector. I remove the air filter housing and
discover the bottom of the air filter housing and the metal around it wet
with fuel!! This tiny leak just gort real serious! Although the van is off,
it's still leaking. I make a temporary patch and walk home. Calls to about
10 FLAPS yields:
Bosch injector, new: $82.-$83.
Bosch injector, rebuilt: $45.-$50.
Non-Bosch, new: $55.-$62.
None of these places has a single piece in stock! Remember it's Sunday & they
can't get one from the distributer today.
Finally THE place that does have something in stock:
New Bosch injector: $112.
I thought for a while about temporarily using one of my '87 injectors, (the
hoses looked all crackled and I didn't want one in there permanently) but
this would mean having to change the injector twice. In the end I paid the
$30. premium to the place that had one in stock. I replaced the injector,
runs great, no leak!! I'll send a seperate post on why the injector leaked
and ask what, if anything, can be done about it.
H. COSTS (including taxes)
Used 1990 engine, 30,000 miles
$1,750.
Engine shipping
100.
Exhaust gaskets, antifreeze, throw-out bearing
112.
Seals & gaskets
6.
Hoses, muffler support, motor mounts
277.
Exhaust paint
13.
Oil, filters, hose clamps
35.
Hoses, hose clamps
46.
Welding (cylinder head)
20.
Hose clamps, spark plugs
12.
Broken bolt removal (1), threaded inserts (2)
90.
Fuel injector
120.
Towing
35.
TOTAL:
$2,616.
I could have gotten by without replacing many of the parts that I did, but I
figured with their age I would just be asking for future problems. I think
that I could have saved $300-$350. by going the cheap route. With the price
of a rebuilt long block ranging from $1,800 to $2,400 I think that I've made
a pretty good decision. Now I still have a spare engine that I can rebuild
and a lot of spare parts like: muffler, cat. conv., distributer, water pump,
throttle body, idle stabilizer, exhaust tubing & more. Plus some emergency
spares that I can carry with me on off-road adventures like: many coolant
hoses, fuel injector, spark plug wires, etc. Only time will tell how many
miles I get out of this engine though, and that will be the decisive factor
on whether or not this used engine is a good deal.
Thats about it.
Thanks again for the help.
Jim Davis
87 Syncro (with "new" 90 engine!)
88 Wolfsburg
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