Date:         Sun, 5 Apr 1998 04:50:42 EDT
Reply-To:     Jwilli941 <Jwilli941@AOL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Jwilli941 <Jwilli941@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: strange clicking noise on 87 westy
Comments: To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

In a message dated 98-04-05 00:02:49 EST, you write:

<<
 So, here is my dilemma.  For reasons
 >unknown, I did not winterize my westy and it has been sitting for a few
 >months.  When I started it up the other day, I found that there was a
strange
 >clicking noise coming from the engine with each revolution.  >>


The Wasserboxers are notorious for the lifters bleeding down and clicking like
a machine gun when started up.  I have had some Vans that would bled down
every night!  Is the noise a loud metallic clack?  If so then I would suspect
that
as a likely cause of your noise.  What to do about it?   Well, at the
dealership
we would just let it idle until the noise eventually went away.  Sometimes
this
could take 15 or more minutes before the lifter finally pumped up.  We would
also add a upper valve train lubricant called "Hydralube".  I don't know what
was
in it or who made it but it seemed to work.   You might try "Marvel Mystery
Oil"
in yours or some other product designed especially for the upper valve train.
There is a slight chance that this lifter will never pump up on its own and
the next
step would be to disassemble the motor to replace it.  Remember that this is
a 'physic reading' of your noise and it could be something else all together.

Todd Hill
VolksWerks Transaxles
Olympia, WA