Date:         Mon, 25 Nov 1996 15:40:22 -0500 (EST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Cetin  Seren <cseren@fore.com>
Subject:      Sounds of dying Vanagon?

Have the simplest thing checked first:  Is the CAT OK????

If the catalytic converter you put in was defective, a piece could
have been knocked off inside, and it is the one making the horendous
sounds. A loose piece inside the CAT also 'plugs' the exhaust, causing
backpressure, and loss of power.  At low power utilization the loose
piece rests at the bottom of the CAT, and has no effect to the
operation of the engine.   

This will eventually cause other big problems, like blown exhaust
pipes or worse.

The symptoms you're talking about once happened to me on a Renault,
and I remember it sounded like someone was inside the engine
compartment going at everything with a hammer -- scary...

Cetin

VWmiked@aol.com writes:
 > Hey there Listees-
 > 
 > Here's the scoop- I just put on a new cat, o2 sensor, muffler, bosch plat
 > plugs, dist. cap, changed the coolant and flushed with water, changed
 > oil&filter, airfilter, checked the timing, recarpeted the interior (not
 > related but am very proud of my $25 carpeting job!).  I was having some
 > nagging valve noise so used some hyd. lifter cleaner in crankcase on advise
 > from this list.  
 > 
 > After loading up the van (rather heavy), I was driving up I-80 towards donner
 > summit (in CA) and the van was running great, lots of speed until somewhere
 > past Auburn where I was getting into some consistant uphill (5000++ft) and
 > the van lost a lot of power and let loose with a sound similiar to what it
 > sounded like when the cat and muffler broke off a couple of weeks previous.
 >  Sh*t, I thought I had really flubbed up and one of the manifolds had come
 > loose, however on inspection they were all tight.  I finished the drive over
 > the 8000 ft summit with the (spine chilling) sound occuring off and on.  It
 > seems to kick in when the engine has to push extra hard up a hill, it's fine
 > on flat or gradual/short hills.  I suspect it has something to do with one or
 > more of my exhaust valves.
 > 
 > The lifter cleaner was still in the crank case (it had only been about 4
 > days) and have since changed the oil and filter.  I have driven it once
 > since, still loaded and up some smaller hills, about 30 miles total and no
 > big sounds.  However, it still makes light valve noise (I think) all the time
 > and idles really rough and uneven.  When I take the van to a shop, it is
 > going to be Sacramento or even farther away.  It is going to take a lot of
 > days and driving.  I would like to get it all done at the same time before
 > more snow falls and I get too much into work.  So if you have any advice
 > please let me know!  Thanks in advance.
 > 
 > Mike D
 > 83.5 Westie Wasserboxer (suffering)
 > Lake Tahoe, CA