Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 18:32:11 -0600
Reply-To: "A. Kimmons" <akimmons@EV1.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "A. Kimmons" <akimmons@EV1.NET>
Subject: Re: Engine rebuilding resources
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Do it. You'll be proud of youself...
I also was just a minor fix-it guy, but after I rebuilt my 87 vanagon engine, I've
found that I
can easily tackle just about anything else! It was a real confidence builder for
me.
I started out just like you, only wanting to do the heads, but after pulling the
engine and then getting sand into the block, I was forced to crack open the block.
It was scary, but just follow the Bentley instructions and look to the list for
tricks. Hell, with Ron down the street, I wouldn't have any problem going for it.
He and all the list members were very helpful with those tricks I couldn't figure
out for myself.
The only problem I see with doing the rebuild is that I ended up being a real
compulsive Vanagonian, and now have moved on to "other" things that don't really
need doing! I've been redoing the inside of my van now for several months,
insulating and fixing and cleaning. I've really learned far more than I ever
started out to learn. It's great to have no fixed time limit and I don't have to
rush each project...That's important for me as a learner.
I'm hoping to have this 87 Vanagon and every other car I own from now on LAST
FOREVER!
Good luck and don't hesitate to write if you need help.
Tony
"Karl F. Bloss" wrote:
> Well as I get deeper into this head gasket job, I'm hearing more voices telling
> me to go for the full rebuild.
>
> Having never done more than change the oil on my cars up to about 3 years ago,
> I'm working my way up the DIY shade-tree mechanic ladder. Thus I was hoping to
> just do the head gaskets and let that be the lesson from this engine.
>
> But now that the engine is on the floor and I have time (it's a spare engine
> and the gaskets in Bev's engine aren't leaking _that_ bad :-), I keep hearing
> it's just a bit more work and a few more $ to crack the case, do the bearings,
> probably rings, etc. Ron at the Bus Depot even offered the loaner VW tool kit
> for wrist pins and he's "just around the corner" from me.
>
> So where do I read up on rebuilds? I have the Muir Idiot Guide, but skipped
> the rebuild sections so far. I hear about a Fisher book, I check on Amazon.com
> and found the Wilson and Grissom book about aircooled VW rebuilding. Any other
> suggestions?
>
> -Karl
>
> Karl and Kristina Bloss, Trexlertown, PA
> '87 Westfalia Weekender "Beverley" - 190K miles
> http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/
> PA/NJ Vanagon owner's mailing list: http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/pavanagon/
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